Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-07
President Johnson in Chicago.
LAYING THE CORNER STONE OF
THE DOUGLAS MONUMENT.
IMMENSE CoNooURsE OF PEOPLE.



CHc4Go. Sept 5--The great event to-day was
the laying Of the corner stone Of the monument
to the memory of STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. The
Presidential party were this morning escorted 10
| taIrvlew or Douglas place. about three miles
| from Chicago. The procession was imposing. and
included the Masonic fraternity, together with n
force q police. and the Chief Marshals and Aids
! preceding the President Of the United states
aud Gen. Dix, the orator Of the day. then came
1 Mayor RICE and Hon. w. ii. SEWARD, the Cabi-
net and other distinguished guests United Ststes
/ Army Ofieers Gems. GRANT, RAWLINs. MEADE
and St0h, STEEDNAM, ROUSSEAU, GUSTAV, and
| other prominent officers; United States Navy
| Officers. Admlrais kARRAGUT BRADFORD, Leat
MCKINLEY; Trustees Of the Douglas Monument
/ Association. Member OF GTand Lodge of A. L.
and A. NJ. Of Illinois, Citizens. Committee Of
/ Arrangements, Common Council of CHICAGO May
I Ors and Councils of sister cities, Twenty-third
/ and I'D Regiments Illinois Volunteers, Hiber-
man Benevolent Society, French Benevolent
| Society, the United Sons Of Erin, the Union Ma
/ h0nal Society Of Italians, Father MATTHEWS
! Temperance Society, the Trade Unions Of Chicago,
| the bohemian SlavOnia Society, the Saly0nika
Lassa SlavOnlcan Brotherhood. the Protestant st.
/ WenzelaHs Society, Sharpshooters, the Union
| Singing Association, the Local Turner'S Society,"
/ the German Turnyerein, Butchers Association,
! and citizens generally, arrived on the ground
The procession formed in the vicinity ef the base
\ Of monument The grove was beautifully deco
/ rated The scene OF the ceremony was on the
/ shore Of Lake Michigan, within ten feet Of the
water. The stands completely surrounded the
tomb, and the audience was masSed in solid ranks
/ The Presidents procession was the first impress
I
preceded the eOrtage, fine battalion of knight
/ Iemplars succeeding. and the representatives Of
/ the Masonic fraternity followed the latter as
/ eended the stand erected Immediately around the
/ base Of the monument, where they prepared TO
perform the appointed rites. At this point, just
before the appearance Of the President, the vast
/ crowd broke the ropes placed around the reserved
i grounds. and rushed to nearly all parts of the
| held. Order was fully restored by the exertions
of the Iemplars and EllswOrth's ZeuayeS.
The President and party with heads uncovered
\ now entered the grounds. SEWARD had the Presi-
| dent by the arm WELLEs and RANDALL walked
/ together and GRANTiaecompanied ROMERO. The
first in the proceedings was brief but apprOpri-
/ PIRATE speech by Mayor RICE. The Grand Master
Of Illinois, J. X. GORAN, appeared in front Of the
/ stand and delivered short touching and el0-
quent address, in which he paid a glowing tribute
to the memory Of the illustriOus deceased, both
friend and mason, and referred to the fact that
a statute Will be placed on the monument visable
| to the v0yager of this inlandsea.
The Grand Chaplain then invoked the Divine
blessing on the ceremonies when the ceremonies
of laying the corner stone took place. according
to the Masonic ritual.
After blessing with bread, wine and oil. the
stone was lowered into its place, while minute
guns were fired and the band played n dirge.
The Grand Master congratulated those present
on the fact that there was presnt no less per-
sonage than the President of the United States,
with distinguished heads of Departments, who, rs
he heard and believed was a mem berof the Ma
sonic fraternity.
This remark was applauded by the elapping of
hands.
A prayer was then delivered by Rev. WM H.
mlLBUkN, OF the PROTESTANT Episcopal Churcl.
The orator Of the day, Major General DIX, adj
dressed the assemblage, and was repeatedly in
terrupted by applause. When he concluded the
President OF the United States was called for He
appeared at the front of the platform, and delv
cred the following brief address:
Fellow-eitiEens. l have travelled over 1000
miles, after having been invited to attend the
ceremony Of laying the cornerstone of the mOnu-
ment 70 be erected. / will say to my friends per-
sonaly and politically, that in accepting the in
vitation to be present this occasion, it for
the purpose OF bearing testimony of my high re-
spect for man who persisted in the public ser
vice, and one who l respected and loved.
Cheers.l have no eulOgy to pronounce: That
has been done better than 1 could do it, and
it will be handed down and placed IND y posses
sion of all who take nterest in the history and
character of the distinguished individual who is
now no more.
Some men may wear the wreath which the
nation Wreathes for those who serve their country
in lofty positions, or they may he graced with
laurels prepared for those who defend her in the
hour Of peril, and their names may be engraved
upon the imperishable record Of national glory.
This column is reared in memory of the working
legislator, the representative man. and his
reward will be the Inscription of his name high
on the eenotaph erected BY a grateful nation TO
commemorate the services Of those who lived and
toiled for the people and the union of the States
Fellow citizens, l believe in my heart that if
we could communicate with the dead, and cause
them to know what was transplring on earth,
were it possible for STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS to be
disturbed from his slumber, he would rise from
his grave, shake off the habiiments Of the tomb.
and proclaim that the Constitution and the Union
must be preserved.
