Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-22
Thanksgiving az Washingt0n-Tle
National Capitol.

ington this year were rather noticeably above
the average Of such productions, and among the
best OF them was the address OF Rev. Dr.
MhtGhSh' Ea<scE O. nr me New ,l nOr INA Aven1e
| Reproduce il at length, but must content our
selves with the concluding portion, in which the
| SPEAKER makes eloquent reference to the project
| fer the removal of the Capital as follows:
IL Fluribus Unum''-a nation now thank God
a nation forever, may God grant il. Such il the
/ festival which the American people are called
| IICn TO celebrate to-day; such is the occasion
which our presence in the capital of the nation
prepares us especially to appreciate and enjoy.
| Here we have, in symbol, before our very ewes
| that for which the citizens OF all the States are
| called upon TO render thanks to-day. The
unity, the prosperity, the onward progress aHd
ever enlarging business and industry OF the Re
public, speak To US, from out the magnificent
plies OF granite and Of marble, in the midst of
| which we stand, and which are at once the
ornament of our city, and the admiration of the
world. Nothing here is l0cal-but everything
Is national. Our city is the head, of which all
| the States from the Atlantic to the Pacific are
the members. iOnaer Capitol, peerless in its
magnificent beauty, from whatever quarter il il
seen, whether viewed from the hills which skirt
il upon the north, or from the fair, broad bosom
| OF the Potomac ON the south, Is the palace royal
her home, and there she holds her court. From
it, and IadIating in every direction she has cut
out her broad vistas Of avenues, along which she
NAV look into the face OF all her members ami
| Il wn which the eyes of all the States may look
| until they rest upon the beacon light of her
Respondent uODt- Long Time indeed was that
light obscured. Dark clouds rested over 10; sui
PnurOus smoke wrapped it in its heavy folds, and
the anxious eyes OF States turned in vain 70
catch glimPsc OF its inspiring presence, OF its
magnificent outlines. But this day of darkness
has passed, and the clear sunlight once more
falls upon the sparkling scene, and from on its
ICES Il reflected into the remoJest part of the
great nation Of whose unity it is the beautiful
symbol.
The eye of yonder crown of marble now looks
into the eyes ot Massachusetts and of Oregon. Of
California and OF the Carolinas, and salutes them
as daughters, and with eyes which are filling and
are TO I'LL with new and a more tender love.
they return the recognition and own her mother.
Surely, here, il anywhere, Christian citizens
underneath the very shadow of this great shield
OF the nation, ought we TO be prepared to appre-
ciate the day which has called us together. Let
your imagination bring before You the scene
which this festival warrants, and the fulness of
which it bestows. Our avenues, each bearing
tie name OF one of the ssterhoOd Of States. each
cut out TO be the highway Of their loyalty forever
is fun of pilgrims, who in throngs are pushing
their way forward and upward to the great
National Temple. These crowds, with gratitude
written upon their faces and praises upon their
lils, singing as they move onward, the
Christian citizens of America, called by the
voice of the Chief Magistrate, and i'm joyful pro-
eession moving onward TO deposit their thank
offerings upon the shrine of the nation. The old
scene is repeated. i seem to hear the chanting
of the ancient worshippers as, leaving their
private homes, they turned their faces toward
their mountain-walled and capital city;
"Our feet shall stand within thy gates. d,
Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city
that is compact together, whittier the tribes 20
up, the tribes OF the Lord, to give thanks unto
the name of the Lord. Beautiful for situation
the joy of the whole earth, is Mount ZiOn on
the sides OF the north, the city of the great
King We join the procession of worshippers.
We lift our praises high theirs. Citizens of
no State, but of all the States, and chanting our
songs OF degrees, we direct our footsteps toward
for situation, and under its great DOME which
is the egis of the nation, we lift the voice of
thanksgiving unto Him who is the great head of
the nations OF the earth, the God Of our fathers
our home, our refuge, our defender unto All
generations. And not only do we stand i'm the
presence Of the symbol of our nations unity and
glory; but we live, and to-day we stand in the
lnnermOst sanctuary OF her history.
