A Bicentennial Reflection: Honoring a Charge Worthy to be Remembered
This week marks the 200th anniversary of the only quote which rests in the House of Representatives, just above the Speaker’s rostrum, serving as a weighty reminder of the significant duties and obligations for every legislator in the House of Representatives.
On June 17th, 1825, Daniel Webster was joined by another notable figure honored within the walls of this very same chamber: the Marquis de Lafayette. Webster and Lafayette were both in attendance for a memorial of the Battle of Bunker Hill in which more than 200 surviving Revolutionary War veterans were in attendance. Webster was to deliver the dedication speech and Lafayette was to lay the cornerstone for the monument to memorialize the war.
Monuments usually stand to encourage reflections of the past, but Daniel Webster’s speech was a challenge to look toward the future. Mr. Webster’s oration included the quote which now hangs in the House chamber and says, “Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also in our day and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered.”
Looking up at this quote from Daniel Webster perfectly outlines the role each legislator plays in Congress – to develop our nation’s resources and utilize the vast opportunity which they present. As a licensed forester and engineer, and someone who has dedicated a large portion of time to stewarding the resources of our land in a way that can be conserved, honored, and appreciated for generations to come, this call has always made perfect sense. The tireless work done in the House Natural Resources Community proudly embarks on championing these very ideals, and it is a privilege to serve on such an integral committee.
Upon the founding of our country, our forefathers crafted something so unique and monumental – establishing a way of life which, in that age, the world had never known. And over time, institutions and ideals were established which inspired watchful nations. Our forefathers drafted the blueprint for a modern-day democracy, and every generation since has taken up the mantle to preserve and defend it. While his original audience may have only been a few hundred people on a field in the middle of summer 200 years ago, that number continues to grow with each generation. As his audience now, in 2025, he calls us to promote our nation’s great interests to see whether we – in our day and generation – may do something worthy to be remembered.
History’s watchful eye is witness to the decisions that are made in the House chamber and the work done in the halls of Congress. The legacy and mission we have inherited as a legislative body remains as true now as it did in Daniel Webster’s time. And we must never lose sight of the call to develop our nation’s resources, build up our great institutions, and make the work we do in our own day and age something worthy of being remembered.