The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-03-08
Mr.. Everett N vlrsinis.

Mr., Everett In vlrsinis.
At the great Inauguration Dinner at Rich
rnbnd on Monday, In response to tho toast:
massachusetts and Virginia-the revolu-
tionary ties that unite them still live in the
hearts Of our people," the Hon. Edward Ev-
erctt rose in response to = call from all parts
Of the Hall, and upon rising was received
with lcng continued applause. Oder being
restored he spoke as follows:
Mr.. President ard Gentleman thank
you for this cordial welcome. thank you |
for calling upon me to respond to so welcome |
q toast. Sir, the reverence of Massachusetts, |
for Washington and for Virginia, the mother |
| of Washington, goes back beyond those re- |
evolutionary times which you have mention |
ed. Yes, sir, further back than that Massa-
chusctts knew, and honored and loved Wash |
| ington, while the colors of France yet foated
upon the bastions Of Fort Duquesne, while
the red cross of St. George foated over the
American colonies, from Massachusetts, to
Georgia. He came to my own Boston as
long ago rs February, 1856. He came to US
then, we knew him then-he was already
known throughout the colonies as the youth
full hero of the seven\years war, and, sir,
when the revolutionary times came on, when
the colonies flew to arms, and when the great
and important questions arose in the Conti-
mental Congress, who at this critical juno
turo should conduct the legions of the sons
of liberty in the war Of independence, Mas
sachusetts cast her voice aud her influence in
favor Of the nominst ton of Geo. Washing
ton. Loud and long continued Gppause.l
Sir, she had her own soldiers; she had her
} own chiefs in the field, in the ranks of Rog-
ers-men who would tread with naked feet
tho frozen fields of Lake Champlain, men
who would thread the painless forest-men
who would storm the citadel Of Louisburg -
she had leaders Of tried skill and valor-yet
, with all their brave men and brave leaders
in the field, and at the risk Of wounding the
tenderest nerve in the heart of q gentleman
the point of honor; she still gave her suf-
frage in favor of Washington; she still
gave her suffrage for that honored and noble
chief. Loud applause.
We like to remember this-continued Mr..
E.-and to remember that when your great
Virginia hero came to assume that all i'm
5 portant trust, he did it under the shadow OF
the walls OF our venerable University, in the
ancient town Of Cambridge. We like to re-
. member that he held the forces of tie enemy
beleaguercd in the town of Boston, for sew
t eral months, and that the first great success
: that he achieved in the war was upon the
nights that overlooked our capital. LOU
. applause.)
z Some of the foreign writers tell US tina,
h Washington was no military Captain. Mas.
8 sachusetts, sir, knows better. Nearly within
sight OF where you stand-my honorable
friend says somewhere in this neighborhood
. with his militia fresh from the plough, un'
~ provided with ordinance, ont Of ammunition
e he kept the royal forces at bay tor nearly
: twelve months. Massachusetts, beholds an
l. other monument of his genius on the heights
:, of Dorchester, where he achieved one of thu
q noblest successes of the Revolution. (Ap
IS plause.)
i read few weeks ago, sir, passage in
70 French work, in which it was stated tina
l. Washington could not have conducted tn
French army in the great campaign Of ISl2
!, which was the most stupendous military ar
"a ray ever witnessed. 1t was led in thirtesl
Is columns, each column composed Of one hun
&c dred companies. 1t was stated that Wash
III ington could not have conducted that arm.
l. to Russia. do not know who has RICH
&c to say that. do not know on what princi
Of pie OF probability or common sense, or Law
ne or justice, you can say that q man who ha
l. been o successful ruler over few would no
- have been successful ruler over many
pss But this will say, that from the superorit
al claimed for Napoleon, on the ground that b
conducted that great army to Russia, thsr
"a must be made deduction, and that is thu
eli he did not conduct il out again. Laughtc
ne Washington, himself, calmly contemplate
e. the probability that he would DO brought in
u to personal collision with this dreadful M
We poieoR. / believe that is q part of his his
tory, to which attention has not been prop
erly called. You might recollect, in tn,
quasi war into which we were about to fa
OF with our ancient allies, when our council
Nv were distracted by domestic ieuds, that W ash
of ington, after receiving the title Of Lieufeaa,
| x~h oh haf hntt in
"' other instance, conferred upon any othC
'le military chieftan, SAID: ''lf an invasion
e. attempted, the enemy must never be permit
IL ted to gain foothold on our shores" Tai
that with memorable expression Of his
q letter the President Of the United State
u that the French had adopted the practice, an
I'M with astonishing success, Of placing the
- armies under Generals of juvenile years; an
''0 Washington intimated that If any armi'
- had landed upon our shores, it would ha'
y. been led by the youngest and most successf
all of Generals, and that he himself would ha'
h. been brought into personal collision with tn
us great man.
e. Mr.. President, join you with all my hea
lie in this noble commemoration of the occasic
=, which has called us togeather. Virginia b.
vi been called justly the mother Of States, an
u ofmen who have justly called statesmen. Blu
for there is no honor that she does not shares vii
err her sisters in the confederacy. This mi CHI
y. land, from the tropics to the polar circl
"e boasts its attachment to the old States an
N sir, might say that there is not one of Il
on States OF the old thirteen, or many of Il
nm new, that cannot boast of great men; but
- Virginia belongs the incompatible and di
ny tinguished honor of having produced Il
ces greatest men-whose pre- commence all, witt
me out envy. admit-in whose fame it is their en-
oer nest desire to be allowed, as fellow citizen
to participate. Great applauss.)