The Washington union., 1858-02-23
the great story OF humanity until the book OF mans HE
upon this earth is closed forever r

upon this earth is closed forever. F
mmor,ale nihil mundi oompase tcnetar =
Non orbs, non regina homnum, no" sures Roa2
" The cloud capped towers the gorsesas PALACES
Yea, all which IT inherit shah dissolve,
And Ike the insubs,anial pageant faded,
Leave not a wreck befnnt-l IL ra..H
And still surviving all the good which have done ON
earth must live IL will live In the eternal consciousness
of the soul from which il emanated the seed il be-
of new life which he constantly reproduced in the
ascending scale of a continued succession Of higher devei
opments from the old. But l must not obtrude WITH
profane gaze upon mysteries 50 Infinitely eyod my Ken
il is enough for me TO have proclaimed that the influence
of what h good in the reputation of man IL alone immor
tai and 80 much bound to say In lus'ce 70 ,,e
great memory which celebrate to-day lor upon thm
great truth found the prediction That ms eAa"f'e WIZ
be felt beyond those all the princes and OF every other
ruler of the earth But Virginia here raises monuments
10 more than of her children and as she bends over
that group of her departed she may well shed the
mingled tears OF pridf and grief Amopss. ,nese cue
will place Lewis her bold pioneer who wrcsted with the
red man from tho Of the Holster to those oi the
Great Kanawha and finally made good the atie OF hs
State to the possession Of the western wilderness on the
bloody field of Point Pleasant from which he doVe 'ho
indian bcyoiid the Ohio There will be found Nelson
the patriotic governor of Virginia whose generous sac
great public services called forth the thanks OF
Washington at the siege OF York George Mason, too
Is 10 be placed there In the fondnes of mother 8
pride he whom history will proclaim one OF The
apostles of civil liberty the author of the bill OF rights
of Virginia. the orator and the sage whose vision was no
nearly prophetic and whose wisdom and PATRIOTISM made
him great leader in his day John Marshall is 10 con-
sttuto another figure in that great group, he whose
qualities of head and heart bestowed by Nature as
if she trying her most cunning hand to constitute
perfect judicial character Unequal in Learning 10 COKE
or Hale or Hardwicke, or Mansfield, because he had
fewer opportunities acquire it, he united the character
of Hale 10 the genius Of Mansfield and found in his own
those of mastery for which they were 10
largely dependent the assistance Of others Patrick
Henry already stands there commanding figure in the
group, the ss Homer of orators, whose mighty voice
ringing down with the ages TO startc the most
listess of human with those watchwords OF civil
revolution and progress "Give liberty or give me
death p Aud yondor contempative fgurcwho needs
to be told that it is Thomas Jeerson the most intrepid
thinker aud the greatest political genius of his day "a
who capable of committing himself, like Coun-
bus to the winds and the in pursuit Of his own
great ide and of pcrseveng until he discovered new
provinces thought and found firm ground for the hu
man mind beyond the uncertain which others had
feared to pass before.
Still the representation Of the revolutionary family Of
Virginia is far from complete The statue OF George
Rogers Clarke like that Of Brutus, is missing The
Lees and the Iandolphs Madison and Monroe, sopea-
que ora piorun might well constitute another group
of Kindred greatness these May long succession of
such chapters of monumental history continue TO tell the
tale of virginias greatness and glory
But must close this address without word OF
aectionate auration to thee, Virginia. and bidding you
all hail OH most glorious mother Take u.s. thy chill
dren with tee To the tombs of your mighty that
may learn from your meditaons something Of the secret
of your great heart Does it occur to you as you
bend in sorrowing pride these monuments OF your
dead that perhaps the wiser part taken by the daugh
of Scipo and the mother Of the Gracchi who refused
TO bear children lest she should be shamed by the
comparison Of the younger with the elder born ls the
question of your bosom, Qnd j1c,um temnadY
when you contrast your present with your past pray
you by all the love bear yo, TO barbor no such re-
proacul suggestions in yor BOSOM The wealth OF your
achievements may lie in the past but never was mother
richer in the affections Of her children Every drop Of
your waters and the very dust of your soil dear
To them If they bore the charm of life itself Your
great name and its associations constitute the fascination
and the spell which call up the deepest emotions Of ial
love and pride in the hearts Of your children They may
not add to the lustre of Your name, but they will pre-
serve and defend it against cproach and disgrace They
no longer bring curulc dnitics to your house, do
ctos and fascs mark their approach to your door, but
they bear you what after ALL the richest treasure and
best defence of Statsthe loyalty and devotion OF a
united family which knows no higher reward than n
mothers love, and no proudcr object OF ambition
than mothers glory. Permit me, then, to say,
il the love which inspires it can excuse the presimp
ton of the advice, that if you wish to renew, in some
future generation the glories of your mighty line, you
must be true to yourself to the traditions of your pnst
to the long established principles of your public policy
and the peculiar genius of your people For how long
did American civilization follow the line of their camp
fires your pioneers passed through the wilderness! Why
may there not spring up again within your household the
lights which may lead TO higher culture and to hap
pier more rcfned and powerful combination of
the social and individual elements whose proper oraniz
ton constitutes the strength of human government!
believe in my SOUL such would be the results of the
faithful and further application Of the principles of your
great school Equally firm is my conviction, that
the lights which should direct that application to be
found in the lessons which have been taught by your
sons, whose teachings havo in them more Of prophetic
wisdom than all the leaves of the Syb Such the
achievements which would place Virginia amongst the
States and nations of the Garth where WAsurNGIoS her
illustrous son, stands amongst men the world 5
fl,a., ,f hts