The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-24
THE INAUGURATION DINNER.
Speeches ON the Occasion, Scenes
L. 20

and were very pfetttly set BehiHu s"1 'o"s " "
presiding officer were two American iiags, ifihgee
with jets Of gas, and in the centre OF the ceiling
was mammoth FIVE pointed star In gas light.
The dinner was gotten mp In grand style, uh
der the auspices of ALEx DuvAL, proprietor OF th'
American Hotel, aided by that we'll known caterel
CHAs. THOMPSON About 6 clock the guests oegaf
entering, and iu few moments the hall wal
flied Among the distinguished strangers prsssn
were Hon. ED EVERETT, Governor NEWELL Of N. J.
Governor BINGHAM of Michigan, Governor ioLLfE Q
| Connecticut. Senator JAS. NJ. MASON OF Virginia
, | Capt MsGEuDRR of the Navy, Generals HARVEY ant
PERsirER F. SMITH of the army, and many others
The company sat down TO dinner about halfpas
0 o'clock the Invited guests occupying table sc
apart for them in the most conspicuous part Of thu
hall The disadvantages which the presence Of 81
large number of persons entailed upon the hote
keeper. the dinner was well gotten up, and tn
arrangements otherwise very complete. Their
was no Inconvenience felt, large was the mum
Der present. The system aud plan adopted, pre-
vented disorder, as there was regular plan of th'
room with seats allotted TO all.
AT the conclusion of the dinner, 1t. Governor
VIM L. JACKSON, arose, and after an apology for th
absence of Governor WISE (who was unable to at
tend from indispositiou, he proceeded TO read th'
regular toasts. which were repeated at the Other
tables by the Secrstaries they were styled JoH'
BLAIR Hoar, Esq, of Berkeley, and A. A. CHAPMAN
Esq, of Monroe.
| The first toast was
WASHINGTON He dccked not himself with
Majesty aud Exceency. and yet the world array,
| him In Glory and Beauty.
The second was
"The Monument and its Statues examples o.
Art and Virtue and Wisdom, for the world &c
| study and initiate"
The third was
"Thos Crawford-the spirit and life he gave tc
his statues ensure to him glory and immortality
| The fourth toast being read as follows:
ssyirginia, her great men and great principles
| themes with which future Crawfords may enrich
| their marble and bronze"--
The Hon. JAMES NJ. Mason U. s. Senator, was loud
| " called and responded as follows:
! Mr.. PRESIDENT, and you my fellow citizens oil
| Virginia, we might have supposed after the rich
treat We all enjoyed in the protracted ceremonials
| of the day, that we had speaking enough for ono
day in Richmond but it has been your pleasure to
| decide otherwise. l can have no option but to at
| tempt what know / cannot do, respond to a
| toast intended TO commemorate the great men
and the great principles Of our glorious common
| wealths
| NV couutrymen it is true, were great men in yir.
| einia-the greatest of whom caps that anon
| umeut now in bronze, and what galaxy of great
men surround him at the pedestal of that monu
ment Men who promug ated in their day the
great principles of Virginia. Jefferson, SO truly
called the Apostle of Liberty on the centinep :
| Marshal, greater than was seen in his age; Henry
the orator, who drew the inspiration of his ge-
| MUS from Heaven, and as you called upon me
sir to respond to the toast in honor of those who
had something to do with the great principles Of
Virginia may say that George Mason. who you
have honored by assigning him a place on the
| monument, was not among the least distinguished
and least worthy among those great men, Yes
| fa1faXr-ritiznna. in the accomplishment nf hal
| great work which here, to-day, to ceie
| brate. Virginia has brought Washington back tc
Virginia. Applause His fame had filed the
| world as you were justly told by your President
His fame has filled the world, aud now his ashes
| repose in honored dignity at Mount Vernon, the
home that he loved and the home where he died
We have brought the memory OF Washington
back in bronze. and placed it on that pedestal
! that the sons of Virginia in all future ages ma,
have Washington present before them. APP
| plause.
