Willett, J: Address of J. J Willett

Excerpt from Address of J. J Willett: Before the Southern Society of New York, at Its Sixteenth Annual Dinner, February 22, 1902

My pleasure in being with you tonight is great, but the greatness of my subject rather overwhelms me. There are times when even hardihood is virtue and to such virtue alone do I lay claim this eve ning in venturing to address you on the subject assigned me.

The story of Washington, however, will never grow old, or cease to be interesting. While he wasliving in retirement at Mt. Vernon after his terms as President had expired, Bonaparte, who was just entering upon his meteoric career, upon being pre sented to our Minister in Paris, asked, How is your distinguished countryman, General Washington? Upon being informed that he was well, replied, Yes, and it will always be well with him, for Washington's fame will be secure when my name shall have been forgotten The most durable monument may perish but neither the forces of nature nor any crime of men can ever mar or muti late a great example of public and private virtue. As Bancroft has well said, But for Washington, the Country could not have achieved its Independ ence, but for him it could not have formed its Union, and but for him it could not have set the Federal Government in successful motion. What can I say, what can any man say of him which has not been already rendered as familiar as household words, not only here, but throughout the civilized world? How can I add anything to what has been said by Guizot, John Marshall, Jared Sparks, Edward Everett, Washington Irving, Bancroft and Lodge? While Washington was a true type of the South, his fame does not belong to her alone, nor does she so claim him. His part and her part in the Revolution would have been of no avail but for what was so gloriously done in council and in arms by brothers in the Middle and New England 0010 nies. Nor does his fame belong to any nation or any age. Wherever human beings throughout the world have erected an altar, and set up a Govern ment dedicated to liberty, regulated by law, these may claim Washington for their countryman. The majestic story of that life, whether told in the pages of history or in the verse of Lowell and Byron, never grows old and will never cease to claim the atten tion of the sons of men.

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