The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-03-06

Ctu MisliiltTuTpb us ldiieudSe. NOT VIII any
one, l think, longer cavil about its design. Is
not the acknowledged preeminencc OF the
father of his country, first without q second,
more fifty and adequately represented by that
soaring shaft. rising high above trees and spires
and dolnes, and all the smoke and stir of earth
as he ever rose above sectional pTeJudices, and
party politics, and personal in~terests-overtop-
ping and dominating all its surroundings, %eleaIn-
ing and glistentng out at every vista as far ms
human sight can reach, arresting and ~riveting
the eve at every turn, while IL shoots triumph
ant!y to the skies2 Does not-docs not. ]
repeat.
THAT COLOSSAL UNIT
remind all who gaze at 1t, more forcibly than
any arch or statue could do, that there is one
name i'll American history above all other names,
one character more exalted than all other char
acsers, one example to be studied aud rever-
particular star in the clear upper sky of our
armament, whose guiding light and peerless
lustre are for all men and for all ages. never to
be lost sight of, never to be unhceded? OF that
name. of that character. OF that example, of
TINT glorious guiding light, our obelisk, stand
ing on the very spot selected by Washington
himself for u monument to the American Revo-
luton. and on the ste which marks our national
meridian, will !e a unique memorial and symbol
forever. ror oh, my friends, let us not longer
forget, or even seem to forget, shat we are here
to not the monument, but the
man. The well known leading events in the
life OF Washington were recounted, the speaker
saying, among other things: 1t was well said
byJohn Milton. in one of his powerful detcnscs
of the people Of England, war has made many
great, whom peace makes small, but OF Wash
ington we may say, as Milton said OF Cromwell,
that. while war made him great, peace
made him greater; or rather that both war and
peace alike gave opportunity for tho display OF
those Incompatible innate qualities, which no
mere circumstances could create or destroy.
Our Washington Needle, while it has all OF the
massive grandeur, which were the characteris-
tics of Egyptian architecture, bears no inscrip-
lions whatever, and none are likely ever to be
carved on it. Around It's base bas-reliefs in
hrpuy 70 NAV nOSSiDlV one lay he placrd. illustra-
tive of some of the great events OF Washing
tons life: while on the terrace beneath may.
perhaps, be arranged emblematic figures OF
J Justice and Patriotism, of Peace, Liberty and
Union. All this. however. may well be left fol
future years, or even for future generations,
Each succeeding generation, indeed, will take
It's own pride in doing whatever may be wisely
done in adjoining the surroundings of this ma
lestic pile, and In thus
TEsTIFYING ITS OWN HOMAGE
to the memory of the father of his country. Yet
to the minds eye of an American patriot those
marble faces will 1sver seem vacant-never seem
void or v%oiceless. What are all the noble words
which Washington wrote or uttered, what are
all the incidents Of his birth and death, what are
all the details of his marvellous career from its
commencement to its close, in comparison with
his own exalted character as a man! Rarely was
Webster more impressive than when, on the
completion of the monument at Bunker Hill, i'll
describing what our country had accomplished
for the welfare of mankind, he gave utterance,
with his characteristic tersencss, and in his in
imitable tones. to the simple assertion, Amer
lea has furnished the character OF WaSh1nEtonl
And well did he add that, IF our American
institutions had done nothing else, that
alone would have, entitled them to the
respect of mankind. The orator then
dwelt at considerable length upon the exalted
character of Washington, and tributes to the
Father of his country by Byron, Lord BroughaIn,
| ample and character of Washington were COM
mcuded to the young men of the country. Yet
let me not seem, even for a moment, to throw of
upon the children the righttul share of those re-
sponsibihties which belongs to their fathers.
Upon us. upon us, it devolvcs 10 provide thai the
advancing generations shall be able to compre-
bend, and equal to meet, the demands which are
thus before them. 1t Is ours-it is yours espe-
cially, senators and represcntatives-to supply
them with the means OF that universal educa-
tion which Is the crying want of the land, and
without which any intelligent and successful
free government ls impossible. We are just en-
tering on a new Olympiad OF our national his
tory-thc twenty-tifUh Olympiad since Washing
ton first entered upon the administration OF our
constitutional government.
