The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-10-11

Thirty five years ago young man
went out from Morgantown to pre-
pare himself to enter the service of
the U. S. Government in the Naval
Department
His departure was a common
place event which did not attract
much attention outside of his i'm
mediate family and friends. He
was then too young to have
made place in the business, social,
or public affairs of the community,
shat would cause him to be much
missed. He was yet a boy; his life
was before him; and his going away
was the occasion of much specula-
ton of what he might be, rather
than that of what he had been.
But his boyish' life had been ex-
ceptionally free from the common
errors of youth. He was recognized
as manly, straight forward, studious,
honorable, and exemplary in his hab-
it's. And if the boy is the index to
the man there was the assurance, at
least, that his manhood would be
clean and honorable as his boyhood
had been.
Years pass away and the long 81
lence of the preparatory and proba-
tionary period, during which he was
slowly climbing to his place in the
Navy, had almost dropped him out
of sight and out of the memory of
his townsmen, when the familiar
name of FRENCH ENzoR CHADWICK
begins to appear with distinguish
ed official prefix, indicating the digni
ty of his station; then in connection
with important and responsible com
missions to foreign nations which
result in great benefit to our own
government; indicating official aud
diplomatic ability of high order;
then when the Spanish American
conflict was calling the wisest and
most trusted of our Naval officers to
the front, we saw that same familiar
name coupled with the commission
which was to inquire into the de-
struction of the Maine and upon
whose verdict hung the issue of
great international conflict; and at
last when that conflict was on, we
see him in the position of Comman
der of the flagship, tried and trust
ed officer equal to the highest re-
sponsibility.
Although the fortunes of war
have not opened to him such an OPP
portunity as made the fame of Adj
miral Dewey yet his career has
shown that he was always equal to
the occasion. Whether dealing with
the more peaceful and complex
questions of the Naval department
or in the active and stirring scenes
of the deadly conflict, he has acquit-
ted himself with honor and always
held the highest confidence of his
government.
Naturally, his fellow townsmen,
some of whom played marbles with
him as a boy, competed with him in
ball, spelled hard words with him in
the class room, and grew up side by
side and shared with him those
youthful experiences, are proud of
his life and the honor he has done
himself and us in his public career.
We welcome him back to his ma
tive hills; to those scenes of his
childhood which he has not reviewed
in all these years, but which are
doubtless as green in his memory as
when he1eft them as boy. His
home coming will be more cventful
than his out going, and 1t is meet
that we thus show our hearty ap
probation of the we'll merited sue
cess which is an honor to him and to |
his town. We grant him the free
dom Of She city and bid him most
gracious welcome and permission to
be boy again,