Neither of them was
of the assembly of great men which formed the present constitution, and
neither was at any time member of congress under its provisions.
Both have been public ministers abroad, both vice-presidents and both
presidents. These coincidences are now singularly crowned and completed.
They have died together; and they died on the anniversary of liberty.
When many of us were last in this place, fellow-citizens, it was on the
day of that anniversary. We were met to enjoy the festivities belonging
to the occasion, and to manifest our grateful homage to our political
fathers. We did not, we could not here forget our venerable neighbor
of Quincy. We knew that we were standing, at a time of high and palmy
prosperity, where he had stood in the hour of utmost peril; that we saw
nothing but liberty and security, where he had met the frown of power;
that we were enjoying everything, where he had hazarded everything; and
just and sincere plaudits rose to his name, from the crowds which filled
this area, and hung over these galleries. He whose grateful duty it was
to speak to us, [Hon, Joshiah Quincy] on that day, of the virtues of our
fathers, had, indeed, admonished us that time and years were about to
level his venerable frame with the dust.
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