This history is Written ont upon the names of
our streets. IL Is written upon the names OF our
parks. Ii IS craven upon the walls OF our build
ngs. 1t is carved I'm bronze: it is scI,Ipturnd in
rnu,v,., 1t Is cemente ~ xrs..,.,, There is La
tayette Square : and there is Franklin SQUARE;
and there is Scott square. There is the statue
OF Washington, there is the statue of jackson,
ton il the history Of the Republic. Bearing the
Fame Of him who is ever to wear the triple dia-
dem, ''Flrst in WAR; first in peace, and first in
the hearts of his eOuntrymen,- our city also
wears upon its beautiful bosom every precious
gem, which the hand Of past history has
strung upon the chaplet of the nations glory.
Selected first as the nations capital by the |
eye which has gone out in darkness,
its outlines and conf gurations traced by the
LaIiu which has turned TO dust at Mount Yer
non. Washington is incorporate with the lii,.
OF OuT Republic, sacred forever to every true
American heart tilrt now; walled in by the
ashes of a hundred thousand of the nations
dt ad, who laid down their lives i'll her defence.
Washington must forever remain the sanctuary |
Of AInerlcan patriotism, the Mecca of American
loyalty.
Remove the Capital! Can you remove the
air which YOU breathe? Can You transfer the
old homestead with its memories? Can con-
tractors express associations? Can they trans
nor h. ar.tta l
shift the pedestal upon which il built therecords
OF well nigh a hundred years of great nations
life? Can you put together again the struc-
ture which has been cemented by the prayers
and the hopes, by the tears and the blood of those
who reared it?
Remove the Capital? Can you remove Mount
locomotives or load it upon your boats? Let us
not hear only Of the Capital as anchored here
by the weight OF hundred millions Of dollars
This is true, but this is a small matter. Half of
this, contractors expect to make by the job of
removal. Any internal city of dry goods and
groceries can speak Of investments as grand as
casts to-day upon the banks of the Potomac,
and by which she holds her capital within our
beautiful city, Rather, it is the history of three
iourths of century; it is the sacred memories,
the hallowed associations, the cherished ira
ditions Of our eventful and glorious past. You
may rear piles Of stone and mortar i'm another
part Of the land equal to those upon which our
eyes rest to-day, but when yon have done all
this, you have not built for the nation n second
Washington. MaSOns cannot build again the
walls which have thrilled with the eloquence of
Clay which have echoed with the magnificent
demonstrations Of Webster or held audiences
spell-bOund under the glittering aud relentless
logic of Calhoun. All these associations are
here i'm this city. They inhabit this Capital
as the spirit does the body. They are the
atmosphere of yonder Congressional Cemetery.
Lay your ruthless hand upon this capital and
they are gone-hed forever. Among the other
curses which dropped from Mount Ebal of
old, all of them black and bitter, was this one,
"Cursed be he that remOyeth his neghbOr's
landmark and all the people shall say
Amen" Now, Washington is nations
land mark, and let every patriotic voice be
raised to execrate the hands which moved either
by an Overweening selfishness, BY an unholy
contempt for our historic past, shall be reached
out TO remove this ancient land-mark-tO dis
turb the urn which holds within il the sacred
ashes of all that is noble and glorious i'm the his
tory of our republic. Cursed shall be the memory
Of such a one, and all who love the unity and
revere the storied record Of America viii say
"Amen." Cursed shall he be and the spirit Of our
nationality which abides in yonder temple shall
say "Amen." Cursed shall he be and the spirit
OF the iIlustrious dead, which hover over these
scenes will say ''Amen." Too little already do
we value, in too light esteem do we already hold
the conflicts and the victories, the achievements
and the legacies of the past-those mighty conser-
yatiye and unifying in1uences-and now when
the hearts Of the people have Just begun to Irvine
around their national capital, If any man shall
reach forth his hand to sunder the knitting ten
drills and trouble with dislodgement, the spirit