The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-23
GROVER CLEVELAND
The Ex-President's Tribute to the
Father Of His Country.
WORDS OF WISDOM 10 STUDENTS


Advised to Avoid Scanning De
vices and shrewd Manipulation
ANN ARBoR. Mich, Feb. % The
reception accorded to ex-P President Cleve-
land on his arrival in this city yesterday
was remarkably enthusiastic. For
blocks around there was a surging mass
of humanity and his passage to the Uni
versity II Michigan. where he was to adj
dress the students, was continuous ova-
ton. He was escorted to the university
by two companies Of infantry and 900
students. Mr.. Cleveland was presented
by Mayor Doty with silver casket
containing engrossed resolutions extend
ing the freedom of the city and making
him an honorary citizen of the munich
pality, to which the ex-president re
sponded in a speech Of thanks. With
Mr.. Cleveland were Hon. Don M. Dick
inson, w. s. Bissel, his former law part
ner, and Editor r. w. Glider, of New
York.
An Enthusiastic Reception.
Shortly before o'clock Mr.. Cleveland
appeared on the stage in the hall of the
law department, accompanied by Presi~
dent Angel, Hon. DON NJ. Dickinson,
Governor E. B Winans, the faculty ct
the law department and number Of in
vited guests. As the party appeared on
the stage the students gave another OK
hibition Of their lung power and yell
after yell rang out, Confirming until,
arose and introduced the speaker OF the
IN fksn ~. y.
seat and Mr.. Cleveland arose the build
ing fairly shook from the continued an
plause. Mr.. Cleveland was interrupted
time and again by the enthusiastic stu
dents. On the stage were seated 100 Of
the most eminent men of Michigan.
Mr.. Cleveland's speech.
Thesex-president spoke in pant as, fol-
lows:
Among the few holidays which the
rush and hurry of American lite concede
to us, surely no one of secular char
acter Is 80 suggestive and impressive as
the day we celebrate on this occasion
We not only commemorate 4he birth Of
the greatest American who ever lived.
but we recall as inseparably connected
with his career all the events and in
.cidents which led up to the establish
ment Of free institutions in 4his land Of
ours and eliminated in the erection of
our wondrOus nation.
washington had more to do with the
formation of the constitution than our
enthusiasm for other phases Of the great
work he did for his country usually
makes prominent. He fought the bat
ties which cleared the way for it. He
best knew the need of consolidating
under one government the colonies he
had made free, and he best knew that
without this consolidation, a wasting
war, the long and severe privations and
sufferings his countrymen had under
gone and his own devoted labor In the
cause of freedom were practically in
vain. The beginning of anything like q
public sentiment looking to the forma-
tion of our nation ID traceable to his
efforts.
Sentiment the Life or THE Nation.
Sentiment is the very life blood Of
our nation. Our government was con-
ceived amid the thnnders that echoed
All men are created equal, and ii was
brought forth while free men shouted
We, the people of the United States.
The sentiment of onr fathers, made mn
of their patriotic intentions, their sim
cere beliefs, their hom6ly impulses and
their noble aspirations, entered into the
government they established, and I'M
less it is constantly supported and
guarded by sentiment as pure as theirs
our scheme of popular rnle win fail.
Let us not for q mQment suppose
that we can outgrow our dependence
upon this sentiment, nor that in any
stage of national advance and develop
ment it will be less important. As the
love of family and kindred remains to
bless and strengthen man IN all the vi
,cissitudes of his mature and busy life,
80 must our American sentiment remain
with us as people "a sure hope and re-
hance in every phase of our country's
growth.
1T is because George Washington
completely represented all the elements
of American sentiment that every mel
dent of his life from his childhood to his
death is worth recalling whether it
impresses the young with the beauty
and value of moral traits, or whether It
exhibits TO the wisest and oldest a. ex-
ample of sublime accomplishment and
the highest possible public service
Even the anecdotes told Of his boyhood
have their value. have no sympathy
with those who in these latter days at
tempt to shake our faith in the anthem
ITCHY of these stories, because they are
not satisfied with the evidence In their
support, or because they do not seem to
accord with the conduct Of boys in this
generation.
A Tribute TO Motherhood.
II should be ashamed Of my country.
If in further speaking of what Washing
ton has done for the sentiment of his
conntrymen, it was necessary to make
any excuse for a reference to his con-
slant love and fond reverence, as boy
and man, for his mother. This filial
love is an attribute of American man.
hood, badge which invites our trust
and confidence and an indispensable
element of American greatness. A man
may compass important enterprises, he
may become famous, he may win the
applause OF his fellows, he may even dl
public service and deserve measure Of
popular approval, but he is lot right at
heart and can never be truly great If he
forgets his mother.