keeping and will preserve them for posterity, while genius in battle and
heroic valor and unfaltering energy in the performance of high duty,
receive the homage of the American people.

Wherever the patriotism of the citizen is the only reliance for the
defence of the nation, the people owe it to themselves to show their
appreciation of the conduct of those persons who have arisen among them
that have been public benefactors, and have conferred distinction upon
their localities. They owe it to those who may come after them, that
they so manifest their gratitude that it will inspire succeeding
generations with a due sense of patriotism, and be an incentive to them
to rise above narrow and sinister purposes to the plane of exalted
virtues, and be stimulated to the performance of great actions.

Citizens of South Kingstown, the town in which he was born,--of
Newport, where he was reared, had his home in mature life, and is
buried;--together with the State and people at large, who have
participated in his glory, have been impelled by this common sense of
obligation to undertake the erection of a memorial statue of Commodore
Perry, a task, the execution of which was committed to a native artist,
and here is the artist's finished work.

The statue is designed to represent Perry, not as he was superintending
the cutting down of the forest for the construction of his ships; not as
he was meditating the plan of the battle of Lake Erie or the order of
its execution; not as he appeared the evening previous to the action
advising his subordinate commanders in the words of Nelson, "No captain
can do wrong if he places his ship alongside of that of an enemy;" nor
as he was opening the battle flag which bore upon its folds the dying
words of a gallant captain; not as he was leaving his wrecked ship with