f LIBRARY OF CONURESS. I £%e// I UNITED STATES' OP AMERICA. ft3G> I~> §= Z^^ ?? ,, ■;> -gp >'--*>^'' ^%^ ^-^••v ^^ ? : p»' ~72f r ^ ' ZZ^y^t > » >■ V'^; OKf* X M- I S . 2<* S^^yO.j J*?^ .. /-?-! Q PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS ATTENDING THE RECEPTION OF THE STATUE OF cHmv. ♦ »jm[- Providence, January 3, 1870. 3 Sir : — In accordance with a resolution of Congress passed July 2, 1804, inviting each State to furnish for the Hall of the old House of Representatives two full- length marble statues " of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof and illustrious for their historic renown, from distinguished civic or military services, such as each State shall determine to be worthy of national commemoration," the State of Rhode Island, by a vote of its General Assembly, lias caused to be made two marble statues, one of Roger Williams, the founder of the State, the other of Major General Nathanael Greene, a distinguished officer of the Army of the Revo- lution. I have now the honor to inform you that the statue of Major-General Nathanael Greene, by Mr. H. K. Brown, an American artist, is finished and has been forwarded to Washington and delivered to the Architect of the Capitol. With high respect, I have the honor to remain, Your most obedient servant, SETH PADELFORI), Governor of Rhode Island. To the President of the Senate of the United States, Washingto?i, D. C. PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE. REMARKS OF THE HON. H. B. ANTHONY OF RHODE ISLAND. " CHARLES SUMNER OF MASSACHUSETTS. " F. A. SAWYER. OF SOUTH CAROLINA. " J. E. MORRILL OF VERMONT. Delivered January, 1870. Mr. Anthony. — Mr. President, I am charged — we are charged, my colleagues of the two Houses of Congress and myself — by the Governor of the State which we represent with the honorable duty of presenting to Congress, in his name and in the name of the General Assembly and the people of the State of Rhode Island and Provi- dence Plantations, a marble statue of Nathanael Greene. This statue has been placed in the old Hall of the House of Repre- sentatives, in pursuance of an act of Congress, by which that beauti- ful Chamber — itself rich in precious memories, is dedicated to historic valor, to patriotism, to statesmanship, to learning, to conspicuous excellence in all the elements that constitute national greatness. The heroic age of our country is enveloped in no fable, and the historian is not driven to doubtful miracles, to marvels and portents to add to the dignity of its origin, nor need he resort to fanciful The Statue of Major- General JVathanael Greene. legends to increase the interest of his narration. The stalwart men who planted the colonies from which these States arose, have left the authentic memorials of their principles and their actions, their trials and their triumphs. And the men whose valor achieved the inde- pendence of the country, and whose wisdom founded the institutions of the great Republic, are separated from us by so short a period, and one of such active historical inquiry, that their lives and charac- ters stand before us, almost as if they had lived in our daily presence. By the act of Congress referred to, each State of the Union is invited to place in the old Hall of the House of Representatives the statues of two of her illustrious citizens, already consecrated by death, who flourished in any period of her history. Rhode Island, which has earliest responded to the invitation, has selected for this honor two of her early heroes, one from the colonial and one from the revo- lutionary period. The first is Roger Williams, the great founder of the State, who first declared and maintained the principle at the foundation of all true civilization soul liberty, the right of every man to worship God according to his own conscience, responsible to no human laws, restrained by no interposition of Church or State. Of Roger Wil- liams there exists no portraiture, nor, so far as I am aware, any relia- ble description of his person or his features. He lives, not in the breathing marble or upon the glowing canvas, but immortal, in the everlasting principle which he first asserted and vindicated, and which, now recognized as an essential part of human society, was then regarded as nothing better than impracticable and mischievous fanati- cism. The State, unwilling that the great name of her founder should be unrepresented in this solemn assemblage of fame, has decreed in its commemoration an ideal statue, made from such scanty materials as tradition has supplied. She could do no more, and she felt that she should do no less. In this respect the memory of Greene is more fortunate. His statue is from authentic likenesses, and represents him "in his habit as he lived," in the full prime and vigor of his manhood, and in the height of his fame. It was executed by Henry Kirke Browne, whose name, already of high reputation, will receive fresh honors from his latest work. As a product of American art, it is confidently sub- mitted to the judgment of criticism. Its Reception by Congress. 7 Mr. President, We have just passed through, not yet altogether through, the severest trial in our country's history. The popular heart beats hiffh with grateful admiration for valor and conduct proved in the field, for wisdom displayed in the cabinet. The country joyfully decorates her heroes with her freshest laurels, and heaps upon her soldiers and statesmen her selectest honors. We, Senators, inter- preting the will of the nation, have been prompt to render, from this Chamber, our contributions to the national gratitude. And it is right that it should be so. The Republic is stronger, as well as juster, when thus honoring her defenders, and presenting such rewards to the emulation of the rising generation. But while we render all due honor to living valor, while we proudly hand over to the Muse of History the mighty names that have illus- trated our recent annals, it is well to freshen the recollection of those whose fame she has long had in her keeping. While we celebrate the praises of those who have saved the country, let us not forget those without whom we should not have had a country to be saved ; those who, in the beginning, few in numbers, feeble in power, scant of resources, but strong in the principles which they had inherited with their oppressors, armed with the stern virtues that are born of difficulty and nurtured in peril and privation, dared to defy the might of England, who trod the pathway of victory with bleeding feet, and tore down the banner of conquest with hands that were wasted by famine. While the names of Vicksburg, Fort Donelson, and Roanoke Island, South Mountain, and Antietam, and Gettysburg, and Appo- mattox, should be kept fresh in the memory of the country, let not the earlier glories of Lexington, and Bunker Hill, of Princeton, and Trenton, and Stony Point, of Cowpens, and Eutaw Springs, of Saratoga, and Yorktown, be ever forgotten; nor yet those of Chip- pewa, Plattsburg, and New Orleans. Among those who, in the revolutionary period, won titles to the national gratitude never disavowed, he whose statue we have placed in the Capitol, stands, in the judgment of his contemporaries and by the assent of history, second only to the man who towers, without a peer, in the annals of America. 8 The Statue of Major-General Nathanael Greene. I shall not attempt an analysis of his character, nor an enumera- tion of the great deeds upon which his fame securely rests ; nor shall I discuss that fertility of resources by which he supplied an army from an impoverished country, without disaffecting the population, that marvelous skill and conduct by which he wrung the results of victory from the very jaws of defeat, and with inferior forces drove and scattered before him a well-appointed, disciplined enemy, flushed with the insolence of conquest ; that self-reliance and persistence by which he refused every suggestion to abandon the southern cam- paign, and from the field of disaster declared, " I will recover the Carolinas, or perish in the attempt." How well he proved these words no idle boast, how well he kept his pledge I do not propose to repeat. All this has been recently done by an abler hand. A lite- rary monument, more durable than marble, destined to a permanent place in the literature of the language, has just been completed to his memory, by one who inherits his blood and his name, and whose pen is worthy of his grandfather's sword. But I cannot refrain from bringing to the attention of the Senate some passages from the eulogium pronounced upon General Greene, by Alexander Hamilton, before the Society of the Cincinnati. It was expected that Washington would be present, but illness kept him away ; but there were many there who had served with the orator and with the departed chief. No man was hetter fitted than Hamil- ton to discuss the character and services of Greene. No audience was better fitted to judge of the justness of the estimate which he put upon them. " From you who knew and loved him, I fear not the imputation of flattery or en- thusiasm, when I indulge an expectation that the name of Greene will at once awaken in your minds the images of whatever is noble and estimable in human na- ture. The fidelity of the portrait I shall draw will therefore have nothing to appre- hend from your sentence. But I dare not hope that it will meet with equal justice from all others ; or that it will entirely escape the cavils of ignorance and the shafts of envy. For high as this great man stood in the estimation of his country, the whole extent of his worth was little known. The situations in which he has appeared, though such as would have measured the faculties and exhausted the re- sources of men who might justly challenge the epithet of great, were yet incompe- tent to the full display of those various, rare, and exalted endowments, with which nature only now and then decorates a favorite, as if with intention to astonish mankind. Its Reception by Congress. 