Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-12-09

In the presence of Cabinet officers, |
Senators, Congressman and Cover
nors, and of vast assemblage Of |
military and civilians from many |
States, Governor John Z, Altgeld Of |
Illinois on Wednesday unveiled fine
statue to Major General James Shields
in the rotunda Of the Capitol at
Washington. In unveiling the |
statue, the Governor delivered the
following magnificent oration
We are here to perform an unusual
ceremony to do an act that is not
common, and that has never, and
never can be so. We are here not to
mourn the departure Of friend, but
to honor the memory of hero; not
TO shed tears, but to place a laurel
wreath; we are here to pay that trih-
ute which civilized people give to the
memory of such of their sons as have
rendered great and distinguished SER
vice to their country. Occasions OF
this kind are not common, because
few men ever render service TO
mankind that insures the gratitude
of nation. There have been ages
in the history Of the world in which
no monuments were erected, either
because there were no men Of sutfi-
cent genius and grandeur Of soul TO
do great deeds, or else there were
no people OF sufficient apprecia-
tion to recognize them; and
the fact that occasions Of this
character are now more frequent than
ever shows the advance Of civliza-
tion, and it also shows that liberal
institutions, giving freedom of
thought, freedom Of speech, freedom
Of action, for honest men are more
conducive to the growth of genius
and the development of greatness
than the repressive institutions Of
the past. And the greater frequency
Of occasions of this character In this
country may warrant us in saying
that the genii travel in groups, that
brilliancy never wanders alone, but
as the brighter stars range them
selves together, so in the march OF
the ages, by a kind Of natural assim-
ilation, superiority and brilliancy go
in common. The basis Of all demon
strations Of this character is graft
tude--that gratitude which a living
people feel for the distinguished dead.
In early times great services we're
always Of a military character be-
cause all people were exposed to the
rayagcs Of war Nearly all the early
heroes were warriors. But as the
world progressed-as civilization
moved a league onward and men be-
gan to understand that only through
the arts Of peace can the world be
permanently blessed-they came TO
regard the founding Of states as an
act Of immortality, and instead Of
remembering only soldiers they be-
gan 90 erect statues TO those men
who made it possible for cities to
grow for learning TO flourish, for In
dustry TO thrive, and for the arts to
beautify life. And then when civil
izatiOn had again moved a step for
ward and the wants OF man began TO
develop under the new order OF
things, when IL was discovered that
there Is nothing fixed or stationary
In ali the universe, that change and
consequent growth or dissolution are
perpetual. that the law Of corcen-
tratiOn and the law Of separation are
everywhere simultaneously at work,
and that these laws apply not only u
the heavens aud 10 the entire physl-
cal creation but 10 all social, re-
ligiOus. economic aad political
cxistence when II va. noticed
that the tendency of the
strong % deyour thc weak
Was Inherent and eternal, that grasp
ing selnshncss ls hut manifestation
oft u universal law that government
Instead of being Che protector 0f th,
puur und tbe weak, is ia constant
daHYfr of being used as un InstrW
mHnt bf thr cunning and lgsIsuin.
pa dcsFI tNa .gnumut aud the uu
waFY HbrH a wIt fuund that a re.
Gulfad constants vigilance tu p9efenl
ha wees hatt Institutions .fnm hsina
pf Hu.IIfa M aIUlf HHn8 lnt ih4l
IIaI.UMa .Nn9HNt4 A.lfg ih4t as