The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1858-03-20
SPEECH OF MR.. EVERETT AT
RICHMOND,

lowing report OF the speech OF the Honorable
Edward Everette, at the Washington monu.
ment inauguration dinner, given at Richmond
at the close of the celebration on the 22d ult.:
The Hon. Edward Everette rose, in response
to call from a II parts of the Hall, and upon
rising was received with long continued ap.
plause. Order being restored, he spoke as
follows:
Mr. President and Gentlemen I esteem it
great privilege and honor to speak on behalf
Of Massachusetts, on this most interesting occa-
sion-of Massachusetts, the eldest Of the sis
ter States of Virginia in this great family Of
republics. She knew and loved your peerless
son at an early day While the lilies Of France
aoated over the bastions Of Quebec; while
the red cross Of ST. George waved from Maine
to Georgia; while the bloom of youth was oh
his own cheek, he visited Boston, then the re.
sdence Of the Commander-in. Chief of the
Royal forces.
When the great appeal was made to the
stern arbitrment Of war, and the all impor-
tant question arose in the Continental Con-
gress, who should lead the patriotic arms Of
America, in the doubtful contests Massachu-
setts, represented by one whom your own JET.
ferson pronounced the Colossus Of debate in
the great argument of Independence-o
from whom many Of you afterwards differed
in political opinion, but whom all honored as
true, warm hearted patriot--M Massachusetts,,
say, represented in the Continental Congress
by John Adams, gave her voice and her in
Auence for the appointment Of Washington
She had her own armies, her own generals in
the field, in common of those Of the other
New England Statcs-the veterans of the
seven years war-Rogers' provincial rangers, Z
Stark's comrades--men who had climbed the
heights of Abraham and stormed the citadel
of Louisburgh--the men of the 10Th of April
and the 18th Of June-led by Ward and
Warren, and Putnam and Prescott but, at
the risk of touching the most sensitive nerve
that thrills the human bosom--the point Of
honor on the part of the soldier and the gen.
tleman--M Massachusetts gave her vote and all
her influence for the beloved Col. Washing
ton.
If to Virginia belongs the ncommunicable
glory OF having given him to his country, may
not Massachusetts, under the circumstances to
which | have alluded reflect with satisfaction
that she contributed all her influence to place
that noble son at the head of the American
armies She remembers, too, with interest,
that the newly elected commander assumed his
high trust under the shadow Of her ancient
University at Cambridge; that, with his head.
quarters established there, he held the royal
army for near a twelve months beleaguered in
Boston--and that he achieved his first military
success from the heights that now command
her capital.
Some foreign writer's have denied the mill
tary talent Of Washington. Massachusetts
knows better. She witnesses the remains Of
the magnificent lines Of decentralization, twelve
miles in circuit in which, with raw recruits
inaedquately supplied for the field, without ord.
nance, without munition-he held the Royal
forces closely invested for near twelve months.
She beholds eternal monuments Of his military
skill in the heights of Dorchester, where by
magnificent strategic combination, he earned O.
place, Il appeal to the gallant chieftain, Gen.
Swift among the greatest masters of war.
A late French writer has said that Wash,
ington could not have led the French grand
army Of lSl2--that prodgious array moving
in thirteen parallel columns, each host led
by tributary Kings and heroes of hundred
wars--and got them in safety in Russia. do
not know that any one has right to assert
4 this, or take for granted that he, who did
great things with small means, would not have
done proportonately greater with ample means,
Il Al any Fdtc, WHhlcScI superiority may Uc
claimed for Napoleon on the bare assumption
that Washington could not have conducted his
|, mighty force into Russia, some deduction must
be made from that superiority for the historical
, fact that Napoleon himself could not conduct
that army out of Russia.
7 AT all events, sir, Washington himself IN
! whose heroic selfpossession there entered not
: the slightest particle of arrogance or presump-
ton, calmly contemplated the possibility that
!, he might be brought into personal conflict with
j. the dreaded Napoleon, and in that belief &C
4 cepted the command of the American army in
# l79s. When, in expectation of war with
n our honored revolutionary ally, then distracted
n in her domestic counsels Washington was ap-
# pointed Lieutenant General--a title and a
;, trust which America, but in single other in
: stance, has given to any of her gallant sons
J. he more than once declared that, if the enemy
n invaded us, he must not be permitted so much
. as to land on our shores And in a letter to
r President Adams written shortly after accept,