The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-11
THE rrMEs-RIcHMoND. VA: FRIDAY MAY II 1894:

shadow OF the portraits OF Washington
| and Jackson, whose ilustrious successor
] he was. His Excellency, President Cleve-
land, who had honored this day ana 'n'S
banquet by his presence.
Mr.. cLEvELAsD's SPEECH.
AZ cleveland bowed. and said that he
was pleased to be present on such an &c
casion. NJ. 4, ,s
"I am not sure" said he, that II is
my fault. IL is certainly my misfortune
| that I do not belong to the Masonic ira
,ernitv IL is an order that has done
much and magnificent work In the INES
| ~ excellent and honorable endeavor. But
I do belong 10 another, II not a caoalistic
order. whose grip is fidelity to the In
terests OF American prosperity. and whose
| password Is the supremacy Of the Amer
lean idea Of popular and patriotic free
| principles and constitutional rights 10
this sacred organization, with all its pa
trotic symbolism. | am proud to belong,
and j am to-day equally proud 10 recog-
nize those before me as being coadJutors
and coworkers. The name Of this order IS
the Fraternity OF Freemen. devoted 10
the preservation Of the American idea OF
universal freedom and independence.
This sentiment evoked fresh applause,
amid which Mr.. Cleveland took his seat
and Governor O'Ferrall was then intro
duced. and made brief and happy re-
Spouse.
Mrs. Chief Justice Waite here entered
with her escort Of distinguished lady
guests. and was received with hearty
Salutaton.
Mp. STEVENSON BrsPoNDs
After this Vice-President Stevenson was
introduced as a Master Mason 10 respond
10 the second toast, which was TO George
Washington: Master Workman"
He said:
MY appreciation of your Invitation TO
take part in these exercises cannot be
measured by words
This is truly an historic day. II is,
indeed. worth a journey across the con-
tinent TO sit as a guest at this honored
board. This grand old city. whose his
tory is no small part of the warp and
wool of that of the Old Dominion. is
ht place for the ceremonies of this
hour.
ut has never been my good fortune,
sir. to have visited Fredericksburg until
now, and yet l do not feel that ! come
as a stranger. No page Of our history
tells Of a more generous act than that
Of Virginia at the crucial period which
preceded the establishment OF our Gov
eminent. BY an act Of generosity which
scarcely finds a parallel, the vast area
stretching westward to the Mississippi
was coded by the Mother of States
to the general Government. out OF that
domain new and mighty States have been
carved and added to our National Union.
AS a citizen of Illinois. the greatest OF
all these States, / come at your bidding
and sit at your generous board. No Il
-, h. Iar
est hour of our colonial struggle George
Rogers Clarke a Virginan. at the head
Of a band worthy to mention with the
herpes Of nhermopylae captured the
garrison at Kaskaskia. the ancient seat
of empire of the Illinois territory. and
thus we wrested the Mississippi Valley
from the grasp Of Great Britain.
wAsHINoroN's DAY.
This. sir. is Washington day From
eloquent lips have fallen burning words
that fifty commemorate the character.
the worth, the virtues of the mother OF
the first President. To her monument rs
to a holy place, will, with the coming
years, bend the footsteps of grateful
people.
We would do honor now TO the mem
DRY OF her illustrious son. All that he
was to his country. TO the world, cannot
be told-cannot be measured. Was 1t Car
lyle who said. When the times demand
the man. the man appears? During these
struggles. from Lexington TO Yorktown.
this man bore upon his great heart the
sorrows. the burdens, the hopes. TIE
aspirations of all his countrymen No
less great I'm peace than in war, 1t was
his to preside over the convention which /
formulated our Federal Constitution-the |
great law OF laws-for a free people. |
Elected without dissenting voice Pres- !
dent of the United States. he sought |
grateful retirement in his Virginia home |
at the close Of his administration. His /
work was done. He was the Past Mas
ter Workman. AS general of the army /
which achieved our independence; as pre- |
siding officer Of the assembly Of sages |
which gave us the great organic law |
appropriately declared by Mr.. Gladstone /
to be the 'grandest work ever struck off |
at a given time from the brain and pur- /
pose Of man'-as the first Chief Magis- |
trate OF the republic and as private ciu- !
zen when the twilight shadows were |
gathering about HMM all his relations |
to his fellows he knew no rival. lie
dwelt apart He was the recognized |
Master Workman. His most eloquent |
euloGist has well said Virginia gave |
Washington to America. and America |
gave him to the world and to the ages.
As MASON.
and yet this man. after his voluntary
retirement from power and place. thought
it derogated nothing from his great dig
nifty to wear the insignia and preside over
the deliberations Of a lodge Of Ancient.
Free and Accepted Masons. Since the
period long lost in the msts and shadows
Of by-gQne centuries when this noble fra
ternity held conclave on high mountains
and low valleys 1t has never known so
illustrious a member.
at the laying Of the cornerstone Of |
our National Capitol. one hundred years
ago. Washington OBLIGATED as grand mas
ter of Free Masons. as well as I'm his great
office Of President Of the United States.
No craftsman can forget that upon this
historic occasion Washington wore the
sash and the apron that has been wrought
by the hands Of the wife OF the beloved
Lafayette. Now rs then 10 those who
would revile this venerable order. the !
answer is perfect-Washingto was Ma
son"
I'VE stand to-day within a span Of a
century from the hour when Washington.
his work done. wearing the highest honors
that earth could bestow, passed to the
place appointed for all the living What
marvels the century just closing hath
wrought in this land. What perils may
lie along our future pathway. who can
tell?