And now my countryEien, but very few words
In regard to those principles to which referred il
tho outset. What those great principles
of Virginia What are those great principles pro
mulsated by these great menl | will tell vol
what understand them to be devotion to Re
: | publican liberty. (Applause) Republican Liber
| ty as expoupded by those TIen and handed dowi
| to us to be preserved. (Applause.) One of thos
men whose monument graces that PEDESTAL wa
the pioneer upon this continent, whose duty it wa
and V ho fulfilled it by his own unaided intellect
| world know what Republican Liberty was. (Ap
| nlauseD And he did more. | now speak of tina
honored name historically; for he passed into his
| tory before came upon this world. lean speal
| of him. therefore, historically. The bill of right
| which was intended to announce that great prir
ciple of civil liberty in Repubcanism, no gave u
in constitutional form, to ensure it in our system
of government.
IL Then there Jefferson; not the author of on
Indopedenc e,but the author of that which proclaim
! | ed it to the World-an Independence prociainle,
from his pen and which Washington made good
tApplausej These, my couutsymen, understan,
/ to have been the acts of these great men of yir
| pinia. and they were indeed the greatest men i,
their days. Are these great principles wortl
| preservingl Are they ephemerai, and have the,
uied with the occasion that brought them forth P?
/ | Are they to be preserved and transmitted to tn
| latest period of time! My couutrymen these Ar
| Questions that you and L and all of us are to an
= swer We are Is declare whether they are wortl
preserving, and If they are to be preserved.
needs no warning voice TO tell yeu trust that i
thew are to be pfeseryed-if these principles o
republican liberty, proclaimed by these men are t.
be preserved, they must be- defended from all as
saults. abroad aud at home. (Applause)
We live ul;der government confederated undel
| a common bond of Union. 1t was 10y fortune du
ring the last summer, when l was the honorec
guest Of a State, gracelhere by very distinguish
ed and houored gentleman, Mr.. EyERETP)--it Wa.
my good fortune last summer on an occasion very
similar to this, when was invited to witness the
inauguration of the Statne of the immortal WAR
Rem az Bunker Hill, applause lit was my fortune
and privilege to assure our fellow-countrymen O
Massachusetts,, at Bunker Hill, that we in Virgins
believed the confederation was founded in honor
and good faith; and long as honor and good faith
was preserved, the Union would he preserved in
violate, (applause.) And now fellow-citizens, hay
ing been honored more than once by the voice of
Virginia asher representative in the federal coua
ellis at Washington, allow me TO say that if
know the public men who represent the South in
the councils at Washington, their sentiments are
to preserve the Euion. (Applause) know there
| are men who have been denounced as disunionists
as men who advocated and desired separation
and was their fellow and compatriot under thi:
! denunciation, and know the purpose Of these
men was to preserve the Union as long as we were
| allowed to do SO; and | will say here TO you al
4 that that spirit animates them now. Virginia was
the first to suggest it. Virginia made the largest
sacrifices to preserve it and to cement it, and yir
gnia will never desert it as long as it is worth
preserving. applause, long and loud But II y
countrymen, the Union that intend to pre-
serve, if we allowed to do SO, is union undei
the Constitution and no other. (Applause,l Sir
should be recreant in responding to the great
principles that Virginia promulSed, if held any
other language, and in uttering ii, am bu,
speaking the sentiments of my own heart. ZAP
piause) We have assembled at this festive board
representatives, from other States, whom it wal
my good fortune TO have mot in former times, and
| am glad, MS you will! be, that this opportunity
has been afforded them of telling when they re
turn to their distant homes what was thought O.
the great principles Of Virginia, and how they
were expounded at the capitol of Virginia.
Fellow-citizens, thank you for your kind in
diligence l will now yield to others whom au
sure you will he pleased to hear.
The PRESIDENT announced the next toast as fol
lows:
1.-THE Union-Iike full blown flower, each lea
contributes to its beauty and perfection"
The Hon. WIN. Z. RIyEs having been loudly call
ed, arose, and after brief Introduction, said : IL
an assembly like this, composed, perhaps, Of fol
low-citizens of every State in the Uaion, called
together by sentiment of common interest in the
fame and memory OF that great aud good man
whom il was the good fortune OF Virginia to have
given to the service of the whole scouutEy-in at
assembly like this, cannot suppose that the
Union requires any advocate, and ii it did, not So
feeble advocate as | AIN. But, gentlemen, o.
| one thing l have long been conyinced-and the