Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-09-21
DANIEL WEBSTER.
Discourse by Edward Everett Oh Dan
iel Webster.
Dedication Of the Statue Of Mr. Webster at Boston,
September Ia

September II.
Al the dedication Of the of Webster in the State
House Grounds in Boston Saturday Mr.. Everett made
the following address:
Nav u please Your Ercsilency
On behalf of those by whose contributions this statue
of Mr. Webster has been procured and of the Commit
tee entrusted with the OF its erection it pleas
ing ty TO return you and through YOU to the Legs
lature of the Commonwealth, our dutiiu acknowledge
mens for the permission kindly accorded to u.s. place
the Statue In the Public Grounds We feel Sir, that, ia
allowing this monumental work to be erected in front OF
the Capitol of the State distinguished honor has been
paid to the memory OF Mr.. Webster.
To you Sir, in particular, whose influence liberal
lv employed promote this result and whose personal
attendance aud participation have added much to
the interest of the day. under the highest obga
lions.
To you our distinguished guests and to you Fellow
Citizens of either sex who to unite with in
dering these monumental hohors, who adorn the
sion with presence and cheer us with counte
and favorwc tender respectful and grateful vel
come.
To YOU, also, Mr.. Mayor, and to the City Council
we return our cordial thanks for your kind
act on our behalf IN delivering this cherished memorial
honorcd fellow citizen into the custody OF the Com
monwealth and for your sympathy and assistance in the
duties of the occasion.
1t has been the CUSTOM from the antiquity to
preserve and hand down pOstcrv, in bronze and
MARBLE the counterfeit prcsentment Of illustrious
Within the last few wears, modern research has brought
10 light, the banks OF the Tgris huge slabs of aaba
ter buried for ages, which exhibit in relief the faces and
the persons of who governed the primeval East
the gray dawn of History Three thousand wears have
elapsed since they lived and regued, and built palaces
and fortified cities and waged war aud gained victories
of which the trophies carved upon these monumental
tabetshe umphal procession the chariots laden with
spolS the dropping captive, the conquered monarch in
Chtins-bu legends Inscribed upon the impcr-
ectly decyphered and little beyond the names of the
prrsOuagcs and the most general tradition OF their ~,
PLOTS Is preserved. In like manner the obelSs and the
temples OF ancient Egypt covered with the scup-
ured images OF whole dynastes of Pharaohs-Oder than
Moses-oldcr Than Joseph whose titles recorded in
the herogyphcs, with which the granite j. charged,
and which gradually yielding up their long-concealed
mysteries to the sagacity OF modern criticism. The
plastic arts they passed into Heas and all the other
which give grace and dignity nature reached
perfection unknown to Egypt or Assyria and the he
and sages of Greece and Rome mmortalzed by toe
sculptor stn people the galleries and museums OF the
modern world In every succeeding and In
try which the fine have been cultivated the respect
and affection Of survivors have found pure and ration
qualification in the historical portrait and the monuments
of the honored aud loved in private life and especial
" OF the great and good who have deserved well of te
country. Public esteem and confidence and private ac
lion the gratitude OF the community and the fond memore
Of the resde have ever soughtn this prolong th,
sensible existence Of their loved and respected object
What though the dear and honorcd features and person
which while living never gazed without tendernes
ycucritiOn, have been taken from ;-something
the iovelness something of the majesty abdes in ID,
portrait; the bust and the The heart bereft o.
th living originals turns 20 them and cold aud silent a.
are they strengthen and animate the cherished
collections OF the loved, the honored and the lost.
The skill Of the painter and sculptor which thus come
in aid of the memory and Imagination, is in is highr5
degree of the is of the most
accomplishments within our attainment, and in its per
lection seldom Witnessed the perfection Of speech
or OF music The plastic hand be moved by th,
ETHEREAL instinct the eloquent lips or the record
ing pen The number OF those who in the language o.
Michael Angelo, discern the finished statue in h,
heart Of the shapeless block and bid it into artistic
Iiewho endowed with the exquisite gift of mould
ing the rigid bronze the Heless marble into graceful
majestic and expressive forms is greater than M,
number OF those who able with equal majesty rrc.
aud exprcssiveness, TO make the spiritual csseuceh,
finest shades of thought and feelng-sensble TO th,
mind through the eve and the ear m the Inysteti,,I
embodiment Of the written and spoken word Ii Athen
in her palmiest days had but Pcrices she had as
but one Phidias.
