Daily Kennebec journal., 1885-02-23

3
as if we could see it,
Let me borrow the spirit, if not the exact
letter OF that precept, and address it to the
young men of my country: ''Keep ever in
your mind and before your minds eye the
loftiest standard of character You have il,
deed not say, supremelv and unspproacha-
bly,, in Him who spoke as never man spoke.
and lived as never man lived, and who died
for the sins of the world. That character
stands apart and alone But of merely NOR
tai men, the monument We have dedicated
today points out the one for all Americans to
study, to initiate, and rs far as may be, to
emulate. Keep his example and his charac-
ter ever before YOUR eyes and in your hearts
Live and act as if he were seeing and judging
your personal conduct and your public
career Strive to approximate that lofty
standard, and measure your integrity and
your patriotism by your nearness to it, or
your departure from it, The prime meridian
of universal longitude. on sea or land, may
be at Greenwich or at Paris, or where you
will. But the prime meridian of pure, dis
interested, patriotic, exaulted human charac-
ter, will be marked forever by yonder Wash
ington obelisk"
Yes, to the young men of America, under
God, it remains, as they rise up from genera
tion to generation, to shape the destines of
their country's future-and woe unto them it,
regardless of the great example which is set
before them, they prove unfaithful to the tre-
mendous responsibilities which rest upon
them.
Yet let me not seem, even for a moment
to throw off upon the childreH the rightful
share of those responsibilities which belongs
to their fathers. Upon us, it devolves to pro-
vide that the advancing generations shall be
a,l Il
demands which are thus before them. 1t is
ours-it is yours especially. senators and
representatives. supply them with the
means of that universal education which is
the crying want of our land, and without
which any intelligent and successful free
government is impossible.
We are just entering On a new olympiad of
our national history-the twenty-tifth olym-
pad since Washington first entered on the
administration of our constitutional govern
ment. The will of the people has already
designated under whom the first century of
that government is to be closed, and the best
hopes and wishes of every patriot will b.
with him IN the great responsibilities on
which he is about to enter. No distinction of
party or OF section prevents our all feeling
alike that our country. by whomsoever gov
erned. is still and always our country, to be
CitIlsutu Ill 10 De upntl0 anu
defended by all our hands.
Our matchless obelisk stands proudly be-
fore us today, and we hail it with the exulta-
tions of a united and glorious nation 1t may
or may not be proof against the cavils of
critics, but nothing of human construction is
proof against the casualties of time. The
storms of winter must blow and beat upon it.
The action of the elements must soil and dis
color 1t. The lightnings of Heaven may
scar and blacken It. An earthquake may
shake its foundations. Some mighty tornado
or resistless cyclone may rend its massive
blocks assunder and hurl huge fragments to
the ground. But the character which it COM
meTorates and illustrates is secure 1t will
remain unchanged and unchangeable in all
its consummate purity and splendor, and will
more and more command the homage of sue
ceeding ages in all regions of the earth.
,AGod be praised; that character is ours for
ever.
Mr.. Long spoke from the clerks desk in an
impressive manner and voice, which, though
not loud, was so clear as to reach every
corner of the chamber. Eloquent passages
of speech were delivered with fervor, which
elected frequent applause, and as Mr.. Long
finished the peroration the multitude broke
into storm of applause.
As Mr.. Long ceased the band struck up
columbia, Gem of the Ocean" and as the
strains of the air ended, Mr. Edmupds intro
duced Hon. John w. Daniel who delivered
an Grafton.
ABSTRACT OF MR.. DANIELS GRAFTON.
Hon. John W. Daniel of Virginia spoke of
the life of Washington, his character, and
public acts. He appreciated the fact that he
was chosen one from the native State of
Washington, for he was Virginian before
he became an American.
The speaker alluded to tn. early history of
Virginia, intensely loyal to kingly authority
but yet the first State in the world
composed of separate boroughs, diffused over
an extensive surface, where representation
was organized on the principle of universal
suffrage. He brought before his
bearers the boy of one hundred and fCrty
years ago; the young surveyor of the wilder
ness the young colonel at the age of twenty
two; commander of the virginian forces in
| 1859 the contented planter at Mt. Vernon ;
the delegate to the first colonial Congress ;
the commander-in-chiefo of the army and his
country's deliverer; the ruler Of that country
for two Presidential terms; then that we'll
lived life is laid down.
| Fascinated by the perfection of the man.
we are 10th to break the mirror of admiration
into the fragments of analysis. But 10 as
we attempt it, every fragment becomes the
miniature of such sublimity and beauty, tina,
the destructive hand can only multiply the
| forms of immortality.
| Grand and manifold as where it phases
there is yet no difficulty in understanding the
character of Washington. He never acted a
part Simple, natural and unaffected. hi.
lite lies before us-a fair and open manu-
script He disdained the arts which wrap
power in mystery, in order to magnify it. He
prscticed the profund diplomacy OF truthful
| speech-the consumate tact of direct at
tentIon Looking ever to the All-Wise
Disposer of events, he relied on that provi.
dence which helps men, by giving them high
hearts and hopes, TO help themselves with
the means which their crertor has put al
their service, Invested with the powers of a
dictator, the country bestowing them felt no
distrust of his integrity; he receiving them
| gave assurance that, as the sword was the
last resort to liberty. so it should be the frs,
thing laid atide when liberty was won. And
keeping the faith in all things, he left man.
kind bewildered whether to admire him mos,
for what he was or what he would not be.
! Ii was as a statesman that Washington was
| greatest. Not in the sence that Hamilton
and Jefferson, Adams and Madison were
statesmen; but in larger sense, Men NAV
marshal armies who cannot drill divisions.
| Men may marshal nations in storm and ira.
vail who have not the accomplishments o,
their cabinet ministers. Not so versed a.