9 "As a man, the virtues of Greene are admitted; as a patriot, he holds a place in the foremost rank ; as a statesman, he is praised ; as a soldier, he is admired. But in the two last characters, especially in the last but one, his reputation falls far below his desert. It required a longer life, and still greater opportunities, to have enabled him to exhibit, in full day, the vast, I had almost said, enormous powers of his mind. "The termination of the American war — not too soon for his wishes, nor for the welfare of his country, but too soon for his glory — put an end to his military career. The sudden termination of his life cut him off from those scenes which the progress of a new, immense and unsettled empire could not fail to open to the com- plete exertion of that universal and pervading genius which qualified him not less for the Senate than for the field. "In forming our estimate, nevertheless, of his character, we are not left to supposi- tion and conjecture, we are not left to vague indications or uncertain appearances, which partially might varnish or prejudice discolor. We have a succession of deeds, as glorious as they are unequivocal, to attest the greatness and perpetuate the honors of his name." "He was not long there before the discerning eye of the American Fabius marked him out as the object of his confidence. "His abilities entitled him to a preeminent share in the councils of his chief. He gained it, and he preserved it, amid all the checkered varieties of military vicissi- tudes, and in defiance of all the intrigues of jealous and aspiring rivals. "As long as the measures which conducted us safely through the first most critical stages of the war shall be remembered with approbation ; as long as the enterprises of Trenton and Princeton shall be regarded as the dawning of that bright day which afterward broke forth with such resplendent lustre ; as long as the almost magic operations of the remainder of the memorable winter, distinguished not more by these events than by the extraordinary spectacle of a powerful army straitened within narrow limits by the phantom of a military force, and never per- mitted to transgress those limits with impunity, in which skill supplied the place of means, and disposition was the substitute for an army ; as long, I say, as these operations shall continue to be the objects of curiosity and wonder, so long ought the name of Greene to be revered by a grateful country. "To attribute to him a portion of the praise which is due, as well to the formation as to the execution of the plans that effected these important ends, can be no dero- gation from that wisdom and magnanimity which knew how to select and embrace councils worthy of being pursued. "The laurels of a Henry were never tarnished by the obligations he owed and acknowledged to a Sully." - After reviewing his service in the Jersey battles, the eulogist passes to the southern campaign, where Greene, by the express selec- tion of Washington, was placed in command : "Henceforth we are to view him on a more exalted eminence. He is no longer to figure in an ambiguous or secondary light ; he is to shine forth the artificer of his own glory — the leader of armies and deliverer* of States ! * * * 10 The Statue of Major- General Nathanael Greene. "Greene, without further delay, entered upon that busy, complicated and extraor- dinary scene which may trulj' be said to form a phenomenon in war — a scene which almost continually presents us, on the one hand, with victories ruinous to the vic- tors ; on the other, with retreats beneficial to the vanquished ; which exhibits to our admiration a commander almost constantly obliged to relinquish the field to his ad- versary, yet as constantly making acquisitions upon him ; beaten to-day ; to-mor- row, without a blow, compelling the conqueror to remove the very object for Avhich he had conquered, and in a manner to fly from the very foe which he had subdued." Speaking of the bold determination of Greene after the battle of Guilford Court House to return to South Carolina, instead of going to the rescue of Virginia, threatened by a junction of Cornwallis and Arnold, Hamilton says : " This was one of those strokes that denote superior genius and constitute the sublime of war. It was Scipio leaving Hannibal in Italy to overcome him at Car- thage ! "The success was answerable to the judicious boldness of the design. The enemy were divested of their acquisitions in South Carolina and Georgia witli a rapidity which, if not ascertained, would be scarcely creditable. In the short space of two months all their posts in the interior of the country were reduced. The perseverance, courage, enterprise, and resource displayed by the American Gener- al in the course of these events commanded the admiration even of his enemies. In vain was he defeated in one mode of obtaining his object; another was instant- ly substituted that answered the end. In vain was he repulsed from before a besieg- ed fortress ; he immediately found other means of compelling its defenders to relinquish their stronghold. Where force failed, address and stratagem still won the prize." Washington measured his words with care and was chary of praise. In a letter to Greene, upon his retirement from the office of Quartermaster General, he wrote : "You have conducted the various duties of it with capacity and diligence, entire- ly to my satisfaction, and as far as I have had an opportunity of knowing with the strictest integrity. When you were prevailed on to undertake the office in March, 1778, it was in great disorder and confusion, and by extraordinary exertions you so arranged it as to enable the Army to take the field the moment it was necessary, and to move with rapidity after the enemy when they left Philadelphia. From that period to the present time your exertions have been equally great. They have appeared to me to be the result of system, and to have been well calculated to pro- mote the interests and honor of your country. In fine, I cannot but add that the States have had in you, in my opinion, an able, upright, and diligent servant." General Greene died at the age of forty-four. What might the oountry have reasonably expected from the full life of the man who, Its Reception by Congress. 11 at so early an age, had accomplished so much? The administrative qualities that he manifested throughout his whole military service designated him for a great civil career which, probably, would not have stopped short of the highest honors of the Republic. But a true life is measured by what it accomplishes, not by the time that it lingers. He lived long enough to secure for his name a place high on the enduring records of his country, forever in the affections of the American people. On the 8th of August, 1786, Congress, on a report of a commit- tee consisting of Mr. Lee, Mr. Pettit, and Mr. Carrington, adopted the following resolutions ; "Resolved, That a monument be erected to the memory of Nathanael Greene, esq., at the seat of the Federal Government with the following inscription : ' Sacred to the memory of Nathanael Greene, esq., a native of the State of Rhode Island, who died on the 19th of June, 1786, late major general in the service of the United States, and commander of their Army in the southern department. " The United States, in Congress assembled, in honor of his patriotism, valor and ability, have erected this monument. " Resolved, That the Board of Treasury take order for the execution of the fore- going resolution." This measure of national gratitude was not carried out. We think that we shall not be charged with undue State pride if we submit that the marble which we now present to you is a worthy commencement of the collection which it inaugurates, and which is to hand down to the future the glories of the past, the Valhalia of America. Others will be placed by its side, worthy of the august companionship. The future citizen will walk with patriotic awe among th^ effigies of his country's grandeur, and gather inspiration, as he surveys their venerated forms. States yet to be admitted into the Union will crowd yonder Hall with the statue's of their founders, defenders, and benefactors, till the great Dome of the Capitol shall be too small to cover the silent assembly of our immortal dead. I send to the Chair a letter from the Governor of Rhode Island, which I ask to have read. The Secretary read as follows : State of Rhode Island, Executive Department, > Providence, January 3, 1870. 5 Sir : — In accordance with a resolution of Congress, passed July 2, 1864, inviting each State to furnish for the Hall of the old House of Representatives "two full- 12 The Statue of Major- General Nathanael Greene. length marble statues of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illus- trious for their renown, or from civic or military services, such as each State shall determine to be worthy of national commemoration," the State of Rhode Island, by a vote of its General Assembly, has caused to be made two marble statues, one of Roger Williams, the founder of the State, the other of Major General Nathanael Greene, a distinguished officer of the Army of the Revolution. I have now the honor to inform you that the statue of Major General Nathanael Greene, by Mr. H. K. Browne, an American artist, is finished, and has been for- warded to Washington and delivered to the Architect of the Capitol. With high respect, I have the honor to remain Your most obedient servant, SETH PADELFORD, To the President of the Senate of the United States, Washington, D. C. Mr. Sumner. — Mr. President, in moving the acceptance of the statue of Major General Greene, I send to the Chair a joint resolution the consideration of which I ask now without any previous notice ; and in moving it I will add that I have followed the precedents in such cases, especially the joint resolution moved by John Quincy Adams in the House of Representatives, which I now have before me. The Vice President. — The Senator from Massachusetts asks unanimous consent to introduce for present consideration a joint reso- lution, which will be read. The Secretary read as follows : A Resolution Accepting the Statue of Major General Greene. Resolved, That the thanks of this Congress be presented to the Governor, and through him to the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, for the statue of Major General Greene, whose name is so honorably identified with our revolutionary history ; that this work of art is accepted in the name of the nation and assigned a place in the old Hall of the House of Representatives, already set aside by act of Congress for the statues of eminent citizens ; and that a copy of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Vice President. Unless objected to, the joint resolution will be considered as read the first and second time, and is before the Senate as in Committee of the Whole. Mr. Sumner. How brief is life ; how long is art ! Nathanael Greene died at the age of forty-four, and now Congress receives his marble statue, destined to endure until this Capitol crumbles to dust. But art lends its longevity only to those whose lives are extended by Its Reception by Congress. 