Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-03-20
Speech OF Mr.. Everett at
Richm ond.


Hon. Edward Everett at the Wash
ington Monumsnt Inauguration din
ner, given III Richmond at the clos,
Of the celebration on the 2od ult
The Hon. Edward Everett rose
in response TO q call from all part:
Of the Hall, and upon rising wa:
received with long continued ap
plauso. Order being restored, h
spoke at follows:
Mr. President and Gentlemen,
/ esteem it a great privilege anG
honor to speak Oh behalf Of Massa
chusetts On this most interesting oc
casion-of Massachusetts: the eld
est Of the sister States of Virginia
in this great falnily Of republics
She knew and loved Your peerless
son at al early day While the
lilies Of France foated over the
bastions Of Quebec while the red
cross Of St. George waved from
Maine to Georgia =; while the bloom
OF youth was on bis own cheek, he
visiled Boston, then the residence
Of the Comuander-in~Chief Of the
Royal forces.
When the great appeal was made
TO The stern arbltrinlent Of war, and
the all Important question arose If,
the ContinentaI Congres, who should
lead the patriotic arms Of America,
in the doubtful contest; Massachu-
setts; represented by one whom
your own Jefferson pronounced the
Colossus Of debate in the great ar
gurneot Of Intlependence-onet1Jom from
whom many Of: you afterwards dit-
ferea in political opinion. but whom
all honored as true, warm hearted
riot-l1;sssac|lusetts, [ say, rep
resented in the Continental Con
gress BY John Adams, gave her
voice and he influence for the ap-
point1nent Of Washington. She
had her own armies, her own gen
erals i'll the field, in common with
those OF the other New England
States-the veterans cf the Seven
years 'war-Rogers' provincial rall-
gers, Stark's cennratIes-1nen who
had climbed the heights of Abra-
hem and storned the citadel Of
lollisburgll--the men of the 10th
Of April and the 17th OF June-led
by Ward and " arren, and Putnam
and Prescott-but, at. the risk Of
touching the most sensitive nerve
that thrills the human bosom the
point ct honor On the part of the
soldier and the gentlenan-l assa-
chusetts gave hes vote and all her
Influence e. for the "belo7edn Col.
Washington.
If to Virginia belongs the in
communicable glory of having civ
en- him to his country, may not
Massachusetts, under the circun-
stances to which I have alluded,
reflect with satisfaction that she
contributed all her influence TO
place that noble son at the head Of
the American armies z She re-
members, toe, with interest, that
the newly elected commander as
suu1ed his high trust under the
shadow Of her ancient University
at Oambridge; that, with his head
quarters established there, be. held
the royal army Tor near a twelve
months beleaguered, IN Boston
and that he achieved his first great
military success from the heights
that now command her capital.
Some foreign writer's have denied
the military skill Of " ashinggton.-
Massachusetts knows better. She
witnesses the. remains Of the mag
niticent lines Of: circnmgallation,
twelve miles IN circuit, in which,
with raw recruits, inadeg uate]y
supplied for the field, without ord
nance, without rnunitions--he held
tho Royal forces closely invested fo1'
near a twelve months. She heh0Ids
eternal monuments Of his military
skill in the heights Of Dorchester,
where, by 8 magnificent strategic
combination, he earned a place, &
appeal to the gallant chiettain, Gen.
Swift among the greatest masters
Of war. ~"@'..' = !
I