Middletown transcript., 1869-04-24

|
honor to his memory whom the whole
community loved. And there too, with
their appropriate regalia and symbols,
were the various Lodges of Ancient, Free
and Accepted Masons, to lay their "worthy
brother John Marshall" (the tried friend
OF Firginia's Grand Master of Masons,
George Washington,) in his grave, and
to plant the sprig Of accasia at his head !!
In the capitol square, of the capitol of
Virginia, stands lofty marble monument,
surmounted by a colossal equestrian sta
tue in bronze of George Washington.
The pedestals surrounding the main and
central figure, bear upon them immense
bronze figures from ten to twelve feet in
height. These are the statues of Lewis
and Mason, and Jefferson, and Patrick
Henry, and JOHN MARSHALL. The Chief
Justice, is represented as standing in his
robes. with the Constitution in his hand
the volume partially open, the forefnger
of his left hand between the leaves.
Whatever of symbolism the artist de-
signed, the tout en- sen,Jle fails to strike
agreeably the mind or feelings of those
who remember the Chief Justice as he aras.
The statue has been placed upon the
pedestal in the last two years, having
been detained in Munich by the blockade
during the late fratricidal war.
could scarcely help musing and NOR
alizing as l paused little more than
year since, before that shrine upon the
fate and fortunes of the "CoNsTIruT1oN, :"
since Marshall went down to his grave
The country honored him, and he repaid
the priceless trust, by giving to the great
charter the cxpositions of his own grand
luminous mind, although now, it may
be, lost sight of in the mad saturnalia of
the days in which we live, if indeed that in
strument is not torn into tatters before the
period arrives when the American people
shall demand its restoration to its former
pride of place. While the old lights which
once threw their calm and steady rays
around the halls Of the great temple of our
political Jerusalem, are quenched in the
tomb, and the cry comes up, 'your faith
ers, where are they, and the prophets, do
they live forever" we have snatched few
hours from the routine of almost ccaseess
work in our specially, to bring before the
minds eye of our young and Coming Men
the life, and character Of one, who, both in
public and private was so distinguished for
purity and patriotism who established
name for integrity, for uprightnoss, for
truth, for justice, for benevoence, for SIM
plicity of life and manners, for uuostenta-
tious greatness, and unassuming worth, as
has scarcely had his parallel in his times,
or since, or before, among uninspired men.
A character his, which whether in his pub
lie and official capacity, or in his social
and family relations, will stand as MODEL
of pure republican simplicity, and indeed
of all that is lovely and of good report" as
long as the human heart is capable of ap-
preciating that which Is ennobling and el-
evating in the history of man.
lie lived in the times of the French
Revolution, and at a period when the
French philosophy was corrupting the NOR
ais and the manners of some of our most
prominent men. When, to honor religion
was to provoke a sneer--when too many
of the educated were quafiing from the SER
pentwreathed cup of Voltaire, and coarser
minds were battening on the garbage of
Paine-yet, that opal-charm, his souls
purity, blinded the serpent Infdelty and
it wriggled by the garden of his heart with
out poisoning the fruits and flowers that
grew therein. That same purity enabled
him to walk amid the blaze of public hon
ors, undazzled by the brilliancy of station
or place. 1t threw an ngis around him
that the arrows of detraction could not
penetrate. 1t invested his judicial robes |
with such spotless whiteness, that he SEEM
ed to stand before the country as the God
ordained High Priest of Justice! 1t
marked his pathway in private life, it still
invests his memory with a sacred charm,
and it enabled him as his spirit was con-
Quoted up the awful sleeps that lead to
heaven, to commit himself calmly, fear
lessly, trustingly, into the hands of his
Redeemer and his God-even Him, who |
shall one day preside as the Supreme
Judge of quick and dead.
We should refresh ourselves at these
fountains of "reminiscences of the great
men of other days, in order to drink in les
sons of wisdom, purity and truth-and to
cherish the principles they SO nobly con-
tended for, and wrought to establish. We |
should refer to them ourselves, and point
our children to them. The great trust
committed to the American people can on
ly be preserved from harm and overthrow,
by the integrity of our public men, and
the purity of the masses.
When these prevail, then may we feel
that the great, untremulous eye of God
still holds vigil over the destinies of
''Time's greatest empire" and perhaps ''its
last"
FINS,
Middlcto'on, Dela@are, Apra "a, 1869.
3 u.nnon.,ox yr.