13 deeds. Therefore is the present occasion an attestation of the fame that has been won. Beyond his own deserts, Greene was fortunate during life in the praise of Washington, who wrote of " the singular abilities which that officer possesses," and then again fortunate after death in the praise of Hamilton, whose remarkable tribute is no ordinary record. He has been fortunate since in his biographer, whose work promises to be classical in our literature. And now he is fortunate again in a statue, which, while taking an honorable place in American art, is the first to be received in our Pantheon. Such are the honors of patriot service. Among the generals of the Revolution, Greene was next after Washington. His campaign at the South showed military genius of no common order. He saved the South. Had he lived to take part in the national Government, his character and judgment must have secured for him an eminent post of service. Unlike his two great associates, Washington and Hamilton, his life was confined to war, but the capacities which he manifested while in command gave assur- ance that he would have excelled in civil life. His resources in the field would have been the same in the council chamber. Of Quaker extraction Greene was originally a Quaker. The Quaker became a soldier and commander of armies. Such was the requirement of the epoch. Should a soldier and commander of armies in our day accept those ideas which enter into the life of the Quaker the change would only be in harmony with those principles which must soon prevail, ordaining peace and good will among men. Looking at his statue, with military coat and with sword in hand, I seem to see his early garb beneath. The Quaker general could never have been other than the friend of peace. Standing always in that beautiful Hall, the statue will be a perpet- ual though silent orator. The marble will speak ; nor is it difficult to divine the lesson it must teach. He lived for his country and his whole country ; nothing less. Born in the North, he died in the South, which he had made his home. The grateful South honor- ed him as the North had already done. His life exhibits the beauty and the reward of patriotism. How can his marble speak except for country in all its parts, at all points of the compass? It was for the whole country that he drew his sword of " ice-brook temper." So 14 The Statue of Major-General Nathanael Greene. also for the whole country was drawn that other sword in these latter days. And yet there was a difference between the two occa- sions easy to state. Our country's cause for which Greene contended was National Independence. Our country's cause, which has recently prevailed in bloodiest war, was Liberty and Equality, the declared heritage of all mankind. The first war was for separation from the mother country or, according to the terms of the Declaration, "That these United Colonies are and of right ought to be Free and Independent States," the object being elevated by the great principles announced. The second war was for the establishment of these great principles, with- out which republican government is a name and nothing more. But both were for country. Perhaps the larger masses, with the larger scale of military operations, in the latter may eclipse the earlier, and it is impossible not to see that a war for Liberty and Equality, making the promises of the Declaration a reality and giving to mankind an irresistible example, is loftier in character than a war for separation. If hereafter Greene finds rivals near his statue they will be those who represented our country's cause in its latter peril and its larger triumph. Just in proportion as ideas are involved is conflict elevated, especially if those ideas concern the Equal Rights of all. Greene died at the South, and nobody knows the place of his burial. He lies without epitaph or tombstome. To-day a grateful country writes his epitaph and gives him a monument in the Capitol. The Vice President. The question is on agreeing to the resolu- tion. The resolution was adopted unanimously. Mr. Sawyer. Mr. President, it is far from my hope that I shall add to what has been so ably said by the honorable Senators from Rhode Island and Massachusetts anything worthy of comparison with their eloquent words or of the fame of the illustrious man whose statue has been placed in the Capitol of the nation whose inde- pendence he contributed so largely to establish. But it would not be fitting that this occasion should pass without some tribute to General Greene's eminent character and services from one who, however hum- bly, represents in part on this floor a State from whose soil in our revolutionary struggle the taint of the enemy's tread was removed Its Reception by Congress. 15 under his masterly leadership. That the voice of that State may not be unheard in the hour when we are calling to mind the obligations we owe to one of the greatest and purest characters in our early his- tory, is my apology for occupying the attention of the Senate. The honorable Senator from Rhode Island has well said, " the heroic age of our country is enveloped in no fable." Nations of an- tiquity loved to trace the beginnings of their history to gods and goddesses, or to heroes whose divine birth or patronage gave them superhuman powers. The mists of myth and fable shut out from their view the current of real events which in their progress devel- oped institutions and governments. To no such mythical or fabulous personages do we seek to trace our national origin. The clear light of authentic history shines over every stage of our national develop- ment, and we see through media which neither exaggerate nor distort those grand and heroic characters who laid the foundations of this now imposing fabric of free government. We see them through trial and suffering and self-sacrifice, through disaster and defeat, through long years of poverty, privation and devotion, waging unequal war with a mighty nation, and finally, under the providence of God, achieving national independence. We see every step they take to secure upon safe foundations the structure they build. We see them bind it together and hedge it about by the strong bands and solid bulwarks of liberty, equality and justice. And we point with lofty pride to the results of their toils, their wisdom, and their patri- otism. As the nation grows greater, as the plans and purposes of its fathers are more completely developed by the agency of institutions they planted ; as the exceptions to the law of equality, liberty, and justice which they found it impossible to avoid, one by one disappear under the application of the principles they enunciated, their sacri- fices, their virtues, and their foresight shine with a purer light, and the heart of the republic pays them a sincerer homage. There is no tribute to their memories so honorable and so fitting as the practice of the virtues they taught and exemplified. The adop- tion of their principles ; the imitation of their examples, so far as they are adapted to the time and circumstances in which we live ; the embodiment in the national character of the high and noble traits which distinguished their characters, would be the highest homage we could pay to their memories. 16 The Statue of Major-General Nathanael Greene. But signs and tokens, figures and images, are so often used in calling to mind ideas which without such memorials would too often grow dim and fade away. Thus we erect statues to the illustrious dead. We hang in our public places portraits of those who have honored and served the nation, and whom the nation honors, that the frequent sight of their forms and features may impress anew each day on our minds the lesson of their lives. Thus would we remind the busy throng who crowd these halls and corridor.s, of the heroic past, and encourage them to imitate the characters of those who made it heroic. The marble from which the cunning hand of the sculptor has chiseled, and the canvas on which the painter has limned the features of the patriot and statesman, are no longer mute, but speak with beneficent power to multitudes of those whose eyes never saw and never can see their mortal forms. To few of those whose names are on the roll of revolutionary fame is it more becoming that the honors of an enduring monument should be paid than to Na- thanael Greene. Nurtured under the influences of a sect who looked upon all war as sinful, he could not believe that the claims of his country were in- consistent with his duty to his God. His ardent patriotism broke the shackles which the religious faith of his fathers had sought to im- pose on his young mind, and his country's need was the call to her defense which he obeyed with alacrity and zeal. Early placed in an important position in the Continental armies, he gave his whole mind and heart to his work, and only laid off his har- ness when the good fight had been won. The retreat through New Jersey, the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandy wine, Germantown, and Monmouth, all bore witness to his coolness, his bravery, his fidelity, and his sagacity. In the responsible and arduous duties of quartermaster general, his method, his energy, his foresight, and his integrity, made themselves felt through the whole service. Entering upon those duties when that branch of the service was in a state of disorganization and confusion, his loyal enthusiasm and his self-deny, ing patriotism overcame all obstacles, made order and system succeed disorder and inefficiency, and added largely to the effective power of the army. And when, influenced by the calumny of his enemies, the Continental Congress ordered an investigation into his administration, the committee who made it were compelled to report that it had given Its Reception by Congress. 17 hem "a unanimous conviction of his ability, fidelity and zeal." But it is no disparagement to his great services elsewhere to say that the theatre of his greatest triumphs was on the soil of the Caro- linas. Ordered to the command of the southern army, when, as he says, " it was rather a shadow than a substance, having only an im- aginary existence ;" in a territory almost exclusively in possession of he British troops ; his own men disheartened by previous defeats, ill-fed, ill-clothed, rarely paid, if at all, frequently changed by the States which furnished them, thus throwing upon the service all those evils inevitably incident to the use of raw recruits for field duty ; confronted almost constantly by a force superior in numbers, organization, equipment, discipline and expei-ienee, and officered by men bred to the profession of arms, Greene's genius overcame all these disadvantages, often gained victories, and though often defeated drew from defeat the fruits of victory. His power in keeping up the morale of an army composed as his was, under all the privations to which they were subject, can only be accounted for by the influence upon officers and men of a character in all respects admirable and remarkable. It is not necessary to follow him through the memorable cam- paigns which drove the enemy from the soil of North and South Carolina and ended the war in those colonies. Eutaw Springs, Hobkirk's Hill, Guilford Court-House, Camden, Ninety-six are house- hold words in the Carolinas, always suggesting the heroic sacrifices of Greene and his lieutenants. The story of his advances and his retreats, his victories and his defeats, his long-continued and patiently-borne sufferings, and of his final and complete triumph, are written on the hearts of all