propriating $200,000 for this purpose, but, in the political
excitements of that day, the Senate failed to concur. In the
absorbing public questions that ensued, resulting in the War of
1812, the subject was dropped in Congress for the time.

In 1833 the "Washington Monument Society" was formed, with Chief
Justice Marshall as its president. This society proposed to raise
the necessary sum to erect such a monument by voluntary subscriptions
of individuals, and in 1854 it had, by such means, constructed
about one-third of the height of the monument and then suspended
work. Thus it had remained for years for want of means to complete
it, a glaring evidence of failure. The portion of the monument
already reared to the height of 156 feet stood in rude outline, an
abandoned failure in the midst of a reservation partly covered with
water and broken stone. The society was incorporated by Congress
in 1859, but no further progress was made. It was manifest that
the work could not be completed by the existing organization, and
doubts were expressed whether the foundation was sufficient to bear
the superstructure. Under these conditions, on the 100th anniversary
of the declaration of American independence, it occurred to me the
time had arrived when a great country like ours should complete
this unfinished monument to George Washington. Under the inspiration
of this thought I wrote this resolution on the morning of the 4th
of July, and on the next morning offered it for adoption in the
Senate:

"Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to guide the United States
of America safely through one hundred years of national life, and
to crown our nation with the highest blessing of civil and religious
liberty, Therefore,

"The Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled, in
the name of the people of the United States, in reverent thankfulness
acknowledge the fountain and source, the author and giver of all
these blessings, and our dependence upon His providence and will;
and,

"Whereas, We recognize, as our fathers did, that George Washington,
'first in peace, first in war, and first in the hearts of his
countrymen,' was one of the chief instruments of Divine Providence
in securing American independence and in laying broad and deep the
foundations of our liberties in the constitution of the United
States:

"Therefore, as a mark of our sense of the honor due to his name
and to his compatriots and associates, our r