Year: 1865

The President and tic Sunday School


Children At Washington.


The twenty fifth anniversary of the Wash.


ngton Sunday School Union was celebrated
on Monday. Five thousand children and seven
hundred teachers and Sabbath school officers
assembled at an early hour in Lafayette square,
whence they marched past the residence Of
President Johnson, corner Of Fifteenth and II
streets. The President appeared at the door
of his residence and was greeted by the chill.
dren as they passed. While passing by, they
sang patriotic hymn, "Victory at last" The
Inteiligencer says:


"1he President was frequently cheered, and
was the recipient of large number Of bouquets
which were thrown into his hat until it was so
full that basket was brought forth to contain
the floral gifts. After the children had march.
ed past the residence Of the president, they
marched down Fifteenth street and thence to
the White House, where, after they had as.
sembled, the President took position in front
Of the outside railing and delivered an address
Just before he began to speak, a number Of
little girls were placed upon the stand behind
him and around him, and he seemed much
pleased to be surrounded by the children "


WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID TO THE cIllLDREN.


The President said, thesAesign of the exhi.
bition was intended to show M many children
are collected together in good schools. This
was their annual celebration, and they had
come by, what was generally known as the
Executive Mansion, in order to manifest their
regard for the Executive officer of the nation
And this respect was offered now to one who
knew we'll how to appreciate the condition of
poor or obscure children. He had always op.
posed the idea of treating persons beyond
what they justly merited, and he would lay
that down as general proposition in his ad.
dress to the little boys and girls who had done
him the honor to call upon him.. He was op-
posed to deifying and canonizing anything that
is mortal ; but there should aiwavs be a Just
and proper respect and appreciation Of true
merit. whether it belongs to the Christian, the
statesman, or the philantrophist This was the
foundation Of his creed. if he had any that all
things should be done with the approval of Him
who controls the events and destinies If the
world. To these children-he might say bis
little sons and daughters-he would say he de.
sired them to appreciate the difference between
merit and demerit, and he would address his
remarks to those who were in better, as well
as those who were in humber circums ances
TO those who had superior advantages he
would say. do not become foolish and silly
because your parents can afford to dress you
little better. or to educate you better. They
should know that their parents and teachers
cannot OF themselves educate them. No one
ever would be educated unless he educate him.
self. Even ii YOU have superior advantages,
you must educate yourselves. Parents, teach
ers and advantages given, are simply the means
placed in your hands from which you must
mould and shape your own course through life.
But never feel that you are superior to your
more humble companions and comrades In
stead of trying to humble them and make their
0yItfs 1ntys .,Shn, hat
them to the standard you occupy. Sometimes
one may come in rags, but beneath the rags a
jewel may be found as bright rs any yet dis
covered, and the humble individual may devel-
op what would prove q, bright an ornament as
the jewels OF any crowned head. All should
understand this, and even those who have no
means can at least make an effort to be good
and great. In this matter he (he speaker)
was an agrarian-such an agrarian as would
elevate and estimate all in proportion to their
virtue and merit. Intrinsic merit should be the
base upon which all should stand. He would
pull none down, but would elevate all--level
upnards, not level do,rnugrds. His notion
had always been that the great mass of the
American people could be elevated. If all
will be elevated, We may become the greatest
and most elevated nation on the earth


My little daughters and sons (said the Presi.
dent,) give me your attention while | say,
honestly and truly, that l could inform YOU of
something, and put that into immediate eff. ct.
which would tend to the elevation of you all,
and would be prouder of it than to be Presi,
dent forty times. [Appause.] Here is the
executive mansion, and yoAder is the capital of
make and execute the laws as persons sublime
and grand But just think for moment
You are the crop behind us! All those bull.
dings. and all of this government, will one day
pass under your control and become your prop
erty, and you will have to put in force and
control the principles of government, of re-
ligion and humanity. And let all boys consid.
er-every mothers son of them llaushterl
that each one is born candidate for the Presi-
idency. Laughter and applsuse,l Why not,
then, commence at once to educate yourselves
for the presidency And he would say to the
little girls, that while they could not be Presi-
dents, they are born candidates for the wives
of Presidents, Laughter While each little
boy may feel he is \ candidate for the Presi-
dency, each little girl may feel she is candi.
date for Presidents wife /; and each should
commence at once to qualify himself and her.
self, morally, intellectually and socially for
such high positions. While upon this subject
he would say that teachers occupy most re.
sponsible positions. 1t is the teacher who
fashions, to great degree. the mind of the
child. and, consequently, the great Importance
Of having good teachers, especially for the
very young. in order to instil into their minds
the foundation of good education.


With regard to religion. the speaker said the
time had come when the first inquiry should be
whether one is good man or a good woman.
II they be good, it matters little to what sect
or churcn they belong. There can be no great.
ness without goodness; and all should remem.
Der, with Pope, that


"Honor and fame from condition rise;


Act well your Part-there all the honor lies"


Under institutions such as ours, he who per.
forms all his obligations, will, sooner or later,
be properly estimated and rewarded by his
friends his neighbors and the nation.


In looking tpon the children, and upon the
grown persons too, the speaker said he could
not but think of the heavy task and responsi.
biIity devolving upon those who rear children,
and especially upon the mothers. The speaker
then eloquently referred to the ancient Roman
mothers, who ever took pride in infusing proper