true Carolinians and all true Americans. His fame is one of the nation's rich treasures ; his life and services are a part of the nation's glory ; his memory is cherished in the nation's heart ; and the honor in which it is held is fitly symbolized by the erection of a statue here in the Capitol. The States of North and South Carolina and Georgia honored themselves by bestowing upon him large gifts in his life-time. Fortunate was it that Rhode Island had such a son to contribute to the band of our national benefactors ; that she was able to add a star of such magnitude to that galaxy of luminaries whose characters illustrated our Revolutionary era ; and it is an honor to her that she now r places under this roof the image of 2 18 The Statue of Major-General JSfathanael Greene. one who, though her citizen, belonged in the clay of its trial, and will for all time belong, to the Republic. Mr. Morrill, of Vermont. Mr. President, I rise with some reluctance, and yet it may not be a violation of good taste for me to add a few words to the very appropriate and eloquent remarks of the Senator from Rhode Island and the Senators who followed, as I may be held somewhat i*esponsible for originating the idea that the grand old Hall of the House of Representatives, the finest Hall certainly in our whole country, or perhaps in any other, should be set apart and dedicated to the sacred purpose of holding forever the forms of those who while living, most largely distinguished themselves in the history of our country and of their respective States. The Hall, hemmed in between the two new Halls of Congress so as to make it impracti- cable to devote it to any useful object except as a mere place for doc- umentary lumber, it was thought to be desirable to rescue from such desecration, and preserve its admirable and artistic proportions for higher and nobler objects. It has the prestige of having been the place where occurred some of the most remarkable debates in our history, and where many of the statesmen of young America first exhibited their power and eloquence. It is appropriate to the object to which it has been consecrated and to which the State of Rhode Island so auspiciously makes its contribution. This is the first offer- ing, and is entirely worthy of the patriotic and generous State from which it comes, both as being a proper selection of an eminent name to be commemorated, and, so far as I am able to judge, as a most creditable work of art — such as the American people may look upon with a large measure of satisfaction and delight, and without that fear and trembling which some specimens about us are apt to excite. At length we have at least one more work — or, including Stone's Hamilton, two — besides the marvelously beautiful conception of the fio-ure of Time in the old Hall, which does not deserve to be driven out by a scourge of small cords. In the Old World their public edifices are crowded with paintings and statuary, representing incidents and persons prominent in the history of each nation, the facts being made to glitter with every embellishment of genius ; and it cannot be doubted that the pride of the people is thus powerfully invoked to perpetuate the solidity of their governments, though founded, as we believe, on principles Its Reception by Congress. 19 entirely and fundamentally wrong. But may we not legitimately in- voke the pride of our people in behalf of the national capital of a government founded on principles entirely right? It cannot be ques- tioned that the carrying out of the design embodied in the statutes, adopted as it was by so general a concurrence of the members of each House of Congress, will tend to cement together the great sis- terhood of States. No partisan feeling can ever mar or mutilate the purpose that each State will have uppermost, which must be to pre- sent its best representative men. The image and superscription of Jackson or Clay, Hamilton or Madison, Lincoln or Douglas, in this place, will all be equally welcome and equally current. When other States in due time shall follow the lead of to-day, as I do not doubt they soon will follow, we shall have a collection of statues representing a class of men among a peculiar people, deservedly distinguished in their day and generation, such as the rolls of few nations can present. Each State will vie with every other, not grudging the small expense, in offering a work of art that will shed an additional lustre upon the State as well as upon the memory of the person made to stand forth in a form to endure forever ; and the stars thus assembled will form a constellation of the foremost magnitude and brilliancy. Let the old Hall be graced with but half a dozen works of such beauty as the one here this day uncovered, illustrative of some of the glories in our civil or military history, and the sixty odd other statues that will be entitled to entrance will be soon found knocking at the doors for admission. Instead of que- rying as to whether all the States will furnish their quota of two, or even any, the question most likely to perplex the future will be, Shall any State have place for more ? Our lifetime has been but brief, but there is not a single State which cannot present more than one jewel in its past history which it sacredly guards as the very apple of the eye, and which, when fairly brought out to be gazed upon by the world, might not chal- lenge the admiration of the nation, and inspire every citizen with a new love for the copartners of a perpetual Union and with a higher and nobler love of our country and our countrymen. Our gratitude is, then, due to the gallant little State of Rhode Island, for being once more foremost in the field. Irnatbiugs in % ^omt ai |kprmntatibm REMARKS OF THE HON. A. H. TANNER OF NEW YORK. " T. A. JENCKES OF RHODE ISLAND. " B. F. WHITTEMORE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. " C. L. COBB OF NORTH CAROLINA. " H. W. SLOCUM OF NEW YORK. " JOHN BEATTY OF OHIO. Delivered January 31, 1870. The business on the Speaker's table was the following concurrent resolution of the Senate, accepting the statue of Major-General Greene : Resolved, That the thanks of this Congress be presented to the Governor, and through him to the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, for the statue of Major General Greene, whose name is so honorably identified with our revolutionary history ; that this work of art is accepted in the name of the nation and assigned a place in the old Hall of the House of Representatives, already set aside by act of Congress for the statues of eminent citizens ; and that a copy of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Mr. Tanner. — I move that the House concur in the resolution. Mr. Speaker, the old Hall of the House of Representatives has been dedicated by act of Congress to the commemoration of civic and 22 The Statue of Major- General Nathanael Greene. military virtues by art. The State of Rhode Island is the first of the States to erect in this noble Hall a statue, wrought from purest marble, of one of her most illustrious citizens, who, in the early his- tory of this Republic, in battle and in council, illustrated the valor, the wisdom, and the patriotism of the American soldier and the American statesman. Our history is rich with the records of such men ; but the common consent of the American people has assigned to General Nathanael Greene a place among the very first of those great men who have thus adorned either the earlier or the later periods of our history. It is no part of my purpose to pronounce his eulo- gium. His great deeds and his greater character are recorded in the annals of his country's history, and a grateful people will not permit them to pass from the memories of men. When time shall have dimmed the lustre of this marble and have marred the beauty of its outlines, the character of this great man will shine with ever increas- ing brightness, and every line of its majestic proportions preserve their original grace and dignity to excite the interest and arouse the emulation of posterity. Mr. Speaker, I send to the Clerk's desk, a letter from the Governor of the State of Rhode Island upon this subject, and ask that it be read. The Clerk read as follows : State of Rhode Island, Executive Department, ) Providence, January 3, 1870. 3 Sir : — In accordance with a resolution of Congress, passed July 2, 1864, inviting each State to furnish for the Hall of the old House of Representatives "two full- length marhle statues " of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof and illustrious for their historic renown, from distinguished civic or military services, such as each State shall determine to be worthy of national commemoration," the State of Rhode Island, by a vote of its General Assembly, has caused to be made two marble statues, one of Roger Williams, the founder of the State, the other of Major General Nathanael Greene, a distinguished officer of the Army of the Revo- lution. I have now the honor to inform you that the statue of Major General Nathanael Greene, by Mr. H. K. Brown, an American artist, is finished and has been forwarded to Washington and delivered to the architect of the Capitol. With high respect, I have the honor to remain, Your most obedient servant, SETII PADELFORD, Governor of Rhode Island. The Honorable the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Its Reception by Congress. 