Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-26


Mnptord, Sir. Yancey spoke e;oquen,!y as follows:
Col. Muniord: receive This venerable aud mos
int, resting relic with uneigned CONSCIOUSNESS ha
il il not due to any poor Efforts OF mime, but thht
rather owe il to that generous regard Which WoiIen
40 freely lavph.s upon all who co operate WIN n7'
ia spy cause which she proposes Tor tiher Puohc :"
pryste good. But this only makes my tea'ty 10 tne
Mount Vernon Association the greater ana nore az
solute. Az the knight OF tho age oi chiVhTy Hnen
he placed the rcsr Ut his ladye TAR across n'S see
hsru.ss felt that he best did his devoir in her service
by procaimng the supremacy OF her virtues ana ner
beAuty in every listed field, where Vaior pa,a ~
court to beauty do l. even IN tina more ,haIer.'
age, feel that the only efficient way 10 Wh'cu 'au
by wearing near to my heart this beautiful ana hoy
cause Of the ladies, aud On all proper Occasions,
where the intelligence aud patriotism OF the isna
may be assembled, TO present ii, ne best may, 10
their Judgment and their syinpathies NAT cause
ia the consecration, by the daughers OF Washington,
of the Home and the Grave vi The Father Oh DIS
Country as national shrine. ,
Sir, when the hand OF Washington hrst Sraspeu
this q ass and deliberately surveyed The beieaguereu
lines of the enemy before Boston, the start'ihg anu
apparently hopeless character oi 'he eon'ee' up'
which the colonies had entered must nave eeeh
deeply impressed upon his fn'pu. leinaps . LEE
navsr lived another man whose heart would not then
have sank within him, and whose judgment Wous
not HI e been convinced Of the hop-leesnesS OF the
contest, considered with reference to great miary
principles. On the one side were An undlscplneo
litary law. remaining or DESERVING, almost AZ
will; no foundries; no munitions OF war; no
navy; no famed leaders, NO common government
and the resources from which the materials OF Va
were to BIZ drawn, existing but scantiiy IN pupuia
ton of but three millions Of people scattered along
the Atlantic coast for fifteen hundred miles. Oh
the other, the moot powerful kingdom the earth
has ever seen-with disciplined armeS commanded
by generals of fame aud experience Gil armed 10 the
comple.est panoply of war with numerous and
efficient navy which swept the seas IN trnmPb WIN
government powerful in its unity, ana consoNoateu
nv The influence of centuries with resources "a tx
haus:less az the riches OF a world when was maa-
tributary to it's arms and lis commerce
That great disparity, however while, appreciated
by the commander OF the revolutionary army pro
duced no despondeucy in his b'eest Calm ana uii.
dismayed, sustained by ChrisHaa ,5ust IN t,,a'
yrrat Providence shat had formed bis char
soter for the eIigenci-s Of the age-he address.
ed himself to the task Of bringing order out OF con-
fusion-of nfusng hope into the hearts OF me de-
spending courage into The breasts OF inc qual'ins
patriotism into the bosom Of the doubting-ot ionu
epcine provincial legislatures to enlarged and self
sacrificing views Of their duties and obgations-of
quellug sectional ealouses and personal DICK
srnps among the OF ipttueuce--of checking I'll
considered legislation in the national Congress, and
of suggesting those wife and comprehensive mea'
sures xhirh though hut partially enacted, hneliy
proved e.ficent-Of organizing tile most incomplete
material for army that WAS ever furnished 10 sus
tain great cause-of checking that too ardent vaor
victories for the day, would nave ensured uis
as,rous defeat for the morrow-oi keeping awe
the hope and epirit Of the army ana Tie people,
by occasiona enterprises OF caring onensVe
movements with the moet inadequate notwithstanding
ing battles which could not be productive OF victory
but which stern necessity demanded As preferable TO
giving way to despair and tnhily wAen the hout ar
rived in which wachful Provi dence gave hops tia;
all these great end heroic exertons should not Dc r
vain, of envelopng the mighty ranks OF Britain III
a series of mastery strsgetc movements winch iorcrd
surrender at Yorktown and crowned the struggle
with immortal victory Then this glass was CLOSED
nv the STILL calm aud mighty chefla!n, upon scene
OK such suffsrings, trials, and trlumpha, as IS
rarly skstched on the pages Of history. And then
as the grea: lesson taught which Virginia hes seized
upou TO illustrate her arms aud which 10 to be read
UPON tie blue Geld Of her flag as It ID huns 10 the
breeze-"Stc seniper tyrdHnr
Washington went into that contest the trusted lead
or of our armies. He emerged from It Win ms cha
rscer of being not only the great solder, VINO coaio
turn the exigences o! defeat 10 ths purposes VI a
victory but the great statesman, whose CALM We
balanced and powerful understanding had conpre-
bend.d the wants-the necessities-tho actual e3'
genciea of the occasion, and had suggested many Oh
The chief measures which eneured the safety ano sue
cess of the common think, cir, that 90 MS
great character bu. common justice In saying that et'
6cent as that sword in carving the path to vic
tory, its mgtiest and equally potent ELY wss hs
pen. , ,.c.,v., ,h
announcement of his death warraut-"when my couH
try takes her place among the hsiohs vi un ea!h'
hon hut not Till then, let my eptaph Oh written.
