The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-02-23

By d s Tornan Henry Cloy--The /
irst statesman in the Union--hc has pursu-
ID the course dictated by wisdom, patriot
SIN and sound policy. May he be our next
President. This toast ,rds reccired nth
and long continued dpplaasc.l
By J A Watkins The speech Of our Cap
tain-We must have copy..of it for publ
cation.
By G E Martin-The memory Of Gen.
Montgomery.
By J A Watkins. Kosciusko Liberty
was his idol-and her spirit will eyr linger
about his sepulchre.
= By II nj Bassctt The Fdir-Our bright
est namenfs--May the married be happy,
the single obtain husbands to please them;
Orand may some of them have compassion
upon a certain dsconsolate bachelor.(D
By J A Watkins. The Oakland Band
They not only merit, but have our warm
est thanks, for volunteering on this occasion.
BY William b. Taylor. The Coil and
Military officers Of the Statc-These exc
cute for money, those for honor.
BY Guest-M ississippi-he relources
are inexhaustible: time and thesaluAry in
fuences Of wise legislation are required to
give them full development.
The day was very unpleasant; but passed
off without any incident to mar the good
feeling which prevailed, and which was SO
| suitable to the occas sion.
ADDRESS
Delivered before the Rodney Guards, Feb
ruary %, 1889,
BY CAPT. JAMES w. DAVENPORT.
1t is an honored usage to consecrate, by
appropriate observances, the day from which
important events are dated. All nations,
from the deepest depths Of barbarism, to
the highest elevation Of civilization and re-
finement, have kept sacred the birthdays
of their Heroes, and their public benefac-
tors. But what people-what nation, can
boast day which ushered ia such glorious
results, as the one we celebrate. The long
biography of heroes, statesmen and patriots
exhibits but one Washington. In the life Of
no man whose deeds has made his name i'm
mortal, do we find all the requisites of great
ness-all the noble and Godlike qualities,
which constitute the hero, the statesman, the
sage, and above all, the pure, the selfsacri-
ficing patriot SO beautifully blended. At no
ones ashes do we bow with such pure and
holy Devotion
The time which has been allotted me,
and which have been able to set apart
from other avocations, has not enabled me
to give you even passing sketch of the
many important events which made the life
and services Of GEORGE WASHINGTON, a
continued succession of benefits-rich en-
during benefits, to the land ofhis birth.
cannot give you details; and how shall |
speak ofthe results when the tongue of the
orator has failed!-when the pen Of the his
torian-the muse Of the minstrel have trem
bled at the thrilling and inexhaustible in
terest of the theme. In the attempt, genius
has failed, and patient talent has fallen i'm
measurably short of what we all feel, but
none can express. That oft quoted eulo-
GUM of the eloquent Lee, ''first in war,
first in peace and first in the hearts of his
countrymen,'' is like the erivelling strains of
the idiot, to the voice of inspiration, when
compared with the majesty of the many vol
umes of truth which it was vainIy intended
to embody. need not give evidence in
support of this broad and meaning assertion.
L need not follow the public course of the
man whose birth we this day celebrate, to
sustain me in the ground have assumed.
No praise can be so high, no eulogy so
magnificent, and no sentiment Of gratitude
SO warm, but it will meet prompt response
in every American bosom. 1t were need
less, were there time to recount the earliest
struggles af the NATIONS HERO for his
countrys' honor, in protecting the frontiers
of his native state from the rude incursions
Of the French and savages; when he, with
his little band of volunteers, saved the rem
nant of an army which had been sacrificed
to the ignorance and vanity of the pampered
Braddock; nor to the scenes of that bloody
conflict, which gave liberty and independ-
ence to this great union. To the patience
and persevering patriotism of the head of
our armies, amid scenes of difficulties, pri-
vations and dlscouragements which no com
mander ever knew-amid the treachery Of
friends-the overwhelming power and re-
sources of our enemies-amid the murmur-
ings Of a suffering and brendles army-of a
taxed and down-trodden people, until the
glorious triumph, which inscribed AMERI-
CAN LIBERTY in characters of blood on
the battlements Of Yorktown, and gave
peace and freedom. to the people, for whom
he had labored and suffered through years
of privation and trial. These scenes are
familiar to you. They are inscribed in char
actors Of living light on the brightest pages
&c. S-E A..