23 Mr. Jenckes. — It has become the pleasant duty of the Repre- sentatives" of Rhode Island to offer to Congress in response to the joint resolution inviting such presentation, the statue of her illustrious son, the great soldier and general of the war of independence, Nathanael Greene. It is the first contribution to that hall of statuary in which the States have been invited to place the images of their distinguished men. That old Hall, which had already attained historic fame as the place of meeting of the Representatives of the people, having given place to the one we now occupy in the growth of the nation, was wisely dedicated and set apart to receive and retain the forms of the great representative men who have preceded us, sculptured in enduring marble. The living generations and those who represent them in these Halls come and go ; but hereafter the forum which has been relinquished by the living will be filled with the images of the great ones who have gone on before, a silent yet eloquent company, teaching the great lessons of our country's history, and inspiriting the patriotism of all who shall come into their presence. Rhode Island has selected General Greene to represent her in this august assembly of the past, because his life and deeds belong to the nation. Though born and reared in the smallest and most clannish of the Commonwealths which united in achieving independence and then merged in the Union of the States under the Constitution, he never had a thought which was not as broad as the Republic. He was among the first to recommend a national declaration of inde- pendence. Wherever he served, the whole weight of his mind, of his character, and of his example was given to overbear the petty jealousies and rivalries of the several colonies. "For my part," he wrote from the camp of observation before Boston, in 1775, "I feel the cause and not the place. I would as soon go to Virginia as stay here." He felt from the beginning, and he was one whose service dated from the day of Lexington, that the object of the war was not merely to secure the separation of the Colonies from Great Britain. He was one of the few to whom the great future and destiny of the new nation were revealed. He wrote from the camp before Boston, in the interval between Lexington and 24 The Statue of Major-General JVathanael Greene. Bunker Hill, with all the enthusiasm of a young soldier, and yet with the presience of a statesman : "America must raise an empire of permanent duration, supported upon the grand pillars of truth, freedom and religion, based upon justice and defended by her own patriotic sons." And he adds in the same letter — "Permit me, then, to recommend from the sincerity of my heart, ready at all times to bleed in my country's cause, a declaration of independence, and call upon the world and the great God who governs it to witness the necessity, propi'iety and rectitude thereof." All his suggestions and recommendations were in favor of a national policy and national action, for the achievement of national independence, and the creation of a national republic which should be a power among the nations of the earth. His entire correspond- ence breathes with this national spirit. In the character of statesman as well as soldier, he is entitled to a place among the nation's worthies. " In this character," said Hamilton — "His reputation falls far below his desert. It required a longer life and still greater opportunities to have enabled him to exhibit in full day the vast, I had almost said the enormous powers of his mind." * * * * "The sudden ter- mination of his life cut him off from those scenes, which the progress of a new, immense and unsettled empire could not fail to open the complete exertion of that universal and pervading genius which qualified him not less for the senate than for the field." These qualities entitle him to a place in the Capitol, although his fame rests chiefly upon his career as a soldier. A narration of this career would be a history of the war for independence. That is aside from our purpose now, which is simply to introduce and present his statue. It was the first duty of the artist to know all this ; to have studied the whole life of his subject ; to have become familiar with his form and presence ; to have become acquainted with his thoughts and impulses, and to know their expression in his lineaments and bearing ; and to have selected that moment when he may have been supposed to have been transfigured by the thoughts, the purposes, the inspiration of his life, and to transfer his whole nature and character as well as form and feature to the enduring marble. There were many and grave occasions in his career in which his Its Reception by Congress. 25 person and his conduct were conspicuous, and when his features must have borne the strongest impressions of his character. And it seems to me as I look upon the masterly work of the sculptor in the place where it now stands, when the slanting rays of light bring out in bold relief the vigor and the spirit of the attitude, the high purpose and fixed resolve shown in the features, the strong and deep lines of thought in the brow, and leave in dark shadow the sad, sweet, and even tender expression of the emotions which welled up from the great heart of the hero, that the artist has given him to us at the crowning moment of his great and earnest life. He is not reproduced to us as when, high in hope, he led to the army of observation around Boston the regiments of Rhode Island, which were styled in the reports from Washington's headquarters " the best disciplined and appointed in the whole American Army ;" nor as when he led the corps which, though second in place, was the first in position at Trenton ; nor as he covered the slow retreat at the Brandy wine ; nor as at Germantown, after having gained all that was expected of the wing of the army which he commanded, he looked around as the fog lifted and found the rest of the army broken and dispersed ; nor yet, as at Monmouth, when his sure judgment caused the movement, not authorized by his orders, which restored the doubtful field and regained all that Lee's disobedience had lost ; nor as at Springfield, when for the first time in separate command, he had the pleasure and the pride of seeing the enemy retreat from his well-chosen positions ; nor as when with bowed head and tearful eye he signed the report of the court-martial which decreed the doom of Andre ; nor with the severe front with which he met the British envoy and general who came to remonstrate against that doom ; nor yet with the look of indignation with which he took command at West Point, upon the flight of Arnold, the traitor; nor as when he remonstrated with the French admiral for his contemplated desertion of the movement for the capture of Rhode Island ; nor as when he received that letter from Washington, tender and touching, notwith- standing its formal and official character, in which he is informed that he has been designated by his commander-in-chief as the com- mander of the southern army ; nor as after his masterly manoeuvres in the pi'esence of Lord Cornwallis and his army, he saw victory 26 The Statue of Major- General Nathanael Greene. slipping from his grasp at Guilford ; nor as when he found on the day after that battle that the substantial results of victory were his ; but rather as when he had halted from the pursuit of the army of Corn- wallis, and resting upon the banks of Deep river, he looked over the whole field of the continental warfare, and came to that grand resolve which, after incessant fighting, restored the Carolinas and Georgia to the Union ; when, with his back to the lost field and yet victorious campaign of Guilford, he left Cornwallis to receive his fate from other hands, and looked along the fair land which lay between the mountains and the sea, then overrun by the enemy, and vowed that it should be restored to his country or that himself should perish. We see him as the whole scope of that great determination is becoming clear to his mind ; as he stood before he announced that determination to Washington in one of the simplest and grandest let- ters in any language. He does not disguise nor is he appalled by the high nature of his resolve or the dangers involved in its execu- te © tion. If he had met his death, this letter would have been sufficient for his fame. The undaunted spirit there expressed, the alacrity with which he draws his sword in what he knows and admits to be an unequal contest, and with which he enters upon " a manoeuvre which will be critical and dangerous, and in which the troops will be exposed to every hardship," and the resolute yet sad and thoughtful air with which such a movement must be commenced — all these were comprehended by the artist and are seen and almost live and breathe in the statue. The clear vision of all the desperate fights of these campaigns, the long, weary marches, the toils, the hardships, the discouragements, the reverses and the triumphs, seem to be pre- figured in that expression and attitude. Of this movement Hamilton has said : " This was one of those strokes that denote superior genius and constitute the sublime in war. 'Twas Scipio leaving Hannibal in Italy to overcome him at Car- thage ! " When this eulogium was spoken, the comparison was, perhaps, the most striking to be found in history. But in our times we can see in it a likeness to a movement more brilliant than that of Scipio. We view it as the precursor of that grand " march to the sea," upon which rests the fame of one of the first of living generals. Its Reception by Congress. 2< But General Greene cannot be said to have been a favorite of for- tune. His successes were wrestecl from her, not yielded. He should have won the Guilford battle ; but while compelled to relinquish the field by the conduct of some of his inexperienced troops, the next morning found him preparing his army for a fresh encounter, and the nominal victor preparing his for a retreat. He gave battle to Lord Rawdon, at Hobkirk's Hill, and seemingly lost, but gained the results of a victory in the enemy's evacuation of Camden. He beseiged and assaulted the fort at Ninety-Six, and was repulsed, but gained all that he contended for, except prisoners, in its immediate evacuation. He did not entirely succeed at Eutaw, but in that drawn battle the power of Great Britain in the Carolinas and Georgia was broken, and the British armies were soon compelled to yield those States, the prize of victory, to the American forces and their resolute leader. His military successes have sometimes been disparaged on account of the small numbers of his troops ; but his operations were on a larger area than had ever before been the field of civilized warfare. His military district embraced all the territory south of Pennsylvania. The regular force under his command could hardly be called more than the nucleus of an army, which was sometimes swelled into respectable numbers, but not reinforced by bands of militia who came and went almost as they pleased. He had opposed to him the best generals and the best appointed armies of Great Britain. The enemy had complete command of the ports, the shores and the sea; he had compelled the surrender of two armies and of all fortified places ; yet from the time Greene took the command of the remnants of the southern army the foot of the invader never rested upon the soil of the Carolinas outside of his fortifications, and even these he was at last compelled to evacuate. The character and qualities of mind that brought about these great results with such slender means, have received expression from the consummate skill of the artist. We see that greatness of soul which won the admiration and affection of the people to whom he came both as conqueror and deliverer, and from whom he was compelled to subsist his armies while restoring them to their liberties and their rights : that resolution which surmounted all obstacles ; that courage 28 The Statue of Major-General Nathanael Greene. which was equal both to the leading of a charge and to the declining of a challenge ; that buoyancy of spirit and confidence in resources which no disappointment could cast down, which no disaster could daunt, no reverse disspirit, and no defeat entirely destroy ; that "noble frankness " which disarmed personal hostility, and made envy and jealousy ashamed ; that unconquerable energy which never flagged