The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-22

The proprety and fitness Of this presentation for
iorcfbly to ali minds. what place more lifting for
The preservation Of these precious memorials than
was signed, and in which the Iustrious Hancock
Around this table, and in this Hail, were gathered
that sterling band of patriots who signed the Decla
nary struggle Of the Revolution Looking UPON these
The mes tbSt tTed mems sons and e reeS TO TO
mind the hercuean abors aud the fervor OF patriot
sentative body that the world has ever known.
We picture to our minds the striking figure OF John
Hancock, the afuent citizen and the public idol,
with bold and resoute hand he afxes his name to the
day. then and there Il was s that BRUSH yTaRRT rs
ceved its deathblow. Thencelorth freedom and in1e.
nbaIiOni ,b1ii ana these great prlncP,es, Pr0calmed
tostrike afresh tor his country.
Sacred as the memory Of our patriot slres are the
associations that cluster Ground these hallowed OBJ
connection with the glorious events they COM
10 these the lovers Of liberty from all lands and
in all ages will come as pilgrims to pay their homage.
heart; and as We have preserved these mementoes
from the red hand Of violence 50 may the princples
and American acknowledgements and purged
ieSdaism and peFpet1sted forever f 0'
The city Of P9iadelphiG ii M the hon, home OF old pde
true to the great OF American liberty in tho late
What city that through public aud private subscrip;
lions raised So many men and g. armed and e9niPPSd
nations life? What city that was ever SO liberal 70
forwards and backwards. to and from the seat OF vat?
Here MT T., Mayor let this 9ld table m S1d lie esar T
band be held IN perpetual remembrance by all lovers
During the speech of Mr.. Hall, the most deep
and thrilling Interest was manifested by the
distinguished assemblage present TO the histo-
Tical "reminiscences that were brought up by
the speaker, and frequently they would break
out into marked applause ats particularly
thrilling passage.
II was indeed thrilling scene, and one that
Will be remembered as an epoch In the history
of the city. The old venerated portraits of the
illustrious dead seemed to glow with q halo on
the thrilling scene that was passing.
~, These old relies, that. during the time that
tried mems souls" occupied the sacred pre-
cincts to which they were again introduced,
seemed 10 be endowed with new virtues, ac-
quired from the solemnity of the occasion.
After the conclusion of Mr. Halls eloquent
remarks. his Honor Mayor McMichael made
MOST elegant address. as tollows;- ~
sentatives: The city of Philadelphia accepts the
trust which the commonwealth of Pennsylvania
confides TO her. To mark her sense of its import
ance, she has assembled here, as participants and
spectators, the honored dignitaries who administer
justice within her borders; the favored citizens to
whom she has delegated her authority to make and
execute laws; the noble old men whom more than
halt century ago she sent out 70 Tepe foreign m
her own gallant son, who recently perilled their
lives in aiding to crush domestic treasoni the
learned expositors of her historic legends and
traditions, and the members of the press, which
Cally records her progress and opinions In
this presence she makes public declaration that
che esteems the custody OF these precious relics
rare privilege and offers a solemn pledge that she
will guard them with scrupulous fidelity and
preserve them with assiduous care.
1t Is proper they should be here. 1t was here
they were associated with the deeds which have
given to these simple pieces of furniture value
beyond all price; 1t is here they can be best
seen by the countless generations which the
long civilization and freedom survive.
Memorials identified with striking epochs of
ali nations To the Italian, the iron crown Of
Charlemagne symbolizes national unity that
and disasters so of centuries; to the ScotcSman
the heart Of the Bruce, in all climes and under all
yiclstitudeS, Is a cherished trophy OF nauonai re-
are significant, not only OF glorious past but OF
a marvellous future, which Will include the occu-
patton Of many lands the dominion OF many
seas and the compact of many peoples, Joined
together by the all-embracing bonds Of free
Since these relics were separated from this hall,
period less than the scriptural limit OF mans
life has intervened but in that period the develop
ments Of science and the achievements OF art have
surpassed the widest imagnations OF theorists, and
political rev olutions have taken place in which an
cent dynasties have been shattered and scattered,
and out of which radical changes OF government
have been evolved, and these developments and
these achlevements and these revolutions have
Co operated and still cooperating, to produce
on this continent an empire wider IN territorial ex-
tent, stronger in physical power, richer in mate
rial wealth, higher in intellectual culture, and
grander in patriotic aims than any the world has
witnessed The men who sat In this seat and wrote
at this table, while engaged in the creation of new
republic, had Keen insight and profound wisdom,
|
their descendants should to the heavens they
laid their foundations broad as the earth and as
| deep the ocean, And, verify, they shall have
| their reward. For long after the votares OF the
| false prophet whose throne is crumbling in the
East, shall abandon their senseless pilgrmages to
| his tabled tomb, and his name shall only be re-
membsred as synonym OF lust and rapine, the
followers of these true prophets shall gather round
| this living shrine not in abject Ignorance TO
adore, but with grateful recognition to bless the
| memories Of those who first preached the evangei
| of universal liberty, and some of whom attested
their faith through the ordeals OF martyrdom and
| by the baptism Of blood.
| The time for this restoration has been well
| chosen. An act so blended with joyful feelings
| should be performed in the midst OF festive sur
| roundings. The booming cannon that shook this
| mornings sky-the martial strains that hoat upon
| the air-the streaming flags that denote the pre-
| sence of holiday-these have rightly ushered in
and illustrated the day set apart for such service
But in the day Is even more essential mt
| ness. What occasion so suitable as the Dlrthday
| of Washin gton for depositing, among kindred
| objects, in this chamber, which his stately form
| has so often dignifed and adorned, these me-
| MORALS of an era with which his name is inds-
solnbly connectedl Especially is this so when
| we consider that the ends for which ne prayed
| and labored and suffered are approaching towards
| contamination, and that the Union 10 which his
great heart was dedicated, after being purged and
purified in the alembic of civil war, is brighter,
| purer, better and frmer than ever before. And
my friends, as we gaze ON MS serene ana MAJESTIC
| permitted to indulge the fancy that MS spirit
hoVers near us, and that If 1t could knde in those
eyes the light Of life and impart to those lips
| human utterance, he would smile approvingly on
this ceremonial, and proclaim his satisfaction that
in all parts of the magnificent domain he so large
| ly helped to estabsh-in the south as well as the
north in the west not less than the east-the car
| dinal doctrine of the Declaration of Independence
l the sublime announcement that all men are
created free and equal-has become fixed and inn
mutable fact.
| After the conclusion OF Mayor Mem 'chaels
| speech Colonel j. Ross SnoWden made a few