The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-06-09
The President and the Sunday School
Children.

On Monday last the Washington
City Sunday School Union held its
twenty-ffth anniversary. Five thou
sand children and seven hundred
teachers marched in procession by the
door of the Presidents residence.
While marching by they sang patti
otic hymn, Victory at last" The
Intelligencer says:
The President was frequently cheer
ed, and was the recipient of large
number of bouquets, which were
thrown into his hat until it was so full
that a basket was brought forth to
contain the floral gifts. After the
children had marched past the resi-
dence of the President, they marched
down Fifteenth street, and thence to
the White House, where. after they
had assembled, the President took po~
sition in front of the outside railing
and delivered an address.
He said: Intrinsic merit should be
the base upon which all should stand.
He would pull none down, but would
elevate all-level upward, not level
downward, His notion had always
been that the great mass of the Amer
lean people could be elevated. If all
will be elevated, we may become the
greatest and most exalted nation on
the earth.
My little daugters and sons (said
the speaker, give me your attention
while l say, honestly and truly, that
if 1 inform you of something, and put
thatinto immediate effect, which would
tend to the elevation of you all, I would
be prouder of it than to be President
forty times. Applause. Here is the
Executive Mansion, and yonder is the
Capitol of a great nation, and you
look to those who make and execute
the laws as pesons sublime and grand.
But Just think for Il moment. You
are the crop behind us. All those
buildings and all of this Government
will one day pass under your control
and become your property, and you
will have to put in force and control
the principles of government, of reli-
gion and humanity. And let all boys
consider-every mothers son of them
Tiaughterl that each one is born a can
didate for the Presidency. Laughter
and applause. Why not, then, COM
mence. at once to educate yourself for
the Presidency? And he would say
to the little girls, that while they
could not be Presidents, they are born
candidates for the wives of fPresidents.
Laughter.
The speaker then eloquentIy referred
to the ancient Roman mothers, who
ever took pride in infusiEg proper
ideas into the minds of those who af-
terward became distinguished in life.
So, with them, each mother Of to-day
should feel that her children are her
greatest jewels.
When Hse look at these boys and
girls,-at the banners which they car
ry-at the flags, with stripes and
stars upon them, which they bear al
oft when we look upon the brave men
and gallant officers around US, and re-
member what they have been conten-
ding for, we feel that we can best pre-
serve this Government if we rear up
our people properly, and make this,
as we can, the most intelligent pOr-
ton of Gods habitable globe. The
stars and stripes are not an unmean-
ing symbol when they look back
through the din of battle and see
what it has cost to perpetuate this
Government and should we not, then,
use every effort to bring up properly
these children, whose cause has been
sustained by strong arms on the field
of battle? ? Then, my little sons and
daughters (said the President, talking
as father to his children,) let me
say to you, educate yourselves be
industrious and persevering store
your minds with all that is good put
all things worthy of preservation in
your brain, and your intellects will
expand and grow. And, in conclu
sion, 1 say again, may your little song
of victory be heard in heaven. God
bless you.