Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-22

shem. | may well cxciaim, Fe"N
.',,,,, r;,umii' But as think Of her
Westinghouse our Washington, let
nae rather say--l am almost ready to
i'd. !" Lafa Deum paria'"
A celebrated philosopher OF ahtiou-
~ who was nearly contemporary with
christ. but who could have known
nothing Of what was going on in Judca,
and who. alas did no, always $ reck
his own rede,' wrote thus to younger
friend. as prccept for worthy life 1;
:. some good man must be singled out
and kept ever before our eyes. that we
NAV live NJ If he were looking on. and
do everything as il he could see it,"
CHERISH HIS EXAMPLE.
let me borrow the spirit. if not the
exact letter. CT that prccept, and address
II to the young men Of my country
"keep ever in your mind and before
your minds eve the loftiest standard
of character. You have IL, / need not
say. supremacy and nnapproaehably IN
Uira who snake a. never man spake. and
lived as never man lived, and who died
for the sins Of the world. That char
sc,cr stands apart and alone. But Of
merely mortal man the monument we
have dedicated to-day points out the
ono for all Americans to study, to imi-
tate. and, as 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 1t he
were seeing and Judging your personal
conduct and your public career. Strive
to approximate that lofty standard, and
measure your integrity and your pa
triOtism by your nearness to Vt or your
departure from it. The prime meridian
Of universal longitude, on sea OF land,
may be at Greenwich, or at Paris, or
where YOU will but the prime meridian
of pure, disintereSted, patriotic, ex-
slted human character will be marked
forever by yonder Washington ODE
liSk
Yes. TO the young men Of America
under God, it remains, as they rise up
from generation to generation, TO shape
the dcstinies Of their country's future,
and woe unto them il, regardless oil the
great example which is set before them,
they prove uniaithful to the tremendous
responsibilities which rest upon them !
Yet let me not seem, even for mo-
mont, to throw of upon the children
the riehtful share of those responsible
ties which belong to their fathers.
Upon us, upon US, 1t deyoiVes TO pro-
vide that the advancing generations
shall be able to comprehend, and equal
70 meet. the demands which are thus
before them. 1t is ours-it Is yours
especially, Senators and Representa-
tivcs--to supply them with the means
of that universal education which is
the crying want of Our land, and with
out which any intelligent and success
nll free government is impossible.
We are Just entering on new
olympiad Of our national history-'he
twenty-Gfth olympiad since Washing
ton first entered upon the admlnistra-
ton of our Constitutional Government.
The will Of the people has already de-
sipnatcd under whom the first century
of that Government is to he closed,
and the best hopes and wishes OF every
patriot will be 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 whOmsoeyer gov
crncd, is still and always our country
TO be cherished in all our hearts. to be
upheld and defended by all our
hands
Most happy would it be if the
30th Of April, on which the first III
auguration of Washington took place
in 1889. could henceforth he the date
of all future inauguratons-aS 1t might
hc by n slight amendment of the Con-
stitutior-giying, as it would, much
needed extension to the short sessions
of Congress. and letting the second
century Of our constitutional history
begin where the first century began.
THE ASPIRATION.
But let the date be what it may. The
inspiration of the centennial annivcr'
>ary of that first grca, inauguration
must not be lost upon us. Would that
any words of mine could help us all
old and Young. to resolve that the prin
riplcS and character and example o
Washington. as he came forward t'
take the oaths of office on that day
shall once more be recognized ani
reyerenced as the model for all VIII
succeed him, and that his diSln
tcrcsted purity and patriotism shall D.
the supreme test and standard OF Nncrl
can craftsmanship That standard car
never be taken away from us IN
most elaborate and durable monument
may perish: but neither the forces o
nature nor any hendiSh crime OF MAJ
can ever mar or mutilatc a great eX
annie of public OF private virtue.
our matchless obclisk stands proud.
before ms to-day. and we hail IT with tn
Civilizations of united and glorious ma
ton. Ii may or may not hc proc
against the CaNlIN vi 'iitl'n '"' '"''''
OF human construction Is against th
casualties of time. The storms OF WIN
ter must blow and beat upon 1t. In
action Of the elements must SOIL an
di,color it. Tue lightningS OF heaVe
may scar and blacken it. An earth
quake may shake It's foundations
Some mighty tornado or rcSlstles
cyclone may rend its massive block
asnndcr and hurl huge fragments to IN
ground. But the character which
commentaries and illustrates Is secure
twill remain unchanged and unchange'
bic in all its conSummate purity al
splcndor, and will more and more con
msnd the homage OF succeeding ages
all regions Of the earth.
GoD BE PRAISED, THAT CHARA'
TFE Is OURS FOREVER