The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-09-19

thc-ceremony, when tile ceremony oflayin
the cornerstone took place According
to the Masonic ritual, latter blessing it wit
bread, wine and oil, the stone was lowered
into its place, while minute guns wer
fred and the band played a dirge. TIL
Grand Master congratulated those presen
on the fact That there was present no les
pcrsoage than the President of til,
United States with the distinguished head;
of the Departments who he heard and be
ieycd was member of the Masonic fra
ternty. This remark was applauded By
the clapping of hands. A prayer was thef
delivered by the Rev. Mr.. Milburn, of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, when Gen
Dix addressed the assemblage. Theoratol
was repeatedly Interrupted by applause
and when he concluded, the President was
called for. He appeared in front Of the
platform and delivered the following sad.
dress:
Fellow Citizens: have travelled over
thousand miles, after having been invited
to attend the ceremony Of laying the cor
ter-stone of the monument to be erected.
| viii say to my friends, personally and
politically, that in accepting the invitation
to be present on this occasion, it was for
the purpose of bearing testimony Of my
high respect for a man who persisted in the
public service, and whom | respected and
loved. [Cheers.] have no eulogy to
pronounce that has not been done better
chan could do it, and it will be handed
down and placed in possession of all who
take an interest III the history and charac-
ter 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 be graced with laurel prepared
for those who defend her ia the hour of
peril, and their names may be engraved on
the imperishable record Of national glory
This column is reared in memory of the
working legislator and the representative
man, and his reward will be the inscription
of his name high ON the cenotaph, erected
hy grateful nation to commemorate the
services of those who lived and toiled for
the people and the Union of the States.
Immense applanse.l Fellow-citizens, ]
believe in my heart that if We could COM
municate with the dead and cause them to
know what was transpiring on earth--were
it possible for Stephen a.. Douglas to be
disturbed from his slumber, he would rise
from his grave, shake off the habiliments of
the tomb, and proclaim the Constitution
and the Union-they must be preserved
lie was applauded On retiring. Sec. Sew
ard then came forward, in response to re-
peated calls. lie said, like the President,
i am not to makea speech Less than on
any other occasion could / consent to
speak without consideration, it would be
disrepute to the grave dead to offer the |
hurried and needless tribute to the great
ness and fame q Stephen A. Douglas.
[Cheers.l You have just heard, las all the
world knows, that S. A. Douglas was con
cerned many years in the great affairs Of
the nation at the capitol You are not
ignorant that have been concerned with
him IN the same way for the last eleven
years Of his life--that was Ills associate
in the Senate for the last six months of
that period | was fellow-laborer on the
same side in supporting the same great
cause. Need | say chat cause was the
Union against the rebellion. All the pre-
vious portion Of that time we were, in
party sense, adversaries. It rs among the
proudest of my personal recollections that
althoughwe were enemies, as the world
understands it, politically arrayed against
each other by partisan combinations for
ten years and were political friends and
associates for only. six months, yet, not
withstanding, the widow, the children, the
kindred, the friends aid the party of S.
A. Douglas paid the extraordinary compli-
ment Of asking me to be the orator on the
occasion of which wehape now assembled,
it proved this, namely: 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 with
out leaving inmy heart apaag, Or d wound q !!
it proved what we knew all the while, that
he was u patriot, and that he thought me to
become. Also when they borne down with II
grief at his loss, struck down as he was on
the ramparts of his country's defense, came !
to me, and begged to commit to me the
care of his great fame and memory. Twas !,
unable to accept the precious trust. / am '
glad now that I declined it, because re- a
joice that the task of his eulogist has been !
performed by one Who throughout his whole h
life was united to him in bonds of political n
and personal friendship and who therefore
could more justly appreciate his great
merit, and who, having sympathized with / j;
him so deeply and so long, knew how his ]
lame ought to be presented for the emula- t.
ton Of his countrymen. / am sure the 1
Grafton just delivered will live in history !
and the affections of mankind long after d
You and shall have passed away, and even f
alter this cornerstone shall have crumbled
INTO dust. And what, felloW-citizens, :,
made q whole nation admire him during =
,he eventtul years OF his life. what was ittie