Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-23
BRONZE STATUE
OF George Washington
Presented to Congress.
Ambassador Presents Replica
on Behalf Of France.
Rotunda CT the Capitol, Where Exer
cises Are h,eid, Is Crowded.

Nashn@ton, Feb. 2o.-.Amba ssador
JuSserand presented to Congress. to-
day. the bronze replica of the original
marble bust Of George Washington,
when was destroyed by fire III the Ii
brary of Congress in 1851. The cere:no-
MES took place in the rotund: al the
Capitol Where the bust was unveiled
and in the residents room in the Sen
ate wing where speeches We're made
by the ambassador on behalf of the
French donors and by Senator Wet
more Of Rhode Island. and Representa-
Tive McClary OF Minnesota, on behalf
OF the tWO branches OF Congress. Pres
ident Pro Tenn Frye of the Senate. pre-
sided.
Al II o'clock. the hour fixed for the
unVeiiing. the rotunda of the Capitol
Was well flied. President Pro Tenn
Frye ui lhe Senate. and Speaker Can
non OF the House. met Ambassador
!usSerand III the Senate chamber and
i'll company Of the two cOmitteeS Oh Ii
| brtry, proceeded TO the rotunda. AS
soon as they arrived the cord was
drawn which threw back the flag veil
ing, The French ambassador placed in
a receptacle of the pedestal documents
containing Il history OF the bust and
announced that the acceptance by the
United States of the gift from France
sealed eternal friendship between the
| nations.
The party marched at once to the
Presidents room in the Senate wing.
Senator Wetmore read resolution
adol.ted by Congress accepting the gift
and the ambassador delivered j speech
OF presentation. He said:
great ration never fol gets the great
deeds and great examples Of its ances-
tors, and no man indeed in any coun-
try, better deserves grateful remem-
brance than George Washington. He
was in truth. !. providentiai man; no
other of your great men. would have
been able to do so VIII what he did;
and he. appearing az any other period
Of your history. would not have proved
such useful citizen. He would no.
perhaps have fulfilled Lincoln's task
20 wen. but H. fulfilled Washington's;
the nob,est that could be imagined. The
robIest; for the question was one then
of life or death; the question was To
know whether the attempted revolution
would prove the cradle o. the grave of
american liberty.
For his mighty task. he had all the
needed, and rarely united. qualities; pa
thence which was not in action, readi-
ness and fortitude which were not tenn
Gritty: calmneSs which was not indiffer-
erce: kindness which was not weak
Eess. Far above all the rests, his sound.
moss Of heart, Of mind, of sense. This
and scmdness Of judgment taught him
that there are occasions when one can
never be patient enough. and others
when one can never be bold enough.
Some Of his moves are among the bold
est ON record. as when at such an early
date as the first Of August, 1174. he de-
clared himself ready to raise 10000 men.
TO equip then, and lead them to tn.
rescue of Boston: a move which decid-
ed his fate and. in {. measure. the fate
If his country.
I'VE have III Frame the same feel
iEg that you have for the good and
great citizens If the past and in this
worship is included more than one
Amer lean, George Washington being
foremost among them. French admira-
ton began al once and never ceased;
II led France &c DO two things for him
and for America, two thirgs which she
was the only country in the world to
do.
With her natural sympathy for those
who suffer. for those who are threaten
ed in their hust rights. to offer her al
lance France chose one of the gloomi-
est n uments in the war OF independence
The alliance was not concluded. nor one
CT those brilliant exploits which denote
an easy and glorious termination: il
was concluded when Washington and
riS army We're at Valley Forge.
And we did another thing which. I be-
lieve. we were alone in doing and which
shows as well at least as anything else.
the true sentiment of France tor Wash
irrton and America. When the great cit
izen died France went into mourning for
10 DAYS. as If the noblest of her own ma
tional heroes had died: FOR 10 days the
flags of the republic were yelled with
crepe throughout the country. A cere
mony was held at the lnVaiides and the
most eloquent of our speakers Fon-
tanes. delivered the funeral Grafton on the
warrior who had made his country free.
''Wc meet again. toud.' Ills DirtiiuaN
to honor his memory. and it is my great
privilege. acting upon the orders of my
government. to present to Congress the
bust of the founder of TINS republic.
when the Rochambeau mission came
three wears ago receiving from the Unit
ed States never-to-be-forgotten well
come. the warmest friend OF America in
France and especially the members of
the mission. desired to send TO this coun-
try a token Of their gratitude.
They thought they could do no better
than TO replace the work OF art sent IS
years before to America and offered to
Congress by public subscription, to show
how was preserved the oid friendly feel
inc for the United States The hust was
the work Of David Dangers. the famous
sculptor ard patriot. VINO win MS friend
Lafayette at his elbow had tried to rep
resent the washington OF heroical days.
The leader Of men and armies, the one
who had fought and won the day.
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