The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1893-09-21
The Capitors Centennial.

The Tooth anniversary of the laying of
the corner stone of the United states
Capitol WAS appropriately observed at
/ Washington. Monday. The exercises
were held at the East Front of the Capi-
toll beginning at Z. NJ. The music MAS
Il magnificent feature OF the celebration,
and WAS contributed by chorus of
| 900 trained voices and the nited
States Marine baud.
The address BY William Writ Henry.
the orator of the day, Il descendant of
the two distinguished men whose name
he bears, began with Il brief review of
the nations history and its wonderful
progress since the corner stone of the
Capitol WAS laid. hundred years ago.
With the history of this progress, said
the speaker, this Capitol has been in
timatelv connected. As | stand here on
this commemoration day two periods i'll
the history of this building rise promi-
nent to my vicw--the first at the be-
ginning of the century which ends to-
day. ! behold Il country not Yet re-
covered from the exhaustion of the war
which established its Independence, with
IA new government not sufficiently tried
to overcome the friction OF its machinery
nol to insure its stability and its capacl-
ty TO check the spirit OF anarchy which
had been so strongly manifested in the
nation, and had SO seriously threatened
the dissolution OF tn | mon: with a
revenue inadequate to meet its liabili-
ties; without sufficient strength to force
England to comply with the terms OF
her treaty and surrender the military
posts on the great Lakes. and, IA a con-
sequence. suffering the cruel effects of
stiluted by the British commanders !;
with Spain plotting to get Il foothold in
the Mississippi valley by refusing to the
United States the free navigation of that
river, whose mouth she held, and offer
ing it to the inhabitants of the valley rs
the price of their leaving the Mon and
casting their lot with her: with open OPP
position to the excise Inv of Congress
assuming the form of an Instruction in
west Pennsylvania; bat above all. with
the almost maddening effect upon the
people of the French revolution, follow
ed by war between France and Eng
land, which was threatening To eugulf
the newly launched American ship OF
state in the macl,trom of European
wars. | see the calm figure of Washing
ton holding firmly the helm of state as
he steers it amid the storm, and, with
that unfatering faith in the future of
his country which had ncrvcd him to be
her deliverer in her darkest hours of
trial. coming to this spot to lay the cor
ner-stone of the Capitol of the nation he
had created and which he firmly believed
would be not only the freest, but one of
the greatest which the world had ever
known. Behold that majestic form,
erect, though burdencd with the cares of
state and carrying the weight of over
three score years, attired with the SIM
pie emblems of Masonry, descending i'll
to the trench and laying his hand on the
cornerstone on which was to be erected
the permanent Capitol of the United
States of America, a foreshadowing of
the time near at hand, when, Invested of
all earthly cares, he was to descend into
the tomb, laying his hand of faith on the
cornerstone not laid with hands, on
which was to be reared his eternal man
sion in the heavens.
But the scene changes. More than IA
half-century has passed, during which
we have engaged in two wars, one with
England. In the meanwhile portentous
questions have arisen between the north
ern and southern States, threatening II
dissolution of the Union. \ bitter con-
test had consequently sprung up be-
tween the sections over the balance of
power in the administration of the fed
eral government.
1t was at this period that the growth
of the nation demanded an enlargement
of its Capitol. The Fourth of July,
1851 was fixed for the laying of the cor
ner-stone of the addition, and the great
t,,i,on tha Foremost of living statesmen
tha nn.tnh,oss or.tor D,n;eI Webster
w'as snlnrtcd RI ual.a rho address iii
succossnr of tho father of his country in
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