Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-22
funeral grafton on the warrior VINO mac
made his country free.
Honoring Washington's Memory.

I'VE meet again today, his birthday, to
honor his memory, and it is my great privl-
lege, acting upon the orders of my govern
ment to present to Congress the bust of
the founder of this republic.
when the Rochambeau mission came,
three years ago, receiving from the United
States a neyer-to- forgotten welcome, the
warmest friends of America in France, and
especially the members of the mission, de-
sired to send to this country token of
their gratitude
'.They thought they could do no better
than to replace the work of art sent sew
enty-fiye years before to America, and Of
fered to Congress by public subscription,
to show how was preserved the Old friendly
feeling for the United States. Inc pust
was the work of David Anglers, the IA
nous sculptor and patriot. who, with his
friend Lafayette at his elbow, had tried
to represent the Washington of heroical
days. the leader of men and armies, the
one who had fought and won the day.
The Sculptor's Reflections.
''The work was destroyed in the fire at
the Capitol on the oath of December, 1851
When the news reached Europe the patriot
artist was in exile. Alluding to his usual
walks on the Ostend pier, he wrote on his
note book: Many names are inscribed on
the wooden ratings of the pier A boat
driven by the storm. has broken part Of
the woodwork upon which so many idlers
had engraved their names, thinking they
would remain there for ages; and now the
wood will be used to boil the pots of fisher
mems wives. Glory does not last. l was
reading yesterday, in an American paper,
a description of the fire at the Capitol
library; my bust of Washington is de-
stroyed. What perishable thing Is
name; be it engraved marble or bronze,
it is rubbed off by the passing of centuries; /;
one alone remains. that of humanity
'rhe name of humanity remains, and
other names remain, too; those which are
not only engraved on bronze or marble,
but in mems hearts: such a name is Wash
ington's to be cherished as long as lasts
humanity itself. 1t was recently ascertain
ed that the original model OF Davids work
still existed at Anglers. subscription was
started and as soon closed as opened At
| the head of the list figure the representa-
| tives of the families whose names are best
associated with the great events in Wash
| ingtons career-Lafayette, Rochambeau.
| De Grasse. The bust was placed in the
hands of my government for presentation
and accepted by your joint resolution Of
| last year.
| And now remarked the ambassador, in
| closing, acting upon the instruction l re-
ceved on this solemn birthday anniver-
| sary, l formally offer it to you, gentlemen:
| Forever, now, l hope, the august face of
| the great citizen will be harbored in your
| Capitol. His mild and stern eye will see.
from year to year, pass by the ever
renewed flood of a more and more remote
and powerful posterity May this posterity.
| whatever be the distance in time, remain
near to the great ancestor by their prin-
cples their faith in liberty, their noble
ness of purpose. and, If may add per-
| sonal wish, by their friendly feeling for
! friendly France.
| Senator Wetmore's Acceptance.
| The words of the ambassador were lis
| tened to attentively. A hearty burst of ap-
plause followed, after which Senator Wet
more accepted the gift on behalf of the
| Senate.
"As chairman of the joint committee on
| the Library" began Senator Wetmore "the
] agreeable duty rests upon me of receiving,
| on the part of the Senate, for the Congress
of the United States, at your hands this