Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-02-22
THE ORATIONS.
Interesting Ceremonies in the Hall OF
Representatives.

Representatives.
When the procession moved fron the
monument over the prescribed route a
salute of one hundred guns was fred at the
navy yard the artillery headquar-
tiers and Fort Myers. The procession
moved from the monument grounds
by the following route: Through
the Presidents square to Seven
teenth street. up Seventeenth street to Penn
sylvania avenue, thence along Pennsylvania
avenue to the Capitol, where it was review
ed by the President of the United States
from stand at the east front. .
The hall Of the House of Representatives
was crowded early with those entitled 10
admission. The ordinary exercises were
gone through with, and then Congressman
Long, of Massachusetts,, delivered the ora
ton Of Hon. Robert c. Winthrop, The ad-
dress was one Of rare beauty and force
Among other things the following was said:
"The character OF Washington! Who can
dehneate it worthily, Who can describe
that priceless gift Of America to the world,
in terms which may do it any sort Of justice,
or afford any degree of satisfaction to hrs
hearers or to himself2
Modest, disinterested, generous, just-of
clean hands and pure heart
seltdenying and selfsacrifcing, seek
ing nothing for himself, declining
ali remuneration beyond the reimburse
ments of his outlays, scrupulous to tarth-
ing in keeping his accounts, Of spotless in
tegrity, scorning gifts charitable to the
needy, forgiving injuries and injustices,
brave, fearless, heroic, with a prudence
ever governing his impulses and a wis
dom ever guiding his valor-true to
his friends, true to his whole country,
true to himself-fearing God, be-
lieying in Christ, no stranger to private de-
votion or public worship, or to the holiest
Offices of the church to which he belonged,
but ever gratefully recognizing divine aid
and direction in all that he attempted and
in all that he accompished-what epithet,
what attribute, could be added to that con-
summate character to commend it as an
example above all other characters in mere
ly human history!
From first to last, he never solicited, or
sought an office; military or civil. Every
office stood candidate for him, and was en-
obled by his acceptance OF it, Honors
clustered around him as if by the force of
FIRST intention" Responsibilities heaped
themselves on his shoulders as il by the law
of grayitation. They could rest safely no
where else, and they found him ever
ready to bear them all, ever
ready to discharge them all.
To what is called personal magnetism he
could have had little pretention. A vein Of
digni6ed reserve which Houdon and Stuart
have rightly made his peculiar characters
tic in marble and on canvass, repressed all
familiarities with him. His magnetism was
that of merit, superior, surprising merit
the merit of spotless integrity, of recognized
ability, and Of unwearied willingness 20
spend and be spent in the service Of his
country.
The RIodesty OF His Virtue.
He made no boast Of virtue or OF yalor,
and no amount of hattery ever led him to
be otherwise than distTustful Of his own
ability and merits. As early as 1851, when
only twenty-five years OF age, he wrote to
Governor Dinwiddie: That have foibles,
and perhaps many OF them, shall not
deny; l should esteem myself as the world
also would, vain and empty were to AFRO
gate perfection" On accepting the COM
mand Of The Army Of the Revolution, in
IT'S, he said to Congress: 81 beg it may
be remembered by every gentleman in the
room, that I, this CAV declare, with the ut
most sincerity do not think myself equal
to the command l am hoaored with. y
And, in It'll, when informed that
anonymous accusations against him
had been sent to LaureBS, then President OF
Congress, he wrote privately to beg that the
paper might at once be submitted to the
BODY TO which 1t was addressed, adding
these frank and noble words: "Why should
be exempt from eeasare-the uHfaihng
lot Of an elevated station? Merit and
| talents which canuos pretend to rival have
been subjected toit Ny heart tells me il
has been my uurenitted aim to do the best
which circumstances would permit; yet
may have been very often mistaken in my
Judgment OF the means, aud may, in many
instances, deserve the imputation OF error.
In Conclusion the OaakOrSaid.
Our matchless obelisk stands proudly be
fore US to-day, and we hail il with the exul
tations of q united and glDriOus nation. Il
may, or may aot, be pDoosagainst the eavili
Of critics, buI nothing Of human construc
ton is against the casualties Of time. The
storms Of winter may blow and beat upoa it
The action Of the elements may soil anC
diseOloF it. The liRhtHings Of heaven may sea-
and backen it. an earthquake may shakt
Its foundations. Some mighty tornado, o.
Eesistless cyclo0e, may read its massiy'
blocks asuuae1 and hurl huge fragments t
the ground. Bat the character which i
coumeuoraies and illustrates IS secure. ]
viii rem&ia unchanged and nnchaugeabl
in all It's eousumAse purity and splendor
and win more and more command th
homage Of succeeding ages in all religion
Of the earth. God be praised. that chArac
tes "a onrs fszeyeri
Daniels Address.
At the conclusion Of Wiaihrops address