Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-03-12
Ma. H,UNTEn,s !oRATIoN.

| N. u. 11uuteE' az tAS 1nhuSuFdLlOu tolstIu
Virginia Washington Monument. onqthe
9edI ult5.l is universally pronounced 6
modelyof te1se strength, beautiful though1
aud eloquent expression. After tconsidi
ering Washington'in his two fold charac
ter as soldier and statesman, the oratioI
concludes as. follows: 90 smsIoo1e slt'
tits duty then which Virginia owes
to him. to herself and to. posterity,. to tel
the great story of his life in all the forms
in which it can reach the hearts and
minds, of'men. Let it be told In the grace.
full numbers of the poet;'let il be carried
down in the everlasting Traditions of his
impersona.ions Of the painter and sculp-
tors genius. There is a"great moral in
that story which ought to be @lelt by ev
cry human heart. for.itis thestory oflone
who alone. ofall the great rulers Of men.
has proved by consistent: example that
in the midst Of Temptations and the most
seducing opportunities for the 'gratifca-
ton Of selfish ambition. he preferred
the duties oflife to its pleasures, its pow
er, and even to lie itself. Let, then,
Virginia on this natal day raise the efigy
of her noblest son before the eyes OF ad-
miring men; and who shall blame her if
some touch Of maternal pride should be
mingled with the tears OF pious regard
which she may shed for him who was the
worlds great paragon for all that is subs
lime in virtue and al! that is patient and
brave in the human soul? She raises this
image not to refresh fountains of her grief.
not to take tribute from human sympathy
for the SOULS deep wound, not to express
the sad sense Of bereavement in whatev>
er form of utterance may be most endu-
ring; but she this day elevates iii in the
face of the world to consecrate his mem,
ory in the best affections OF every heart,
and to dedicate his name to the great
cause of humanity. and as a common pos
session to all mankind This is mo idle
ceremonial Of grief which we celebrate
to day: but State is inauguratipg with
the reverenlial sorrow which such great>
ness may inspire in even mother's
heart, the influence of perhaps the high
est human example, which is to be as
wide as The world in its operation and to
command love and sympathy from every
human heart. Long. then. may yonder
expressive bronze continue to speak its
lessons ofgvirtue and wisdom to each sue
ceeding generation of man. Let the moth
er bring her boy hither that she may
teach him in this presence as his earliest
lesson 50 much of the great story, OF
Washington as he may be ableoto appre!
ciate and comprehend. Let the aspiring
youth whose ambition. like Caesars, may
have b,gep fired by the study Of early sue,
cesses SO much greater than his own,
pause to behold that, calm face and con-
sider'its associated story Of patient forti2
tude and noble perseverance,. Or should
he, in his eagerness for fame. fnd that he
is in dander 10 prefer the prizes of ,ambi-
ton TO goodness, let him pursue that sto
ry to its conclusion, and learn that it was
Washington's 8 unfaItering loyalty to daty
and faith in virtue which ;endowed him
with an ,almostsuperhuman strength. and
made his name immortal among men.
Is tia man Of maturer years, who dis,
appointed in his aspirations and miscon-
strued in his best and noblest efforts for
his race, begins to grow weary in the
Struggle aud dispair Of achieving any
thing great or even good. let him consid-
er how sternly the great soul of which
that Statue speaks Mas tried and with
what courage andbalth it passed Though
the fires OF consuming strife. until every
difficulty was surmounted and il stood
purified and annealed by the fierce ordeaI
to- which it had been exposed WB3
amongstIus all'mighs hot gather from his
meditations, in this calm presence, ptei
cious lessons for the guidance and .direc,
tion Of his future conduct? Here then is
the genius loci'' which should invite the
universal pilgrimage Of man, for all It's in
tluences are sacred to the great cause OF
Humanity. Touched uby the inspired
hand of human genius. that mute bronze
pours forth its full tide of living associa-
tions which, like water from the rock OF
Horeb, may refresh the soul ofbim whose
hopes and strength are failing under the
toilsome. and it may be- the sad experi-
enoel lof hiss devious sijodfneyi-thtough life.
This statue is. not merely a monument
to Washington. but an altar erected to
Heroic. Virtue itself. Before which the hu-
man heart may purify'its own aspirations
under the Christening Influences OF the
great example Of the Father of his coun.
try. and upon which it may sacrifice eY-
cry wild or mad desire that may be ad-
verse to the country's good. ~ lvhH
And yet this monument shalt pass
away when time, with slow corfoding
tooth. shall have dissipatett, atom By at
ON. its consecrated ddst::iiABut when. all
It's partiolesI fugitive Oh i'the winds. She'll
have disappeared from human view, there
will still survive the monument which
Washington's own genius has erected for
itself, for there is a promise in which we
allconfide. tha. the good which men do
shall live after them. How much a6f all
that we admire ain human achievement
must lose its influence, because it is foun,