Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-03-08

Dedication IF Equestrian Statue of Washington.
The inauguration of Clark Mills equestrian statue of
Washington took place Wednesday at Washington, d.
Co. despite the weather. which destroyed the interest Of
the ceremonies and interfered terribly with the comfort
of all who took part in them. The procession to the
place where the statue inaugurated both civic
and military. The President members of the Cabinet,
both Houses of Congress, the Legislature of Maryland
and other bodies constituting the former division, whilst
the New York Regiment formed the principal part of
the latter. The Avenue decorated with flags mot
toes &c, thousands of visitors in the city, and the
unaVorabe weather only uterfered to prevent the nau
guratlon being grand affair.
There was general suspension Of business upon the
avenue and other leading Streets and at various points
patriotic displays made in the way of decorations
The CEREMONIES AND ORATIONs-1he procession and
display OF military very fine but the murky atmOs-
phere and muddy hOroughares rendered what would Of
otherwise have been grand affair." dull and inanimate
The procession did not start until O'clock and the
avenue lined with spectators, the whole to
the circle overlooking Georgetown in the of which
the EQUESTRIAN statue is erected.
On reaching the ground the military took their sta
lions therein and Grafton suitable to the OCCASION
was delivered by the Hon. Thomas S. Bocock of Vir-
ginia, concluding follows
Upon this representative aud simlitude of the great
and honOred dead, which this day put forth before
the world the winds shall blow, the rains shall fall and
the storms shall beat but it shall stand unhurt amid
them ALL So shall it be with the fame of him whose
image it is. The breath of unriendy criticism may
blow upon it the storms that betoken moral or civil
change may break upon it but it shall stand firmly
fixed in the hearts and memories of every and hon
est and llberty-loving man who nhabts land and
chershes our Institutions
The inhabitants OF this city, they behold this statue
day after day. will look upon it the Palladium OF
their privileges, and the silent guardian of their pros
pery And the thousands and of thousands, that
from every nation, kingdom and tongue yearly 20 forth
to gaze upon and admire the wonders OF the earth when
they shall come up to this Mecca Of the mind shall
pause with reverentia they gaze upon this simi
tade OF the mighty Washington.
Year after year shall that dumb image tell its eloquent
story OF patriotism, devotion and sesacrice year after
year shall it teach its holy lessons of duly aud OF faith
with generation after generation shall it plead for ns
tutions founded in wisdom and country bought with
blood To the clouds and storms that gather and break
upon it, IL will tell of the clouds and storms through
which its great antitype did pass, in his devoted
on EARTH and when the great umnnary of the heavens
descending with his golden shower of beams like impe
rial Jove, shall wrap it in its embrace it shall tel
sun that he who gave bis beams and bade him shine
has deceed that day the darkness of eternal night
shall settle his tace but then the spirit of the mighty
Washington basking in eternal sunlight above shall
still
| q" darkening universe DEFY