Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-11

Bishop Keane, rector of the Catholic Uni
versity OF America. in responding to the toast
Washington, the educational center Of Amer
lea" said: return thanks to you and the
board Of trade for the tribute paid in this toast
not only to our city of Washington, but also
and especially to the cause of education. the
promotion of which is our city's greatest glory
1 return special thanks that to me. as president
Of the youngest educational institution in the
District. should have been intrusted the honor
to respond to this toast. When our Washing
ton. 100 years ago, pointed out this spot on the
banks of the Potomac as the site of his coun-
trys capital. it Is easy to recognize that a
special Providence must have guided his choice
He placed it here where our north line and our
south line touch. to be a link in that national
unity which. after inevitable vicissitudes was to
bind them together in harmony forever
fGreat applause.1
He placed it here near the shores of the
ocean, whose waters battle the shores Of the old
world and new alike, to show that our country
taking up all that was true and wise and good
in the history of the past, was to carry it on
further and further, with the ravs of the ad-
vancing sum- until it should reach the furthest
confines of this vast continent, rise higher and
higher In clearer and purer radiance to such
heights OF civilization and of human welfare
as, amid the divisions, hostilities and innumer-
able entanglemens Of the old world. had been
simply impracticabla.
Well did Washington know that the founda-
ton of such a civilization must be By liberty
AMI intelligence. His patriotic valor had con-
secrated our country as temple Of liberty for
ever and now he wished that his country should
also De iilumlned py SUCH intelligence as would
be worthy of that liberty and make our country
worthy 10 be its chief champion to the end OF
time. We all know that it was his oft-repeated
desire that our national capital should be
center of learning, SO that here. side by side
with the halls Of legislation and the Judiciary
oh rr1d hn thNaa -.
whence should be diffused popular enlightcn,
ment to the ends Of the land. We know how he
bequeathed toward the erection of a university
for that purpose all that he could spare out Of
his not very great fortune. He could see no
reason why the youth of America should go in
search of learning to the great schools and col
leges OF the European capitals, where the sur
roundings were naturally SO alien to their coun-
trys genius, rather than here in the capital city
OF their own America. where their young hearts
would learn to beat rightly by feeling ALWAYS
the pulsations Of their country's mighty heart
THE WISH OF WASHINGTON
To carry out the wish of the father of our
country ought to be the wish Of every man who
loves her and honors him. The other great
cities of the land will naturally be the centers
where power Of commerce, power of manu-
featuring, power Of accumulated wealth, power
OF crowded population will be made to con-
tribute in many ways to the country's good
But the central city Of the nations life should
be what Washington wished it to be and what
the nature of things promised il shall be. a
center of enlightenment, whose radiance shall
60 to the farthest limits of the land to make
the minds of Americans and the hearts of Amer
leans worthy Of the vocation that God has
given our country and worthy of the patriotic
valor our fathers have won for our inheritance
Men may doubt, as some have doubted and
some still doubt, whether it would be iudi-
ciols thing to erect here great national school
founded ,; and supported by governmental APP
subject to the influences of administrations
and Of parties; in danger, therefore, Of foster
ing partisan rather than patriotic tendencies
These things men may doubt. but no man can
doubt that every heart in this land which is
capable OF rising to a love OF country above
love of q mere locality ought to desire that the
center Of our national life should also be the
center Of the Hottest sentiment animated by
the loftiest patriotism. Nor can any man doubt
that every man capable of indulging in that
lofty aspiration should be ready to rival WASH
ington's generosity in contributing toward that
noble end.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF LIBERTY.
II there are elements in our population
whose spirit and whose aims are alien to the
genius OF our country let them place their
chief seats Of learning in Salt Lake City or in
some farther OH hidden corner of the land, but
let every element in our population whose aims
| and aspirations are in sympathy with our
| country cluster here in loving rivalry for
closest nearness to our country's heart and
loyal devotedness to her highest interests.
And besides the love OF learning and the
love OF country they also bring here with them
the love of>God, the love Of faith, the love of
| morality and virtue 80 much the better Those
| are they who best understand and best appre-
ciate Washingtons warnings to his country in
his farewell address that she must never hope
| to. maintain her civilization and preserve her
liberty without morality. nor her morality
without religion. These three things-intelli-
crete foundation OF our country's liberty and
civilization. Keep these elements well blended,
and then. a. the foundation IL immovable, may
the structure stand forever. But let the ele-
! nents In the concrete become disinte-
grated and separated-thc foundation win
crumble and the structure cannot stand.
From end to end, therefore, of
our country, but ahoye aN, haIe n