Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-23

~ E4rs -
ness tolget to the platform. many at
tempting to climb up over the foot
lights.
1T began to look like the Admiral
would b Hobsonized.
The hero of Manila, who defied an
entire Spanish feet and was not alarm
ed for his own safety in the lombard
ment of Spanish guns, began to re-
treat. Mr.. Garvin begged the crowd
to desist' and the military gentlemen
on the platform formed a guard around
the Admiral. Then a voice was heard,
the stertorian voice of Col. Robert
White, who had mounted a chair:
Ladies and gentlemen, please keep
back. The Admiral desires me to say
God bless you ALL"
The crowd wavered, halted and then
turned back very reluctantly, throng-
ing the aisle through which Admiral
Dewey would have to pass to reach his
carriage. There was also a big throng
on the outside, and the Admiral was
greeted With prolonged cheers.
The Exercises.
were opened with a fervent prayer by
the Rev. DR.. Cunningham, pastor of
the First Presbyterian church. He
offered thanks for the country, for
the commeroration day which was
being celebrated; praise for the first
President as citizen, soldier and
statesman; and praise for the hero
of the Navy, who vas present, and the
young Lieutenant He invoked Di-
vine blessing upon both.
The first selection rendered by the
chorus was MY Country TITS of
Thee"
When It was finished, three cheers
we're given for Dewey, followed by
three cheers for Doddridge, and in fact
the exercises were punctuated with
cheers for the two distinguished
guests.
Hon. T. NJ. Garvin was then intro
dueed b. Chairman Brockunier and
made the first address Of the after
noon.
h Tablet Presented.
Mr.. Garvin opened his address with
q brief review of events leading up to
the Declaration of independence and
continuing said:
Theirs was no idle dream of liberty,
nor was their purpose a wild fancy,
but it was to do, to act, and on that
immortal day. July 4, 1776, their souls
kindled and all aflame with the spirit
of patriotism, the continental Con-
gress, in the city of Philadelphia, pass
ed the Declaration of Independence,
and the streets of that little city re-
sounded with wild shouts of JOY while
the peals of a triumphant bell pro-
claimed liberty throughout all the
land. Liberty was their gift to the
nation, but it was a gift of great price
1t was purchased by the shedding OF
blood through a conflict that lasted
seven years.
We do not cheer them simply because
they were brave men, nor because OF
their heroic deeds, but because of tina,
for which they stood, fought and bled
Civil and religious liberty and the
equality of all men before the law has
been inscribed by them on all our in
stitutions. Our national character ha;
been moulded by their principles OF
life and law. The freedom of the mil.
lions who live and have lived under
the American flag is the widest and
highest freedom that civilized mar
has ever inherited. That liberty has
made it possible for man to develop his
activities and usefulness without limit
or fear of restraint by any sovereign
power, and the result Is, that under
this liberty, and protected by its sacred
rights, this nation has, in a little more
than n hundred years grown from
thirteen struggling colonies to a re,
public of forty-four States and oveI
seventy millions of people. This I'm.
paralleled growth of our union was
made possible only by the sacrifices
trials, sufferings and untold hardships
of men who welcomed the duty that
led4themi into the very jaws OF death
to rescue this liberty from the clutches
of tyranny. The invincible strength
of this nation has been built upon the
foundation laid by them. Our devel.
opment, national growth and increase
of commerce has been the result O
their struggle.
In all the warfare of the worlds
history, no higher type of courage Is
found than that exhibited by the revo.
lutionary patriot. What higher deyo.
ton do the pages of history witness
than that of those who serve Their
country without pay, with starvation
staring them In the face. enduring the
blasts of winter with but scant cloth.
ing, almost without shelter, and leav,
ing footprints of blood on the frozer
ground. Such heroism is not sur
passed in all the calendar Of heroic
deeds.
We cannot pass ove these events
without a feeling of reverence for thu
memory OF him whose name stands our
alone on the pages of our nations his
tory, the greatest. the noblest Ameri
can-George Washington. On this an
niversary day Of his birth we hallov
his name as all other Americans have
done, but all the honors that we maj
here bestow cannot do justice to hi
memory. His name will be kept greer
through all generations of this land
as First in war, first in peace anC
first in the hearts of his countrymen.'
His name and his deeds are an inspira
ton to a truer devotion to our cou
try's welfare. His name stands 10,
heroic achievement and compels us I,
higher thoughts of life and duty.
On the ground where we are now as.
sembled vas waged the ~fiercest con
fict of the western frontier. Here
stood Fort Henry, famous in oul
country's history as the scene of one
OF the last battles in the war for in.
dependence. On this spot which VIC
hold in peculiar reverence was enact.