Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-03-20

! heroes of a hundred wars--and 90
them in safety in Russia. I do no.
know that any one has q right tx
) assert this, Or take for granted that
he, who did great things with small
means, would not have done pro.
portionarely greater with ample
neans. At any rate, whatever su.
perioity may be claimed for Na-
poleon On the bare assumption that
+ as|1lng+on could not have con-
Quoted lis mighty force into Rus
sia, some deduction must be made
from that superiority for the histor-
lca1 fact that Napoleon himself
could not conduct that army out OF
Russia.
At all events, sir, Washington
himself, in whose heroic self-pos-
session there entered.not the slight
est particle Of arrogance or pre-
sumption, calmly contemplated the
possibility that.he might be brought
into personal conflict with that
/ dreaded Napoleon, and in that be-
lief accepted the command of the
American army in 1776. When,
in expectation Of d war with our
honored revolutionary ally, then
distracted IN her domestic counsels,
Y Washington was appointed Lieut..
General--a title and trust whicl,
America, but i'll a single other in
stance,shas given to any Of her gal
lant so51s--lle more. than once de-
clared that, If the enemy invaded
us. he must not be permitted so
much as to land on our shores. And
IN lettnr to President Adams,
written shortly after accepting his
commission, hs makes the signif-
can't remark, that +" the French
with whom we have to contend)
have adopted the practice, with
great and astonishing success Of ap-
pointing generals ot: Juvenile years
to command their armies" He had
every reason to suppose at that
time, and doubtless did suppose,
that III the event OF a French inva-
sion, the armies Of France would
have been Commanded by the hero
Of .Aroola and Lodi, the youngest
and most successful of these youth
ful generals.
Sir, the occasion which has to-
get1ler is, in my Judgment, of far
greater4importance and signiti cance
than any mere popula1. pageant.
Virginia has been called, and Justly,
the mother OF States and Of states
men; but this is an honor which
size shares with her sister republics.
From Maine to Georgia, every ono
Of the old thirteen, has sent her
children to lay the foundation of
new republics in the rising West;
every one Of the confederate States
has its list Of the wise, the honored
and the brave among its children.
But to Virginia alone belongs the
honor Of giving birth to the one
man, whose pre-eminence all &C.
knowledge without envy, in whose
fame all other States are proud as
fellow-countrymen to claim share.
I rejoice that IN. consecrating a
monument to this pure and bright
name, you have found an American
artist equal to its conception and
execution. Oh, that he could have
witnessed this triumphant day -
May its success carry consolation to
the heart Of his bereaved partner!
He has left behind him q 1nonu~
ment to his own taste apd genius,
not less than to his illustr!ous sub
:ieot. And, sir, when I contemplate.
the career Of this gifted artist, from
its commencement to its close; when
Z trace him through the earlier pro-
[ductions Of his ehisel; the busts Of
living cotemporaries the lovely
|idolatries Of ancient mythology, On
pheus> Ganymedo, Hebe; his ma
tn1er creations, the statue of Beetho-
ven, the group for the pedinent Of
the Southern wing OF the extension
Of the capitol !; the Il cures Of Henry
and Jefferson, which ado1n the as
eending platforms OF your great
monu1nent-when I see him thus
rising by szsteady progress to the
summit Of his art and lame, in the