Nor these beautiful and noble arts by which th
face and the form Of the departed preserved 10
calling into the highest exercise they do all the i,i
tave and deazng powers Of the painter and the scuu
tor-the least instructive Of teachers The portrait
and the statutes Of the honorcd dead knde the enernu
ambition OF the youthful aspirant to fame Themistocle
could not sleep for the trophies in the Ccramicus an
when the living Demosthenes 20 whom you sir (Mr Te
toni have alluded had ceased speak the stony p r,
manned rebuke and exhOrt his degenerate countrynar
More than hundred years have elapsed since the grca
Newton passed away but from age age his statue b
Roubilac, in the techapel Of Trinity College will py
dstinctues 20 the conceptions formed Of him by hur
dreds and thousands Of ardent youthful spirits filed vii
reverence for that transcendent intellect which frot
the phenomena that fall within our limited vision dslr
cod the imperial law hy which the Sovereign Mind rule
the entire universe We can never look on the nero
OF Washington but his aud noble countepapc,
perpetuated by the pencil and the chisel is familiar
far greater muutudcs than stood in his living pr
ence and win be thus familiar 20 the latest generation
What parent, o. he conducts his 20 Mount Aubur
20 Bunker HILL will not he pauses before the
monumental statues seek TO hcrhten his reverence for ii
tue for patriotism for science for learning for dcvoto
10 the public good, he bids him contemplate the C,
Of that grave aud venerable Winthrop who ef his OLE
SAINT home in England to come and found repuLl
n this ntrodden wdcrncs; Of that ardent aud inrcp
OTIS, who first struck ont the spark Of American IND
pendeucc Of that noble Adams g. most coouept char
pion on the floor Of Congress: Of the MARTYR Ware
who laid down his life in ia defence; Of that scIft,u
Bowditch Who without guide, threaded the STAR
mayes Of the Heavens Of that story honored nj hon
aud aoroad ne one Of the brightest lurninaries Of Il
laN and hy "a felicity, ui which believe there e. !
other example, admirably portrayed in marble BY 4
son What citizen Of Boston, he accompaui
ihe stranger around our streets guiding hi
through busy thoroughfarcs 10 our wharves crowJ
with vessels which range every and gather the or
durc Of every cmate-up 20 the dome of this can; L,
which commands a. lovely landscape can delight Il
eye or gladden. The heart. will not he calls his ate
t0u at last the statues Of FRANKLIN and Webster
caim-'Bosion takes pride In her natural position Il
rcoce In her beautiful cnyrons, she is grateful for
material prosperity; but richer than the merchandi
stored tn pannl warehouses, greeucr than the slopes
gif iscts, loyoier than this encirrnp panorama
hnd and sea, Of hcd and hamlet Of lake aud stream
garden aud grove b. Che memory Of her sons native a
adopted Che character services and fame of those vi
have benefited and adorned their day aud generation
Our children and the schools ~ which tbey arc tain,
our citizens and thc services they have rendcrcd-h,
are our icvcls-thcec abiding treasurer
Yes, your long Of guarricd granite NAV criiml
90 the dust, the cornfclds IN youdcr villages rpcpn
tie Sickle may, like the plains Of stricken Lombard,
feF weeks ago De kneadcd into bloody clods by the mi
deniug wheels Of artillery; this populous city, like
old cities of Etruda and The Campagna Romano, may
draosiod by The pcstilence which wakcth In darkn,
may decay with The lapse Of time, and the busy m
which rings With the joyous din Of trade become
lonely aud sin a. Carthage or Tyre, A. Babylon and
evan bot che of the great and good shall sury
tbe So oiton and the ruin; the memory Of the wse
brave the patriotic, shall never perish. Yes, Sparta
che Acropois. travelling vrtuoso digs for marble.
the Roman Forum an beneath the ruins Of the temple
Jupiter Capiioiaus but Lycurgus, aud Leonidas,
hiitadcs, and Demos hencs, and Cato, and Tuly, ~
pyei aud M ssii ives and ~ The great aad COED q