Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-22
RICH IN NOBLE ACTS
Such, Says MCKINLEY, Wa. the Life
of Washington.
At PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY
President Received Marked Atten-
ton From the Varsity Boys.
sPEECHIN ACADEMY OFMUsIC

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, February o.
President Mckinley ate an early breakfast
with the family of Charles c. Harrison this
morning. He did not leave the house until
| a few minutes before II o'clock, when, in
company with Mr.. Harrison, he was driven
to the Academy of Music where the Wash
irgton birthday commemorative exercises
of the University Of Pennsylvania were
held. Over 1000 students assembled on the
university campus at $50 o'clock this
morning, and marched four abreast to the
Academy Of Music. The route was ar
| ranged so that the procession should pass
Mr.. Harrison's home, and the students
| there gave a cheering welcome to the Pres.
ident. The chief magistrate, when the
head of the long column reached the house,
appeared at the door. There, with barred
| head, he smilingly bowed to the hundreds
of undergraduates In response to their
hearty college greeting. The column march
| ed in classes, and as each class reached the
house its members shouted the college cry
| Of "Penn-syl-va-nia,' Pennsylvania
"Penn-syl-va-nia y" ending with 1.-The Pres
ident. 1.-THE President 1.-THE President"
Pleased at His Greeting.
The Presidents face lighted up and be-
tokened extreme pleasure at the enthusiast
| tic and almost continuous shouts of the
ccllegians, the latter giving vent to their
| voices as only large bodies Of collegians
can. Every student in the line also rev.
erently removed his hat while passing the
chief magistrate. Reaching the academy.
they marched inside and took the seats re-
| served for them. Admission to the acad-
| envy was by card, and the audience was
| made up almost wholly of those from the
| university. very little room being left for
others. 40
The Academy Of Music, where the cere-
| monies were held, was beautifully deco
rated. After the university boys had again
given the varsity cheer, winding up with
| the Presidents name, Provost c. c. Har-
rison stepped to the front of the stage and
| introduced the President in a brief ad-
dress.
Speech of the President.
The President said: Mr.. Provost, Of
ficers and students of the University of
Pennsylvania, ladies and gentlemen:
We celebrate here, as in every part of
our country, the birthday of great
patriot, who assured the beginning of a
great nation. This day belongs to patriot
| ism and the people.n;But in a certain sense
the University Of Pennsylvania has special
reasons for honoring the I'D of February.
For over half century, with ever-in-
| creasing popularity. and public recognition.
you have observed the occasion either as
holiday or with patriotic exercises, par
| ticipated in by faculty, and students. No
| other American institution Of learning has
| a prouder title to the generation of Wash
| ington's memory than this. whose founda-
ton was laid in colonial days, nearly fifty
| years before Pennsylvania became state:
! whose progress was, largely due to the &C
| tivity of Franklin and other jealous and
| far-seeing patriotsst aud whose trustees
were on terms Of sufficient, intimacy with
Washington, to congratulate him upon his
| election to the presidency! and to receive
] from him notable reply. which has
passed into the history of the times.
Washington. too. belonged to the brother
hood of the alumni of this institution, hav-
| Ing accepted the degree Of doctor Of laws
conferred upon him in 17S3-an honor
doubtless the more appreciated when he
recalled the events which gave him close
and peculiar attachment to the city of
| Philadelphia.
No wonder that your great university
| has made the 22d Of February its most
| Impressive ceremonial and devoted its an
nual exercises to special tributes to the
| memory Of the first President of the
United States and the patriotic themes
| which cluster thickly about his life and
work 1 rejoice with you in the day.
Ia also. that throughout this broad
land the birthday of the patriot leader is
| faithfully observed and celebrated with an
| enthusiasm and earnestness which testify
| can people.
1t would not be possible in the com-
paratively short time to which these eSer-
| cIses must today be limited, to follow
masninston IN his long and distinguished
| services at the head of the army and as
| chief executive of the government NV
| purpose Is simply to call to your attentjon
rev points In Washington's career which
to so1na u aa impressed me and to refer
80 some passages in his writings that
seem peculiarly appropriate for the pnid.
asce OF the people, who under orr form
-, government have in their keeping the
| "eh-oeins or the country.
| His History Well Known,
| In It's entirety Washingtcn's public LII,
as lamlilar to the American student as
'he history OF the United States. Thew arc
aeec'ateo IN holy and indissoluble bonds
me one Is incomplete without the other
"ashlhgton's character and achievement.
.ase psen part OF the school books O,
| nave moved American youth and Americar
Inannood to aspire to the highest ideals n,
responsible citizenship With endurins
n las a. great soldier. the world has rec
| osnIAeu ms equal accomplishments in tn,
paths OF Craftsmanship. AS a soldier h,
Was peerless In the times in which h,
| hse1 ana as statesman his rank Is fxet
| in any age. 'S VI
but with all our pride in Washington w,
~: inlrequently fall to give him credit fo
MS marvellous genius as a constructiy,
statesman We are constantly in DANCE
OF losing sight Of the sweep and clearnes
OF ms comprehension, which accurately
grasped the problems Of the remote futur,
ana knew how to formulate the best mean
LOT tneir solution. 1t was committed t,
washington to launch our ship of state
ne mad neither precedent nor predecesso
10 neip him. He welded the scattered an,
at times antagonistiGt colonies into an in
oestructipie Union. aBd inculcated the les
sons or mutual fofbe3rance and fraternit,
WMcn nave cemeptedi.t the states into still
FROM the hour when Washington de
clared In his Virginia home that he woul
raise thousand men and equip them a
ms own expense to march to the defens
OF Boston, he became 1.-THE masterful spiri
or me continental Aamy and the mighties
single factor In the. continents struggl
TOT liberty and Independence. Apparently
witnout personal ambition. spurning roya
nonors when they,rwere suggested to him
ne rulniied q still .faore glorious destiny a
the guiding forcet OF civilization free
ara mightier than the history of man i,a,
Inough WashinGt0a's exalted characte
ana the most stnkinarac Of his briilian
record are too 1eapiliar to be recounte
mere where so many. times they have re
ceived eloquent and deserved eulogy. We