Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-06

Let all the schools that are to have place
among us teach the solemn lessons of our
own national history; float the flag over
every one of them, and inspire all with
reverence for that which it symbolizes,
and grow a race Of patriotic American
citizens. Next to the church, the school
that Hanks tits the hope OF our country; 1t
alone can take this Heterogeneous aggre-
CATION of mixed races and transform them
into Americans: and the State must pro-
tect itself by claiming the right TO train It's
own future citizens. Our best defence is
the manhood Of our people, and our best
forts are the school-houses where the |
young mind is saturated with patriotism. |
He is the worst traitor who perverts their |
minds or neglect, wilfully or otherwise, to |
identify their interest with that OF liberty; |
for
What constitutes State7
Not high raised battlements or labored MOUND
Thick walls, or moated gate,
Not cities proud with spires and turrets
crowned; 4
Not bays and oroad-armed ports,
Where, laughisg at the storm rich nayies ride
Not starred and sfangled courts,
Where low-Dorn Daseness watts perfume to
pride.
MOI Men hIgh-minded mon.
Ours is q vast irredeemabie debt which
we owe to those who made the mighty
sacrifice that the government might live,
and no true American would withhold his
tribute from the graves of the dead, or
begrudge the pittance paid to the Survivors.
But that is not all. Ever and evermore we
owe it to them that this government of the
people, by the people and for the people
shall not only not perish from off the
earth; but that it shall be kept from the
prostituting hand of the demagogue. the
grasp of selfish greed, the swift decay
which lapse to luxury portends. the incur
sion of the Goth and Vandal from beyond
the sea who like the fiocks OF locusts comes
but to destroy what be cannot eat or carry
away, the Anarchist with his hate OF
government and social order and every
other foe of our institutions and liberties,
The living remnant of the brave men
| who won our freedom on hard fought
| fields need no word of mine to commend
them to nations gratitude apd love- their
thinning ranks each year become more
| eloquent, and more and more pathetic Is
their gathering about the freshly onened
grave of comrade gone; and even TODAY
| the flowers are wet with the sweet dew OF
recent tears on the bier of brave gem
eral end interrupted patriot-Walter Y.
| Gresham.
We are evermore the debtors of the past
We have inherited its wealth and wisdom.
| We profit by its inventions, discoveries
solutions, achievements. uccumulations
and the tri1mphs OF those who have
gone before u.s. Every blow they struck,
every blast they fired, every ship they
sailed into unknown seas, every virtue
they displayed. every song they sang, every
grand deed they did, every wrong they re-
sisted, every element of progress they
secured, every step they took toward God
and truth, all have entered into the mighty
treasury of our possession. The debt can
never be discharged to those who counted
not their lives dear unto them that liberty
might be secure. Rear high the monu.
ments; they are Jour reminders. Tell; OF
their mighty deeds. that shall stimulate
our patriotism, but their noblest monu
ment is the land they loved and the insti-
tutions they saved, and the best tribute we
can pay their memory is to transmit un'
impaired the legacy we have received.
Among the last. as well as the greatest
of the words of that great sculptor, Canova,
was a monument he designed for the
tomb of Titan; but when, soon after hi
died, his pupils said he alone was worthy
of such memorial, and SO that monument
stands in the Church of st. John and Pau
in Venice to-day. Thus Gartield's owr
words shall he the closing tribute which
pay to him and them. There is nothing
in all the earth that you and can do 10
. the dead. They are past our help and pas
! praise. They do not need us, but foreve
and forever more we need them. Tn
glory that trails in the clouds behind then
, after their sun is set. falls with its bene
diction upon lis who are left, and it is Il
commemorate the ideas for which the,
= fought that you assemble to-day and dedi
2 cate your monument that points upwart
! toward God, who leads them in the glor!
of the great beyond. Around these ideas
under the leadership of these ideas we as
: | semble to-day. reverently to follow, reyel
: emily to acknowledge the glory the
achieved, and the benediction they lei
I behind them. God save the State.
h PRESENTATION OF THE MONUMENT.
ed The presentation speech was made b
I Edgar M. Hopes. He said:
With the closing of these exercises thi
\ | afternoon we terminate the existence Q
! the Garfield Monument Association.
Z was organized some five years age for th
y purpose of completing the work started j
!, 1881, when the whole nation was plunge
!, into profound sorrow by the death of il
y chief magistrate, and sympathetic peopl
= sought to erect statue to bis memory
: popular subscriptions. The fund realize
: was wholly inadequate, and the projet
= abandoned. A faithful treasurer, how
: ever, regarding his charge as a sacred trus
:, placed the fund in a savings bank, wher
Y IL grew CT its own accord until this CON
= mittee took the matter in charge. Succe:
Z has crowned our efforts, and it now b,
comes my pleasant duty, as well as grel
f. PRIDE for l am proud of our work, to pre-
= sent this statue erected to the memory q
James A. Garfield to the city of Whining
!. ton and to ask of the mayor and our cit
|, fathers that they watch over and protec
:, it that it may be kept,as it is to-day, an OF
! ject of pride and an ornament 10 our city
y To the old soldiers, to the Gralid Army q
the Republic, you whom he always love
- to call comrades; you to whomthe hand Q
:, fellowship was always exteneed, no ma
y ter how humble your station in life,
y your affectionate rememberA1se comm
=, ~ this statue. If Heavens sunshine Gu
y travel three millions miles Ito open u
~ budding flowers, surely man. will find th
i way to gather them at leasi once ever
y, ye9r and strew them around this statu
!. Just as the children have done to-day,
y loving tribute to his memory, he who's
!, life, as he himself said of lincoln, "Pai
II the penalty for his loyalty 10 his peopl
70 his country and his God"
10 THE UNvEILISG.
he The monument was unveiled by Mis-
III Prudence Sherwin of Cleveland, 0
re which ceremony was greeted wit
10 cheers and the clapping Of hands.
y ACCEPTANCE OF TIE GIFT.
IL The monument was received on b
,ir half of the city by Mayor Shortlidg
I'D He said;
th have the honor and the pleasure,
We mayor, to receive this monument in beha
'n of the city of Wilmington.
ed Bayard Taylor in the Song of Il
Camp" has Beautifully sounded a cho
responsive in every human soul in Il
is, line: Each recalled adifferent name, b
sst all sang Annie Laurie"
=. To-day we sing the praises of an Amel
re can patriot, but every man, in thinking
the great Garfield, must instinctively !
call his own heroes from history and vie