or grew weary, and that hopefulness which believed in nothing but suc- cess, and which was one of the greatest means of attaining it. Type of that brave race among whom he grew up and whose repre- sentative men have gained rewards and honors not in war alone, we present him to you as one eminently fit to be placed in the company of those great men whose lives and deeds are the pride and glory of the American people. Mr. Whittemore. Mr. Speaker, I cannot hope nor do I attempt to use the utterances the gentleman preceding me has been inspired with as he marshaled our memories to pay their homage to one so noble, so worthy a nation's acclaim. I come with the tribute of a State which owes so much to the patriotism of New Engtand's son, the valor of his arm, the unswerving integrity of his soul, the irre- sistible strength of his purpose, his devotion to his country. South Carolina bows in reverence to the name of Nathanael Greene. As we turn to the epochs of the past, its scenes, its hours of his- toric moment, and stand among the giants that hewed the way for our national progress, that stirred the hearts of stern and sturdy col- onists, that moved to deeds all pregnant with renown the pioneers of a continental growth, and behold the march of the gathering heroes, who with invincible emotions and sacrificial vows nerved the popular will and arm in defense of our sacred altars, our natal fires — as we stand amid the forms of Washington, Putnam, Stark, Trumbull, and their fearless compatriots, no one is more conspicuous than he whose services contributed so largely to the establishment of Ameri- can independence, Major-General Nathanael Greene, whose statue Rhode Island, in response to the nation's invitation, has placed in the old Hall of the House of Representatives, where clustered associa- tions of national greatness linger. Born at a time when we were approaching a climax in our stirring history, educated in the school of strictest integrity, making the Bible Its Reception by Congress. 29 his earliest guide and text-book, nerving his arm and strengthening his muscles at the blacksmith's forge, storing his mind while the iron was heating with the sublime demonstrations of science, buoyant in spirits, firm in resolve, uncompromising in principle, with a vigorous constitution, methodical and studious, never neglecting the manual or mental task, bold and original in his conceptions, deliberate and cool, never shrinking from hardships or sacrifices, always patient, but prompt ; such was the young athlete who was to play so impor- tant a part in the coming councils and struggles which were to decide the nation's destiny. The stamp act, oppressive burdens, and royal exactions, caused murmurings bitter and vengeful. Young Greene, now in the Gene- ral Assembly, by firm and zealous acts, by bold and unequivocal expressions, became the object of suspicion to the hirelings of the Crown. The Gaspee had been burned in Providence river, the king's cutter seized at Newport, the British troops were landing at Boston, the colonists were to be subjected to the tyranny of King- George or wrest themselves from the iron thraldom of his power ; the sound of hostile preparations was heard, and Rhode Island's sons waited not to be told of the coming contests. Military ardor and enthusiasm prevailed, militia organizations were formed, reviews held, martial spirit pervaded the masses ; and the hitherto sober, peaceful Quaker blacksmith was found chief among the active patri- ots, firmly declaring " his intentions to persevere in the part he had assumed in the cause he had embraced." The Kentish Guards, with whom he was enrolled, were in arms " and eager for the fray." The alarm that the yeomanry of New England had been attacked on Lexington Green, roused the colonists, and the General Assembly of Rhode Island raised an army of sixteen hundred men, and by unanimous consent placed at their head the stern, unflinching patriot, Nathanael Greene, with the rank of major-general. From May, 1775, we may date his historic career. We can only follow him through the rapidly transpiring events — the assembling of the continental forces at Cambridge, the fortifying around Boston, the battle of Long Island, the reverses of which were attributable to his sickness and absence, the battles of Trenton and Princeton, Val- ley Forge, the intrigues and conspiracies against the Commander-in- 30 The Statue of Major-General JSfathanael Greene. Chief, against himself; his transfer to the quartermaster's depart- ment when provisions were almost unprocurable, transportation of supplies badly wanting, intrenching tools strewed along the line of march, suffering untold, intense, among men and animals, the public credit ebbing, large arrears due, heavier expenditures to come, a new campaign approaching, an enemy flushed with hope to encounter ; yet for all this, trying as were the circumstances that surrounded the patriot chiefs and braves, he never faltered, but stood at the side of the peerless Washington, encouraging and infusing all with hope — trusted and counseled. He was among the earliest advocates of absolute independence ; grasping the great idea of an indissoluble Union that could alone grow out of the Revolution upon which the colonists had entered. Everything hostile to such a compact he regarded as perilous to the interests of his country. No narrow boundary or geographical limit invaded his conceptions. "For my part," said he, "I am as ready to serve in Virginia as New England." The thirteen Colonies he saw already bound together in solemn unity ; and in a letter as early as June 4, 1775, he wrote to an emi- nent member of Congress, saying : " Permit me to recommend from the sincerity of my heart, at all times ready to bleed in my country's cause, a declaration of independence, and call upon the world and the great God who governs it to witness the necessity, propriety, and rec- titude thereof." For untiring exertion, promptitude in duty, devotion to the cause of liberty, breadth of capacity to perform the herculean tasks imposed upon him, unflinching loyalty to his country, he was the equal of all ; yet vindictive cabals sought his overthrow, and Congress listened to the appeals of conspirators who would have paralyzed the arm of a hero to secure the restoration of an imbecile. By such treatment he was goaded to a resolution to resign after the close of the campaign then entered upon ; but he was induced by the persuasive influence of his unalterable friend, Washington, to change his determination and accept the command of the army of the South, which was in his hands to be reorganized, resouled, to enter upon the theatre of grand events against an enemy arrogant with victory, famous for its discipline and energy, till now irresistible. Its Reception by Congress. 31 Our forces with their allies had been routed ; Charleston had sur- rendered. Clinton, with his triumphs, had lured the disaffected to the standards of St. George, and the few scattering partisans, true still to the hallowed cause of liberty, were palsied and hopeless. Lincoln was a prisoner ; Gates defeated at Camden ; the cosmopolitan De Kalb slain ; discomfiture like a cloud resting upon southern hearts, homes and hopes. Washington, who believed " true friendship was a plant of slow growth, which must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it can be entitled to the appellation," gave his friendship and confidence to Greene without restriction or reserve. With such cre- dentials he started for his command with Steuben, the greatest disci- plinarian of the American army, his aid Duponceau, and Burnet and Morris, his own aids, leaving behind in Maryland and Delaware General Gist, who was to solicit and forward supplies, with these in- structions : " Let your applications be as pressing as our necessities are urgent; after which, if the southern States are lost, we shall be justified". With a sentiment like this he met his army at Charlotte, North Carolina ; consisting of nine hundred and seventy continentals and ten hundred and thirteen militia ; (in the magazines no clothing, arms, or ammunition ;) "two brass and several iron field-pieces;" eight hundred only of the soldiers properly clad or ready for service ; all dependent upon forced collections of food from a surrounding country plundered and devastated by foreign troops and equally des- olating - Whigs and Tories. With such discouragements he rose equal to the occasion. Around him were tried veteran officers : " Morgan, with the renown of bold achievements at Quebec and Saratoga ;" Lee, with his gallant legion ; the chivalrous Howard ; cool, courageous Williams ; the systematic Carrington ; the partisan Davie ; the gallant Kosciusko ; Pendleton, Burnet, Morris, and Pearce, with the brilliant, dashing, daring Marion and Sumter. With such a retenue of heroism he began the campaigns memora- ble for their deprivations, retreats, advancings, and final triumphs over the enemy in the Carolinas. " Mew lords and new laws pre- 32 The Statue of Major- General Naihanael Greene. vailed." Historic names sprang into existence as his faithful army marched " to the city by the sea." Through the Carolinas the popular acclaim followed the guardians of American liberty. Eutaw Springs, Guilford Court-House, Cam- den, Hobkirk's Hill, Ninety-Six, were blazoned on the banners of the conquering legions whose prowess a Greene has made the theme of song and story. The General Assembly of South Carolina once again met at, the village of Jacksonborough, on the western bank of the Edisto. Governor Rutledge, who followed closely the fortunes of Greene and his army, adding efficiency and force to his achievements, now con- gratulating the members of the Assembly upon the close of the dire- ful conflict, assured them of their indebtedness to the " great and gal- lant Greene, by whose wisdom, prudence, address and bravery their deliverance had been effected," and reminded them of his claims to honorable and singular marks of their gratitude. Every heart responded to the appeal and acknowledged in fullest terms the justice of his claim. With my voice to-day I reecho the adulations of the past, and here again pronounce the faithful acknowledgements of Carolina's sons to the hero of Rhode Island ; who not only conceived an independence of the original thirteen Colonies, but dared to cut with his trusty sword through every obstacle that interposed, until the conception ripened into the birth of a glorious declaration of a free and independent people, whose principles are the levers of human advancement, the oracles of universal brotherhood, whose flag is the emblem of liberty, equality, fraternity, whose national domain is broad enough to shelter the yearning millions that are struggling to be free. We welcome the marble warrior to our classic Halls. I have looked with admiration upon the chiseled form of the grand old hero that inspires us with the spirit of our revolutionary fathers. Though we cannot point to the spot where his sacred ashes slumber ; though his grave is known only to Him whose voice can wake the dead, we gather round the silent statue, recount his deeds, glory in his achieve- ments — South Carolina and Rhode Island, the whole Republic, grate- ful for his memories, mindful of his virtues, boasting his illustrious name. Let us crowd the Chamber with the sentinel spirits of the times Its Reception by (Jongress. 