Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-07-12
Grafton OF Hon. RufUs Choate.

1T is well that in one year, 80 busy, 80
secular, so discordant, there comes oue day
when the word is, and when the emotion is,
our country, our whole country and nothing
but our country Ii is well thai law--our
only sovereign on earth--duty, not less the
daughter OF God, not Jess within its sphere
supreme. custom not old alone, but hooored
aud useful memories, our heart, have set
time 10 whlcii--scythP, loom and anvil sulied,
wharves silent, the H4g--yur tag uurent-
the flag Of our glory and concentration
waving on masthead, steep!e and highland,
We may come together, aud walk baud 10
hand, thoughtful, atmlTing, through these
galleries OF civil greatness; when we may
own together the spell # one hour OF our hls-
tory upon Us all; when faults may be t,rgotten,
kindness revived, virtues remembered and
sketched uEb!amed; when the ARROGANCE Of
reform, the excuses OF reform, the sir les Vt
parties, the ri7alrics of regions, shall give
place to q wider, warmer and Juster Scnu-
ment; when, turning from the corners and
dark places # OfGnsivcuess, II such the CAB
die lighted by maIisnlsy, or envy, or censor
lousness, or truth has revealed anywhere;
when, turDlng from these, We may 90 up t2-
yelhcr u the serene and secret monument
top. and there pause, AID there unite III the
reverent exclamation aud In the exultaut
prayer:-ilOw beautiful at last are lay tab
eruacIes. WHAT people ut last is Ike unto
Thee! Peace be within thy palaces and JOY
within toy gates. Inc bigh places are Thine
aud there shalt Thou stand proudly, aud ln-
nocently, and securely.
Happy if such a day shall not be desc
Grated by our service. Happy ii for Us that
descending san shall look GU; ca a more low
ing, more elevated, more united America
These, no less, 10 narrower, be tue aims .!
our celebration. These always were the
true aims Of tuis celebration. la It's origin,
a recital OF defence ut the grounds and tne
principles Of the Revolution, 10" demanding
4ui permitting NJ dcieuce-aii taken Tor
granted, and oil had by heart; then some-
times wasted IN q parade % yaia- glory, cheap
and vulgar: sometimes prJfauei Ly the a.
tacs aud repul7e OF partisan and local rheto-
ricians; its great work, its distinctive cbarac-
ter and its chief lessons remain and yIndl-
cate themselves, and will do 81 while the eye
Of the fighting or the dying shall yet read 90
tae stainless ample iJlds the superscrlptlon
Glazing still in light: Liberty aad Union,
now and forever, one ADD inseuarable.'
Il had something to say more directly still
on tie ethics Ot nationality, on the duty Ot
instructlng the conscience, On toe crimes OF
treason. and sander, anu fraud that are CON-
mitted around Us In it7 name, on the shallow
ness ana stupidity OF the doctrine that the
mere moral seuiim0nts, tralGed by mere
moral discipline, may safely guide the CON-
plex civil life of the teachers and studies
which they need to iii them for go precious,
difficult AID delicate dominion; Of the nleh
place 10 the scale Of duties, which, thus fitted,
they assign to nationality; Of the judgment
which, thss fitted, they would apply TO one
or two OF the common places and practices
of the time.
But pass it all to say only that these
ethics teach the true subUriInatiOn, and the
true reconciliation Of apparently incompre-
hensIO Die duties. These only arc the casuIsts,
or the safest casuIsts for us. Learn from
them how to aolust this conflict between pa
triOtism anu philanthropy. Thus indeed
there seeus to he no conflict, fJr we are phi
ianthrcpIsts 10 proportion Us We are unionsts.
Oar philanthropy, We venture TO say, IS d
true philanthropy. Tbat is all. It loves all
men, it respects all rights, keeps all COM
pacts, recognizes all daU:9rs, pities all suf'
ferinSs, ignores no fact master and slave II
entolds alike.
1T happens thus, that it contracts the
sphere It our duty somewhat, aud changes
not the nature but the times, the places, the
mode Of performing them; It does not make
our love cold, but it makes 1t safe; it natu-
rallies it, it baptises it into our life, /! cir
cumscribes it wirhn our capacities and ne
cessities, it sets on it the great national pub
lie seal. II you say that thus our patriotism
limits our philanthropy, | answer ours /.
y american philanthropy. BE this the virtue
we boast, and this the name by which we
know it.
IN this pame, in this quality, find the
standard and the utterance Of the virtue II
self. By this, not By broad phylacteries and
chief sects; the keener hate the yiOomier
ianaticism, the louder cry, Judge, compare,
subordinate. Do they think that nobody Is
phianthropist hut themselves? We, too,
look up the long vista, and ga.', wrapt at
the dazzling ascent; we, too, see towers ris-
ing, crowned, imperial, aud the :ri!e, com
ing TO bend 10 the opening Of LATER day
Bet we see peace. order, reconciliation u
right along that Frightening future.
We trace all along that succession OF re.
firm, the presiding inStrumeuta!Ities Of ma
tOnal life. We see our morality working IL
self clearer and clearer: one historical or
conventional right or wrong after another,
falling peacefully and still; we hear the CHAIN