He was applauded in retiring.
Secretary SEWARD then came forward III re-
spone to repeated calls. He said, like the Pres-
dent l am not to make a speech. Less now than
on any other occasion could l consent to speak
without consideration. IL would be disrespec
to the great dead to offer n hurried add needles
tribute to the greatness and fame OF STEPHEN A
DOUGLAS Cheers
You have just heard, as all the world knows,
, that STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS was concerned many
xnQ ra NJ "a N "a nff he n
Capitol. You are not ignorant that have been
concerned with him In some way for the last
eleven years of his life, that 1 his associate
in the Senate during the last six months of that
period. ] was fellow laborer on the same side
in supporting that same great cause, and l say
that cause was the Union against rebellion.
All the previous portion of that time we were, in
party sense, adVersarlea 1t Is amongst the
prOudest Of my personal recolleetions, that al
though we were enemies as the world understands
political men, arrayed against each other by par
tisan combinations for over ten years, and were
political friends only six months, yet, notwith-
standing this. the widow, the children. the kim
dred. the friends and the party of STEPHEN A.
DOUGLASS paid the extraordinary compliment OF
asking me to be the orator on the occasion OF
which we have assembled. It proved this-that
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS was a great and generous
man; had he not been he could not have gone
through ten years Of opposition TO me without
leaving in my heart pang OF a wound
1t proved that 1 knew all the while
me to be one also; when they broke down with
grief for his loss, struck down as he was on the
ramparts of his cOuntry's defense, come to me and
begged 10 commit to me the care of MS great fame
and memory. l was unable to accept the precious
trust. am glad now that declined, because
rejoice that the task Of his eulogist has been per-
formed by one Who throughout his whole lfe,wGs
united to him in the bonds of political and per-
sonal friendship; who therefore could more greatly
appreciate his great merit, and who having sym
pathized with him so devOtedly and so long, knew
how his fame ought to be presented for the emu
latiOn of his cOuntrymen.
/ am sure the Grafton just delivered will live
n affections mankind long
after you and / shall have persisted, and even AZ
ter the corner stone shall be crumbled into dust.
And what, fellow citizens, made whole nation
admire him during the last eventual career Of
his life? What was il that has made US unanl-
nous in the homage now paid to his memory 1t
was because in the the most eventful crisis that
ever overlooked his country, he rushed forward
to the cOuntry's defense and gave up his life in
the effort to maintain and save the Union. lAp-
plause.l And through it to preserve for posterity
the blessings which by the will Of Providence II
was designated to confer it from one great and
important truth from which men in every part Of
age should take encouragement.
1t is a mistake to believe that the greatest merit
on earth is TO found an empire or a state; there is
great merit in founding great empire or free
State but q great empire of free States is always
easily produced when an exigency and an ayalla.
bic convenience Of time has arrived, they spring
up out Of exigeneies which cannot be passed BY;
but the little observation have been Obliged to
make Of the affairs Of nations has satisfied me
That ne VINO saves a lailing State Is gseatef ny
plause.) Therefore think that STEPHEN A. DOUG-
LAS. with ABRAHAM LINCOLN, will live in the
memory and homage of mankind, equally with
the WAsHINGTONs and the HAmLToSs of the
revolutionary age. For myself l could not
ask higher commentator TO the favor Of man
kind in future ages than this, when they shall
mark and read the trials Of this our beloved
country under the administration Of ABRAHAM
LINCOLN and ANDREW JOHNSON. that they may
live with ABRAHAM LINCOLN and STEPHEN A. |
DOUGLAS. 1 was in true association with u. ). |
GRANT and ID. @. fARRAGuT, and with all the he |
rOes. and with all the great statesmen, who have
given TO the American Republic n new base Of |
lfe--a life that now feel Is able TO defy faction
and sedition and powerful enemies, either now |
or hereafter, forever more Tremendous cheersl |
greeted the utterance Of the sentiments,
Gen. GRANT was next introduced. and received /
tremendous greeting, as he has through all the /
places we have passed. Admiral fAKRAGUT was, |
as usual, warmly greeted. The other distinguish
ed exoursOnists were introduced and applauded. 1
The ceremonies closed, the rain began to fall.
The excursiOnisls, with the exception Of the /
President visited the Opera House Tonight by /
invitation Of Mr.. CROSBY, and were escorted /
thither by the Committee Of Reception. They |
were applauded By the audience as they entered. !
During the evening Gen. GRANT was cheered, /
when he rose and said. they could get nothing /
from him as agreeable as they got from the stage,
Admiral fARRAGUT responded to the cheers L
for him BY saying that he and Gen. GRANT had 1
made bargain to speak three minutes and /
bali, but as Gen. GRANT had mOnopOlixed nearly /
all that time, there was nothing lett for him 10
say This produced much laughter.
Secretary SEWARD, in return for n similar com
pliment rose and merely bowed his thanks.
Secretary NELLEs. and several army othceTs,
followed his example.
We leave tomorrow morning for Springfield,
7