The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-06-06
From the Massachusetts Spy.
THE NATIVITY OF WASHINGTON.


Mr.. EDIroR-As tomorrow will be the birth
day of Washington, who was ''irst in war, first
in peace, and first in the hearts of his country
menu we shall eon6ne ourselves to a portrait
of the illustrious virtues of this most perfect
and best of men, dra wn by pens that could not
err in delineating his unparalleled excellencies
And as his sssun hath made a golden set,'' and
goodness and he fill up one monument;'' may
we, as often the circling year rolls around, com
memorate his nativity-his useful and spotless
life, and the rich dying legacy he has left us.
So early as I776,- an Englishman Of distinc-
ton said 1.-The fate of all America turns itself
upon one small pivot. The grand crisis of the
Western world is alone in the hands of one
man-and that is Washington?n
sin l777i it wa a common opinion and express
ion by the soldiers and citizens, that General
Washington W as born for the salvation of Amer
ica." With this universal belief and opinion
prevailing the great body polite, its effects were
seen in the unity of sentiment and concert of ac-
tion, that so wonderfully prevailed. 'Look
over the resolves of the several colonies. and
you will see, that one understanding governs,
one heart animates the W hole body. Assem-
blys, conventions, congresses. town, cities, and
private clubs, and circles, have been actualed
by one great, wise, active, and noble spirit, one
mastery soul, animating one vigorous boGy.n-
This was a real"E Piuribus Ununs.n This is a la
mentation and shall be for lamentations tina
a. yearsaGIer the decease ofthc Faith r of his coun-
Try the reverse of all this is true! That great and
eloquent statesman, Hon. Charles James Fox,in
the British Parliament in 1894, pronounced the
following merited eulogy on President Wash
ington:
"Illus.rious man! deriving honor less form The
splendor OF his situation than from the dignity
of his mind, before who all borrowed greatness
sinks into insignifcance and all the princes and
potentates of Europe become little and contempt
ible! He has no policy, or arts Of alarm his au'
thority has been sufficiently supported by tn
same means by which it was acquired, and his
conduct has uniformly been characterized by
wisdom; moderation, and ~6rmness, l cannot in
deed added Mr.. Fox) help admiring the wis
dom and fortune of this great man; not that by
the phrase FORTUNE, l mean in the smallest de
gree to derogate from his merits. But,nothwith.
standing his extraordinary talents and axalted
integrity, it must be considered a singularly for
~tunate, that he should have experienced a 10
which so seldom falls to the portion of humanity
and have passed through such a variety of scenes
without stains and without reproach. 1t mus
indeed create establishment, that, placid in cir
cumstances SO critical, and filing; for a series
of time, q station SO conspicuous, his characte
should never once been called in question; tina
he, in no one instance, sh ould have been accus
ed, either of improper insolence, or of mean sub
mission, in his transactions with foreign nations,
1t has been reserved for him to run the race o
glory, without experiencing the smallest inter
ruption TO the brilliancy of his career. Tht
breath OF censure has not dared to impeach tn
purity of his conduct nor the eye Of envy Il
raise its malignant glance TO the elevation o
his V ~i.tues.'i Such has been the transcenden
merit, and the unparalleled fate of this illustri
Gus mani"