33 which tried men's souls ; and as we partake in security of the fruit of their valor, their sacrifice, remember the price of liberty which they have paid. Mr. Cobb, of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I shall not be able to say anything that has not already been better said by the gentle- men who have preceded me ; nor do I rise for the purpose of attempt- ing to add one word to the eloquent and comprehensive eulogies which have been pronounced upon the distinguished dead ; but I am induced to submit the few remarks which I now offer because the State of North Carolina, which I have the honor to represent in part upon this floor, always sensitive to her obligations, is unwilling to allow the present occasion, so propitious, to pass without an acknowledgment of the debt of gratitude which she owes to the gallant State of Rhode Island ; and she joins her voice to that of Rhode Island and South Carolina in tribute of affection and veneration to the memory of Nathanael Greene. She cannot forget to-day, nor would she forget, when Rhode Island's distinguished son [Mr. Jenckes] so justly claims for his State the glory and the heroic services of the departed chieftain, that upon her soil among the most brilliant and enduring of his eminent services were performed. She cannot forget that in the hour of her great calamity, in those dark days "which tried the souls of men," when reverses and ill fortunes had thrown a pall black as midnight about her horizon ; when her soil was soon to be invaded by a victorious army of her oppressors : when ruin, utter and irretrievable ruin and subjugation hung out in dismal prospective before her ; when men's courage began to fail and their hearts to sink within them ; Avhen hope itself had burnt to its socket and failed to animate or to cheer ; when everything seemed lost and gone forever ; when the spirit of resolution shrank back appalled at the overpowering force of the invader ; when the patriots of North Carolina had begun to fear that the immortal Declaration which they had flung defiantly into the teeth of their British tyrants that they " were and would be a free and inde- pendent people," was about to prove an idle boast ; then it was, in the hour of her emergency, that Nathanael Greene, the hero of so many northern victories, the patriot general who declared that he 3 34 The Statue of Major- General Nathanael Greene. "was as ready to serve in the Carolinas as in New England," came to her rescue, and with him brought assurance and hope and safety. Sir, she cannot forget that on December 2, 1780, he arrived at Charlotte and restored confidence to an army dispirited and discour- aged by the disastrous defeat at Camden ; and that by his skill, genius and strategy, troops undisciplined, harassed by defeats, and unpre- pared for war were organized and mustered and made "foemen worthy of British steel." She cannot forget that the first signal check mven to the triumphal march of the victorious Cornwallis was at Guilford Court-House, on March 15, 1781. She does not forget that he was with her people and among them until the last enemy had left her borders. Fresh as yesterday's events are these occurrences. Deep, very deep, is his memory written upon our hearts. By the side of her own patriotic dead North Carolina places the name of Nathanael Greene. Already she has embalmed it upon her records by bestow- ing it upon one of the rich and fertile counties of the east and the beautiful city of the very region where his gallantry and patriotism were so signally displayed. But it needed not these to keep him in remembrance, for through- out the old North State, from mountains to sea, his name is a "house- hold word " familiar and dear to every ear ; and wherever you find a true son of North Carolina, at home or abroad, proud as he may be and justly is of his own State and her patriots and heroes, you can touch a tender chord within his breast and his soul will thrill with enthusiasm at the mention of the name of ^Nathanael Greene, the saviour of North Carolina. And his life and history are familiar to the sons of Carolina. Old men and venerable, Avho had served under Gates at Camden, and who met Greene at Charlotte, and who followed him in his unequaled march through North and South Carolina ; who were with him at Guilford and Eutaw Springs ; who saw day after day his indomitable energy, his strength of will, his self-sacrificing devotion, his great endurance, his determination to conquer or to die, and, above all, his power on the battle-field — have told it to their prattling babes, as seated upon the paternal knee they have heard the thrilling story of our country's first great struggle ; and they in turn have transmitted to us the charge of our fathers, to keep fresh the fame of the general who, sent by Washington, had come South and met the gallant Corn- Its Reception by Congress. 35 wallis, flushed with success, and sure of easy victory, and put him to rout and drove the last enemy from North Carolina. And, sir, when North Carolina shall forget the worth of patriot- ism ; when she shall forget the honor due to heroism and virtue ; when she shall forget the immortal men who inaugurated the great movement for independence at Mecklenberg Court-House, May 20, 1775, and first proclaimed the eternal truth that "all men are free and equal ;" when she shall forget Guilford Court-House and Char- lotte ; when she shall forget the stirring events of 1780 and 1781 ; when she shall forget her own origin and the foundation of her pre- sent happiness, then, and not until then, will she fail to hold in hal- lowed recollection the name of Nathanael Greene. Mr. Speaker, the magnificent campaign of General Greene against Cornwallis in the Carolinas has already been justly and eloquently described. It would be useless repetition for me to go over it. De- servedly high will it stand, if not unequaled, in the history of mili- tary genius and strategy. With everything to discourage and nothing to give hope — a country dispirited and disheartened, an army disor- ganized and unfit for service ; half-fed, half-clad and half-paid, as well as half-armed — all these united to discourage a man with less resolution than he had, but he was equal to the emergency. He nobly justified the confidence which Washington had exhibited in sending him to the command of the army of the South after the defeat of General Gates. By marches and countermarches, feints and sur- prises, skill and strategy, he outgeneraled his British antagonist at every point, and electrified a country hanging in doubt and suspense, by the brilliancy of his movements, driving Cornwallis from the coun- try discomfited and his army demoralized. But the tongue of elo- quence has already proclaimed these achievements. Permit me to say a word concerning his character. His life, so full of stirring incident and extraordinary emergencies, without a single inconsistency or mean action, presents a striking, beautiful and harmonious whole, symmetrical as the noble statue in yonder Hall, and pure and spotless as the marble of which it is made. Rare, indeed, are the instances in which a combination of so many excel- lent qualities of head and heart can be found in a single individual. He had all the virtues, and if malignity ever detected, it has never exposed a vice. He had greatness without vanity. He had military 36 The Statue of Major-General JSfathanael Greene. distinction and fame without being haughty or arrogant. He had nobleness of mind without littleness of soul. He had powerful strength of will and determination of purpose without being dictato- rial or exacting. He had learning without pedantry. He had patri- otism without selfishness. He had, in fine, all the moral, social and intellectual virtues which we admire most in a soldier, which we revere most in a statesman, and which we love most in a man. Brave and daring without being reckless, a master of military skill and science, he was a model general. Devoted to the cause of lib- erty, sacrificing home, quiet, and even etiquette, in the service of his country, he was a model patriot. Honest, sincere, and truthful, knowing and loving the truth — he was a model man. In each character he was preeminent, and a parallel to his life is oftener found upon the painted pages of the novelist than in the real- ities of every day. Extraordinary, indeed, must he have been of whom the impartial judge of men and things, Alexander Hamilton, could say, " that high as this great man stood in the estimation of his country, the whole extent of his worth was never known." No doubt, sir, if he had been spared longer to his country, his services in her councils would have equaled the renown which he gained in her battles ; but he was snatched away by relentless death in the full vio-or of manhood and strength ; and while we do not know the "whole extent of his worth," we know enough of him to perpetuate his memory ; we know enough of him to teach our children to emu- late his virtues and patriotism ; we know enough of him to claim him as one of the household gods of the nation. After the close of the great struggle which resulted in our liberties he settled in the sunny South, which he had redeemed, and dying, was buried there to hallow the soil which he had saved. And, sir, we have been told by the gentleman from South Carolina, [Mr. Whittemore,] and reproachfully be it said, that the spot where he is buried is unknown. No imposing shaft stands out in bold relief to catch the patriot pilgrim's eye and invite him to pause awhile and drop a tear over the ashes of a nation's hero ; no splendid tablet, rich in design and elaborate in finish, spreads itself out to commemorate the heroism and fame of departed greatness. Too true is it that not even a rude head-board marks the spot where General Greene rests. Its Reception by Congress. 