The Evening critic., 1885-02-21
DEDICATION CEREMONIES.
rcOutinued from First Pagel

in circular to the governors OF the States.
"Convinced OF tho Importance OF the crisis,
silence In mo-" he said, "would DO q crime" l
win therefore speak the language OF freedom
ana sincerity" Ho set forth the need OF untou
In strain that touched tho quick OF sensibil-
isy; he held up the citizens OF America as tho
cole iords Of vast tract OF continent; he
portrayed the fair opportunity for political
happiness with whicn Heaven had crowned
them: he pointed out the blessings that
would attend their collective wisdom; that In
their fate was involved that OF unborn millionsi
that neutral concessions and sacrinces must
he made, and that Supreme power must 20
lodged somewhere TO regulate and govern the
general concerns OF tho 'Uontederated Hepuo.
lie, without which the Union could not % OF
long duration. And he urged that happiness
would bo ours II we seized the occasion aud
mode 10 our own.
In ihle, ono OF the very greatest acts Of
mar, the spirit OF tho hero, the wisdom OF
the cage, might almost soy, the sacred In
Bpiration OF tho prophet
gathering storms bafIied his sunward flight.
Even with Washington IN the van the column
wavered and halted; States straggled to the
rear that had hitherto been foremost for per-
manent Union under an enlcaclous Oonstitu-
tion. And while three years rolled by amidst
the jargon OF sectional and local contentious,
"the haltetarved Government" as washing
ton depleted II, 'limped along on crutches,
fotteriDg at every step" And while monar.
chical Europe, with Saturnine face, declared
that the American hope OF union was the
wild and visionary notion OF romance,
and predicted that we would be TO the end OF
time q disunited people, suspicious nj, md dls,
into petty commemorative and princlpalittee,
loi the very earth groaned under the feet OF
come forth a glorious band of orators, states. s
men and soldiers 10 plead the cause and fight
the battles OF independence; 10 the volcanic
nres VI rebellion burst forth upon the heads OF
guns OF the revolution against tho breasts OF
their brethren. "whel, gracious God is
msnT washington exclsims; w Vas was but m the me
tain the Constitutions under which we live, and
now we are unsheathlng our swords TO over
turn them" But seel there is q ray OF hope.
Maryland and virginia has already entered
into commercial treaty for regulating the
navigation OF the rivers and the great bay In
when they had had common Interests, ana
Washington had been one OF tho commission
ere In Its negotiation. And now, at tho sugges.
lion OF Maryland, Virginia has called on all
the States to meet In consultation at Annapo-
lie to adopt commercial regulations for the
whole country. Could this foundation be
laid, the eyes OF the nation builders
fOresaw the permanent structure would
ere long rise upon II. But when the day OF
meeting came no State north OF New York nor
south OF Virginia was represented; and In
their helpleeenees those assembled could only
recommend a constitutional convention to
meet in Philadelphia In May, 17S9, to provide
for the exIgencios OF the situation. Aud still
thick clouds and darkness rested on the land,
and there lowered upon Its hopes night as
black es that upon the freezing Delaware; bat
through Its gloom the dauntless leader was
still marching on 10 tho coneummatlon OF his
colossal work, with hope that never died,
with courage that never faltered, with a
WELDON that never said that vail Is vanity"
It was not permitted to the Roman to despair
OF the Republic, nor did he, our chieftain. ''It
Will all come right at last" he said. 1t ala.
And now let the historian Bancroft speak
"From this state Of despair the country was
lifted by Madison and Virginia." Again he
says 1--WE come now to q week more glorious
for Virginia beyond any In her annals, or In
which Madison "glving effect 10
Mis- own long ;amnl cherished h; tvo., wishes
addressing, as II were, the whole country,
and marshalling all the States," warned them
s'that the crisis had arrived at which the peo-
pie OF America arc TO decide tho solemn ques-
Iion whether thoy wonld reap the fruits OF
Independence and of union, or renounce the
blessings prepared for them by the heyoiu-
tioD;" and coDjuriug them "to concur iu SUCH
further concessions aud provisions as may be
necessary TO eecure the objects for which that
goverpmeut was Instituted, and render the
United States as happy In peace as they had
hfep glorious I'm war"
Liberty has anointed him as the 1rst citizen
IN the Great Republic OF Humanity.
Mr.. Daniel concluded his eloquent a1dress
with the following reference 10 tue Immortal
Monument OF Washington"
Encompassed by tho inyiolate seas stands
to-day the American Republic which he
feunded-a freer, greater Brltain-upllfted
nsove the powers and princlpallties of earth,
even as his Monument ls upllfted over root
and dome and spire OF the mul itudinous city.
Long live the Republic OF Washington
Respected by mankind, beloved ofall its sons,
long may 1t be. the asylum of the
ieIigions; be 1t the citadel OF that Freedom
which writes beneath the eagles folded
wiDgs, ave will sell to no man, We Will deny
10 no man right and Justice"
Long live the United states OF America
FILLED with the free, magnanimous splrlt'
crowned by the wisdom, blessed by the mod,
eraiion, lowered over by the guardian angel
Of WashiDgton's example, may they be ever
worthy In all things TO be defended by the
blood OF the brave who know the rights oi
man and shrink not from their assertion
May they be each column, and under the rooi
OF the Constitution may they be altogether q
perpetual temple OF peacs, nnsnadowed ,a by, Dy q
worship all who seek the union OF liberty ano
brotherhood.
Long live our country!
Iong-while temple and tower and column
and dome and spire decay-oh, long through
the undying ages may II stand-tar rewoyeC
in fact as In space from the Old World s1eud'
and follies-soiitary and alone in Its grandeur
and its glory-itself tho immortal monumen
OF him whom Providence commissioned 4
teach man the power Of truth, and T. prove Il
the nations that their Redoemer liveth.
Rev. John s. Lindsay, the chaplain o
the House of Representatives, then pro
nounced benediction, and the vast throDi
dispersed TO music by the Marine Band.
A History of che Monument.
When the question of monument 3
Washington was first agtated it was no
proposed that it should take anything lils
its present form. On tho 7th of August
1853, the Continental Congress passed
resolution that an equestrian statue o
Washington be erected at the place wher
the residence Of Congress shall be estab
lished." 1t was also directed in the rcsolu
tion that the statue should be supported b.
marble pedestal, on which should be rep
resented four principal events of the wa
''in which he commanded In person."
At that time Washington as civic rule
was unknown, but he had endeared him
self TO the American people as the grea
Revolutionary leader in the struggle 70
liberty. At the time Of Washington's dealt
he had proved that the management of tn
entire affairs of the country was as equall
safe in his hands as had been our poorly TO
and mesgre Continental Army.
On the cath of December 1893, Congress
resolved that marble statue be erected i
this city to his memory and that the fam
lily of the dead patriot be requested to per
NIT his body to be deposited under 10. Iii
widow, upon receipt Of these resolution,
replied, in Rcceding to the request
Taught by the great example which hav
so long had before me mover ~ oppose N
private wishes to the public VIII, nee
not, cannot say what q sacrifice of ind
Vidual feeling make TO n sense Of publ
duty" But tho resolution, the terms q
which caused SO much sacrifice on Mr
Washington's part in acceding to, remain
to-day unexecuted. The project Of Mor
ument to WashinaLon lanquished an