aIas, the epitsoh of Emmett Is yet anwriifen'
| IN, how 10 il With our numerous gallant deadi
| VII has Waems described their coudition-wiih
lew exceptions IA thoy lis undis,ingu'shed from New
Hampshire TO Georgian bis touching DESCRIPTION OF
the grave of Dekalb: "Tis The lowest spot upon the
Main no sculptured marble marks the spot where the
dead hero lies-but the tail corn stands IN martial
| rank. around, ard the dark green leaves rustic
mourDfu requiem over the grave OF Tue gallant soi'
| der
And vet our country hse taken its place in the front
rank of nations. The American dag Eoas over tor
rtory inoee rich In s the elements ol physical wealth
and more exteneive than the proud esgles OF Rome
ever conpassed in their mightest flight. Gu. popu.
lation has increased from three 10 thirty millions
| Of active, Intelligent, powerful iree!nen. FROM tne
narrow belt of civilization which rnged the Atlantic
ccast in i776 the swollen ranks of emigration have
pushed their way over valley and aver ana picin
aud misunderstanding with them our oenebcent In
suons, until 1t last they have paused upon theg oi
den sands of California and The genius OF America
standing upon the golden verge which ID waterHo oy
the tides of the Pacific, doubts which "cy to essay an
other flight.
From nation without ship, we have become the
aaviSa.nrs os the world with d tonnage surprising
beeve that fany other Our agriculture Ia looked
10 as Egypt OF old. to supply the starving MIL
lious Of the old world.
In ali the elements of real physical sciencen all
the arts that Ere necessary to the we'll being and hap
| piness OF FREQ and @ wealthy people, believe
NAV truly say that VS. are unrvaled 1t is true that
England France, Ge-0ie1y, Italy and even emma
and Japan may excel in tie production OF some OF
the refne,uen,s Of art. Blu; VIZ &rray with them no
| contest for supremacy ia that department.. As the
beautiful pearl is the product Of the diseased and dy
ing shell fish, such mere clegancies OF art are out
evidences Of the unhappy condition OF that eoce'y
where labor lie commanded by want and the laoorer
dies in the finish Of the most elaborate gem OF luxury
Our great institutions have been successfully Dc
monstrated TO be- the only true theory OF government
While religion, and morality lis attendant slster,haVe
erec:sd their affairs q. which millions worship IN every
form OF fash snd sentiment ali over our broad OK
tended land
These are Tie priceless legscies which washington
and his compeers have bei Goathed 10 us.
! What, them may we'll be asked, are our duties, in
reference to these acsl The first undoubtedly ia, 70
preserve and perpetuae these robe institutions to
read Alright, and learn and intuse our souls with the
lessons OF his life. CT all those teachings, the ess',
aud that in which the subjects Of the crowned des
potisNls of tie OLD weird alike with him, teach
er, il oas which mGst calogis's dwell upon US the
main lesson &c urght-mere leal;y TO government
In vain Tas thai glorious life, if he lived but 10 I'M.
press upon lnunknd no higher thought. Embodied
i'm wonder monumental brass. ecosmed in ills storieu
memory, is that other immortal nag born American
.incpie-thSt all governments we're ;nads Tor the
benefit of tie governed; that al authority iRht'
fully springs from the people, and that it Is not only
their .icht, but their duty 10 subvert government
which becomes destructive OF the ends Tor wheh II
was formed, sid ~ frame new government TO pre-
serve their rghts Washington commenced the
scenes which led to the revolution, loyal suGec! of
the crown; be emerged from that strife the coEae
Grated American rebel, who had pledged me, Tor,
tune. aud sacred honor, 10 the chIIs9 SAT alec
sad. mouruul WI! be the day, when We shsli Eaye
drawn forth l.om their sacred recesses tless mS'y,
ye biood truths justify in the eyes Of an
enlightened word. 8cd, sir, that day viii never ar
rive So cug the sGus &: Washington will o3srvc,
in their relations With eacb ina: high senss OF du'
ty. that epri; of simple justice, end Observance OF
what ia due TO o.Bere, which distinguished their
mighty father in other relations of l;fe.
One other duty We 10 the great dead. ~ IL 10
illustrate our reverence for their memories by tree
and generous contribution to every cause which is
calculated 10 bring visb!y before the vrluee and
heroi.m of that age OF ps,rio:o wisdom and vaior-
And yet, though more than half century has passed
sinca ha died there il not single evidence VI na