37 But, sir, I cannot and will not believe that the dust of his body has ever been desecrated. I cannot believe that the foot of the plow- man has pressed heavily upon his grave, or that the busy hand of the architect and mechanic have reared above it some magnificent struc- ture dedicated to commerce or luxury. Nature itself would not per- mit the outrage. Mother earth would resent the insult to one of her noblest sons, and palsied would be the hand and paralyzed the foot that would disturb his ashes. The locality of his burying-place may be unknown, but methinks that in some lovely quiet spot by the bank of a rippling rivulet, where the wild flowers of the South exhale their sweetest perfume, and shaded by some tall and graceful elm tree symbolic of the great man's life and character, he sleeps ; and the merry little warblers of nature, catching inspiration from the scenery, perch themselves upon the boughs of the shade and mournfully chirrup his dirge, or anon breaking forth into full-throated melody, richer than cathedral ever dispensed, swell the chorus of his praises, and fill the air with the music of his renown. And the Georgia yeoman, " as he homeward plods his weary way," approaching the spot, turns aside to spare the little lily that raises its modest head as a foot-board to the grave — " How sleep the brave who sink to rest By all their country's wishes blest ! When Spring, with dewy fingers cold, Returns to deck their hallowed mould, She there shall dress a sweeter sod Than Fancy's feet have ever trod. " By fairy hands their knell is rung; By forms unseen their dirge is sung; There Honor comes, a pilgrim gray, To bless the turf that wraps their clay ; And Freedom shall awhile repair And dwell a weeping hermit there." " Dust to dust," " ashes to ashes," Mr. Speaker, is the sequel common to humanity ; but some men " when they die, die all ;" their " mouldering clay is but an emblem of their memories." Not so Nathanael Greene. He can never die. He will never be forgotten. He has " left a mark behind ;" and shall pluck the " Shining age from vulgar time, And give it whole to late posterity." 38 The Statue of Major-General Nathanael Greene. And, sir, a hundred years hence, when I shall be forgotten, Mr. Speaker, and you only remembered by the distinguished services which you have rendered your country ; when this room shall have become too small to accommodate the thousand Eepresentatives of one hundred and fifty million people, who shall inhabit a Republic bounded by the poles and watered by four great oceans, and our Hall shall be converted into the " marble room " of the Capitol, filled with the statues of heroes, and scholars, and statesmen, not the least admired of them all, not the least noticed and studied and loved, among the many great, will be the beautiful statue of General Greene, which we to-day receive from the State of Rhode Island. Mr. Slocum. The exciting scenes through which our country has passed during the last ten years has undoubtedly had the effect to some extent at least, of withdrawing the public mind from the events in which General Greene performed so active and so honorable a part. But though to many the history of his military career may have been rendered somewhat less interesting by the more sanguinary struggles of our own day, yet there are thousands in our midst who now read the record of his military services, particularly of his cam- paign in the Carolinas, with an interest never before experienced and an appreciation never before felt for that ardent patriotism and heroic courage which enabled him with an inferior, and ill-appointed army to drive the British troops from those States. There are thousands in our country who have marched over the same fields, crossed the same rivers, and aided in winning victories in behalf of the same principles which actuated Greene and his command. These men can bear witness to the obstacles he was compelled to meet and overcome and to the deep devotion to his country by which he must have been inspired. The esteem placed by the country upon the services of General Greene was shown not only in words of Washington, but by the action of Congress, which after the Revolution voted to present to him two captured bronze guns, which, with a suitable inscription, were afterward placed in the little chapel at West Point, and which remain there, if I am not mistaken, to this day. But, sir, even the soldiers who recently campaigned over the fields on which General Greene won his brightest laurels, will fail to Its Heception by Congress. 39 appreciate his services unless they bear in mind the embarrassments under which he labored. His little army was poorly clothed, seldom paid, and entirely destitute of many of the appointments now deemed necessary to an army in the field, and which, by the great increase in the wealth of our people and by the advancement in mil- itary science, were liberally supplied to all our armies during the late war. It will be difficult to find two chapters in the history of our coun- try which furnish such striking evidence of our advancement in pop- ulation, wealth, and military power, as those which tell the stories of Greene's and Sherman's campaigns through the Carolinas. The one, in the language of Mr. Lincoln — " Struggling to bring forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. The other testing whether that nation or any other nation so conceived and so dedicated can long en- dure." The former fighting in behalf of thirteen sparsely-settled colonies, destitute of wealth and of nearly all the appliances necessary to mil- itary power. His little army having no pontoon trains was often compelled to make long detours from its direct line of march ; and the telegraph and railroad being then unknown, his operations were often involved for days and even weeks in as much doubt and uncer- tainty at the headquarters of the General-in-Chief as were the movements of General Sherman while in the heart of the enemy's country. In our late war, although we were a divided people, each side placed in the field armies, single divisions of which outnumbered the entire army commanded by General Greene ; and such was the wealth and patriotism of our people that no armies were ever better supplied with all the appliances tending to add to the efficiency and comfort of the troops. It is fitting that the statue of one who took so prominent a part in our first struggle should have a place in the Capitol of his coun- try. While it serves to keep fresh and green the memory of his great services, it will also recall to mind the days when a New Eng- land general was welcomed by the people of the Carolinas as a de- liverer from oppression. 40 The Statue of Major- General Nathanael Greene. May the recollection of that day and of the terrible scenes through which we have since passed serve to remind us and our children's chil- dren of the fearful harvest a nation situated as is ours is likely to reap from the seeds of sectional jealousy and strife which have too often been sown within these Halls. Mr. Beatty. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank the people of Rhode Island for the gift which they have so appropriately and generously presented to the country. The value of that gift, sir, cannot be esti- mated by figures or represented by words. The cost of the marble, the incomparable skill of the artist in the execution of the work, are no slight indication even of its inestimable value. It is a monument to those sterling qualities of mind and heart which elevate men to a for- getfulness of self and render them only mindful of the well-being of their fellow-men. It is a monument to that devotion to principle and that faith in the ultimate triumph of the right which impel men to abandon the quiet of home, the delightful companionship of wife and children, the pleasant paths of peace, and sustain them amid priva- tions, dangers, and disasters. The statue of General Nathanael Greene, standing as it does to-day in the most conspicuous place on the American continent, will be to the youth of this Republic a perpetual reminder of what one resolved heart can do in the furtherance of a righteous cause. The honest, manly soul, staggering under difficulties, overwhelmed it may be with adversity, will turn from the contemplation of this beautiful effigy with new inspiration and renewed courage. He will be reminded that the man to whose honor it has been raised was poor, was cruelly maligned, was surrounded by difficulties, was encompassed by dan- gers, was overwhelmed time and again with defeat, and yet, thank God, was never conquered ! His fervent zeal, his indomitable ener- oy, his unswerving patriotism, his broad, comprehensive common sense and magnificent heroism, sustained and carried him triumphantly through all, and thus won for him not only the gratitude of his own countrymen, but the admiration of the world. By raising statues we cannot hope co benefit the dead, but we may hope thus to elevate the living ; and that beautiful marble, which pre- sents to us the face and form of a hero, by teaching the youth of our land the honor due to freedom's champions, by inculcating respect for Its Reception by Congress. 41 the homely, manly virtues of self-denial, firmness, patriotism, perse- verance, and fortitude, may through succeeding generations raise up many sturdy patriots to defend the Republic and save it from dis- honor. When falsehood, selfishness, and every variety of meanness, bedecked with golden trappings, stalk abroad unrebuked, teaching the sorry lesson that honor is nothing and Avealth is everything, it is well for a State to hew out of solid marble the true standard of manliness and set it up as an enduring rebuke to this sordid spirit, and an encouragement to those who would rise above it to a plane of truer manhood and nobler usefulness. As we look upon this statue our thoughts revert to the commence- ment of our history as a nation, when the fate of a great enterprise, involving the fortunes of untold millions, was still enveloped in dark- ness. God only foresaw the end. Nathanael Greene had faith, and buoyed by that knightly sentiment which affirms that in a just cause success or failure is alike glorious, he pushed forward with a courage that grew on defeat, a perseverance that increased with disaster, a determination that would succeed or "die in the attempt." What he labored and suffered to attain we are so fortunate as to live to enjoy, and our hearts, I hope, and the hearts of all good men, I feel assured, go back to him and his compatriots, rejoicing over that courage and wisdom and rugged self-denial which secured to a great people such manifold benefits, and to a nation so grand a destiny. '• Praise to the valiant dead ! For them doth art Exhaust her skill their triumphs bodying forth ; Theirs are enshrined names, and every heart Shall bear the blazoned impress of their worth. Bright on the dreams of youth their fame shall rise, Their fields of fight shall epic song record ; And when the voice of battle rends the skies, Their name shall be their country's rallying word." The resolution was agreed to. CM PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS ATTENDING THE RECEPTION OF THE STATUE OF ajoif-fel Uathmtad €mnt, ARMY OF THE REVOLUTION, PRESENTED TO THE UNITED STATES FOR THE CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON, tutt ai |U)0ire fdanb. Printed by Order of the General Assembly. 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