National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-02-23

the homo Of Washlugton;--who house Of
linrg0sscs, of which he was n mombcr, made
the iimt burst Oi opposition against the stamp
act although less peuunlnrily Interested
therein, than their New England brethren,
aud was the first representative body OREGON.
mend n general congress Of tho cOlOntesi OF
the state whose Mason drew that bill Of rights
which has been called the Magma Chafta OF
Americas whose Jefferson wrote, whose Rich
ard Henry Lee moved, tho declaration that
those colonies be "fIcc aud Independent
statcs;' whose Henry condensed the rcyoln.
ton into the electric sentence, "libcfty or
Death = the stnto which rcmcntod union
with the vast territorial dowry out of which
five states have bcCn carved, having now here
somc ninety representatives; OF that state
whose Madison was named "the father OF tue
constitution aud whose Marshall be came its
most eminent oSpOundUr; Of tho stnto which
holds within It's bosom the saerud ashes of
Washington aud cherlshes not less thc
principles which once kindlod them with
fires OF heaven doscendcd-t has seemcd IT,
ting to you. gentlemen, that citizen Of that
state should also be invited 70 DELIVER an nd,
dress ON this occasion, In Nlrgnias nlmo
thank YOU for the honor done her, even In the
person of her humble son who Is tho medium
OF It's acceptance New Hampshire Massa.
chnscts, Rhode Island, Connecticut Now
York, New Jersey Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, North Carolina, South Caroline
Georgia. your COmrade Of the days that triod
mems souls sulules YOU In honor and affection.
No laurel could be pluckod TOO bright for Ylr-
yc, our younger companions, who have
sprung forth nom the wilderness, the prairie,
aud tic mountain md now extend your ON
pirc TO the far slopes where your topming
cities light thoir lamps by the settling sun
what grandcr tribute to the past, what hap
pier assurance OF the pros0nt-whul more
ausplcions omcns Of the future gould heaven
vOuChsatg us, than those which live md move
and have their being In your prCscnco2
No sum could now he mado of Washlngton's
character that did not exhaust language Of Us
No sum could be made Of his achievements
that did not unfold the history of his country
aud It's institutions -thC history OF his age and
its progrcss-thc history Of man aud his dos'
tiny to be FREQ hut, whether character or
achievement bo regarded, the riches before us
only expose tho poverty of praise So clear
was he Ia his great office that no ideal OF the
leader or ruler can be formed thnt does not
shrink 10y the side of tho reality. Aud so has
| he impressed himself upon tho minds OF men
that no man can justly aspire to be tho chief
| OF u great FREQ people who does not adopt his
principles and emulate his example. Drawing
his sword from patriotic impulse without am.
billion and without malice he welded II With
out vindiotlyenoss and sheathed II without re.
proach. All that humanity could conceive he
did to suppress the crueltes of war and soothe
Us sorrows. lIeneyor struck o towards blow.
10 him age infancy, and helplcSsness were
ever sacred lie tolerated no extremity unless
to curb the cNcosscs OF his enemy, and he never
| poisoned the sting of defeat by the cNutation
oftho conqueror Peace he welcomed as the
| heavcn-scnt herald of friendship, and no
| country has given him greater honor than that
which he defeated for England has boon glad
| 70 cnim him az the scion Of hor blood; proud
| like our sister American states, to divide wfth
| Virginia the honor of producing HIM
Fascinated BY the perfection Of the man.
| we are 10th to break the mirror of admiration
| into the fragments of analysis. But 10, US we
attempt 1t, every fragment becomes the minia-
| turc OF such sublimity aud beauty that the
destructive hand can only multiply the forms
| of immortality. Grand and manifold as were
Its phases there is yet no difficulty in under
standing the character ol Washington He
was no Yelled Prophet lie never acted u
| part simple, natural, and unaffected, his
| life lies before lis-a fair and open manuscript
lie disdained the arts which wrap power In
mystery IN order to magnify IL. He practised
the profound diplomacy of truthful speech
the qonsummato tact of ,dlt direct attention
Events, he relied on that Providence which
! helps men by giving them high hearts aud
hopes TO help themselves with the means
When when their creator has put At their service
which Charity must fling It's veil no taint of
sellshncss from VIII ich Purity uverts her gaze
| no dark recess of intrigue that must be Tit up
| with colored panegyric no subtorranean pas
sage to be trod In trembling lest there be
| stirred tho ghost of buried crime
Brilliant Will not call him, If the bright
ness OF the rippling river exceed the solemn
glory of old Ocean. Brilliant | will not call
him, If darkness must be visible In order
| to display the light; Tor no had none of that
| rockct-llke brlllianoy which flames In instant
coruscation across the black brow OF night, and
then is not. But ia steady, unflickcring
tlame, slow rising TO It's lofly sphere, high hung
| in the Heavens of Contemplation dispensing
far and wide It's. rays, revealing all things OH
relations, making right, duty, and destiny SC
| plain that In the vision we are scarce conscious
| of the light-if this be brilliauoy--then tho
| genius of Washington was as nll-orbed aud
| luminous as the god of day in his zenith.
| At last was the crowping work of Washing
ton accomplished. out Of the tempcsts of war
aud the tumults OF cfpll rommotion, the ages
bore their fruit, the long yearning OF humanity
| was answered Rome TO America" Is the
eloquent inscription on one stone of your colos
| sal shaft-Uther from the ancient temple o
peace that once stood hard by tho palace o.
the Caesars Uprisen from the sea of revolu
| tion, fabricated from the ruins Of battered
| bastiles and dismantled palaces Of unhallowed
| power, stand forth now, the republic of repub
lies, the nation of nations the constitution OF
| constitutions, TO which all lands and times
and tongues contributed of their wisdom.
Though having his manuscript on the
desk before him, Mr.. Daniel referred to
it but once or twice during the course OF
his oration. He spoke in an easy manner,
his voice being finely modulated to suit
tho meaning Of his sentences, and his
speech was accumulated and emphasized
by graceful gestures.
Many times was he interrupted by
rounds Of applause, elected by his clean
cut and well-balsnced periods and by hit
eloquent style of uttering them. As he
closed, Senator Edmunds and Senator
Sherman, Speaker Carlisle and Represent
ative Long warmly congratulated him
while once moro the audience testifet
their appreciation of the orators clio
quence.
After benediction by the chaplain o
tho house the distinguished guests dc
parted, and the speaker called the hous
to order.
The house, at 5:45, adjourned till Mon
day.