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 vii
be with him in the responsibilities on which he
is abontto enter. No distinction of party or OF
section prevents our all feeling alike that our
country, by wiomsoever governed, is still and
always our country. to be cherished in all Oul
hearts, IL be upheld and defended by all oul
hands. The Grafton closes thus: Our matches
obclisk stands proudly before US to-day, and We
hail it with the civilizations of a united and glori-
GUS nation. II may, or may not, be proof against
the cavils of critics, but nothing of human con
struction is against the casualties of time. TIT
storms of winter must blow and beat upon 1t
The action OF the elements must soil and dis
color it. The iightnings of heaven may scar ant
blackcn it. An earthquake may shake its toun
dations. Somt mighty tornado, or reslstles
cyclone. may rend its massive blocks asundc
and hurl hinge fragments to the ground. But tn
4 character which it commentaries and Illus
trates is secure. 1t will remain unchanged AM
Interchangeable in all its c~onsumnate purity ant
splendor, and will more and more omman tn
homage OF succeeding ages in all regions of TIL,
earth. God be praised, that character Is our'
forever!
Mr.. Long spoke from the clerks desk in NJ
impressive manner, and in a voice which
though not loud, was SO clear as to reacl
every corner in the chamber. The eloQuen
passages OF the speech were delivered wit
fervor, which elected frequent bursts Of up
plause. and as Mr.. Long read the perorntion
The multitude broke into a storm of ap
pause. On the right of the speaker wer
the chaplains of the senate and house an
Rev. Mr.. Wallis, while on his left sat Hon
John W, Daniel OF Virginia and Senator Sher
man, chairman of the congressional Join
commission. As Mr. Long ceased the ban
struck up columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,
and as the strains of the air ended Mr.. Ed
munds introduced Hon. John W. Daniel. VIII
was greeted with l~ong-conUinued clapping Q
hands.
Mr.. Daniel proceeded to deliver his ore
tion-
Solitary and alone in its grandeur stands fort
the character of Washington in history: soiitar
and alone like some peak that has no fellow l
the mountain range OF greatness. Washing
ton says Guizot: Washington did the tw
greatest things which in politics it is permitte
to mar to attempt. He maintained by peace th
independence OF his country which he had cor
quered by war. He founded a free government
in the name of the principles of order, and by It
establishing their sway" Washington did in
deed do these things. But he did more. Out
disconnected he moulded a whole an
\ male 1T a rn1ntry He achieved hjS countries iT
dependence by the sword. He maintaine
that indspendenee by peace as by wa
a ms fn isa f fsssaom both an his ce oSnnt5
frame Of constitutional government, fasl
Toned to make Liberty and Union one and IL
separable. These four things together const
ton. The world has ratified the profound L re
mark of Fisher Ames, that "he changed mar
proved the opinion of Edward Everett, that /
was the greatest of good men. and the best
great men 1t has felt for him with Erskin
~laration of Brougham that; he was the create
man of his own or of any age" Tell me We, wi
have unrolled the scrolls that bear the records
the rise and fall OF nations-ye before who
eyes has moved the panorama of mans strul
!, giles, achievements and progression, find "
l anywhere the story OF one whose life work
set before you? Conquerers who have stretche
yonr sceptres over boundless territories: fount
ers OF empires who have held your dominions
IN THE REIGN OF LAW;
: rerormers who have cried aloud III the wilde
! ness of oppression: teachers who have strive
= : to cast down false doctrine. hcresy and schism
: statesmen whose brains have throbbed wi
. mighty plans for the ame!ioration Of human s
= ciety; scar-cTowned vikings of the sea. iilu
. trious heroes of the land, who have borne u
standards Of siege and battle-come forth
bright array from your glorious fanes, and won
!, We he measured by the measure OF his statur
e Behold you not in him a more illustrious AZ
y more venerable presence? Statesman, soidie
: patriot, sage. rcformer, Of creeds. teacher
truth and justice, achiever and preseryer of Ii
erty. the first OF men, founder and savior of h
!. country. father of his people-this is he. solita
: and rnapprOachab!e in his grandeur. Oh. fell
itous Providence that gave to America o
Washington! High scars into the sky to-da
higher than the pyramids or the dome of S