Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-03-01
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
wAsHINGToN's BIRTHDAY.


on the 22d by general cheerfuness visible in the
public countenance, and an evident of the in
erest which Justly attaches to the annual recurrence
of the day. The press of business at this late Pc
Rod of the short session of Congress, which pre-
vented the two Houses from adourning over on the
occasion, also prevented any general congregation
or festival in the city that day in honor Of il.
The occasion was honored, however, by salutes
of artillery and by the display of the National Ban
ner from different public ediices, and from the flag
stats erected in different parts of the city during
the late political campaign, the loftiest of which
still standing, and seemed TO contend with
Their in patriotic rivalry to do honor to the memory
of WASHINGTON.
We intended to have signalized the day by the
republication, from our own file, of the Euogium
pronounced upon the character of WASHINGTON, on
the Centenary Anniversaryof the day thirteen years
ago, in this city, by Mr. WEBSTER discourse not
less characterized BY historic truth and American
feeling than by profound views of the character and
value of our political institutions. The exclusive
occupation of our columns by the proceedings and
debates in Congress obliged us to deny ourselves
this pleasure on the anniversary, but which, if life
and opportunity spared to US, we promise to our
readers the next anniversary of the same glorious
day.
There is one passage of that beautiful address,
indeed, which, though the immediate day is past,
we think our readers will yet thank us for calling
their attention to; which we accordingly extract
from it, as follows:
Erfraet from .Hr UebSter's Eulogy upon Hash
iagfoa, pronounced al Washing ton, February
%, 1882.
''Wasington therefore, could regard and did regard,
thing of paramount political interest but the integrity of the
Union itself With united Government, well administered,
he had nothing to fear and without it nothing to
hope The sentiment just and its truth should
solemnly impress the whole country If might regard
country pcrsonated in the spirit of Washington-f we
might consider him representing her, in her past
her present prosperity and her future career and in that
character demanding of all account for conduct,
political men, private citizens how should he him
who has ventured talk of disunion and ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Or how should he him who dwels perpetualy To-
cal interests and fans every nng fame Of local prejudice
How should he him who would array State against
State, interest against interest," and party against party
less of the continuance of that unity Of Government ,chc
constitutes People2
" Gentlemen, the POLITICAL prosperity which this country
has attained and which enjoys it has acquired mainly
through the fundamentally Of the present Government
While this agent continues, the capacity of attaining still
higher degrees of prosperity exists also We have, while this
lasts political life, capable of beneficial exerton with power
resist msorunes, against the
binary accidents Of human affairs and promote by active
efforts every public interest But ACKNOWLEDGMENT strikes at
the very being which preserves these faculties would lay
rude and ruthless hand this great agent itself would
sweep away only what possess, bat all power Of
gaining lost acquiring possessions 1t would leave the
country only bere of its prosperity and happiness bu
without limbs organs, faculties, by which to itself
hereafter in the pursuit Of that prosperity and happiness
Othe msfortunes may be borne, their effects
If disastrous sweep from the ocean,
other generation may it if exhaust Treasury, f
ure industry may repensh if it desolate and lay
fields, still, under cultivation, they will grow green
again, and rpen to future harves Ii but ihe even
if the walls Of yonder Capitol TO crumbe if its lofty
pillars should fall and its gorgeous decorations be all covered
by the dust Of the valley All these might be rebuilt But
who shall the fabric of demolished Government
Who shall again the weproporoned columns of Con-
situona Liberty Who shall frame together the skilfu
chtecure which unes National sovereignty with State rights
individual security, and public prosperity No. gentlemen,
these columns fall they win be raised not again. Like the
Colosseum and the Parthenon, they will be destined TO
mournul melancholy Immortality. Berer tears however
will flow them, than shed the monuments
OF Roman Grecan art for they will be the remnants of
glorious edfce than Greece Rome sawthe ed
fee Of Constitutional American Liberty
But, gentlemen, let hope for better things Let
trust in that Gracious Being who has hitherto held
try in the hollow OF his hand Let trust TO the virtue
and the intelligence Of the People, and the efficacy of re
gous obligation Let trust the influence of Washing
tons example Let hope that that fear of Heaven which
expe all other fear and that regard duty which anscend
all other regard may influence public and private cit
and lead country still onward her happy career
Full Of these gratifying ancpatons and hopes let look
forward to the end Of that century which commenced
hundred years hence other disciples of Washington will
lbrate bis birth with less Of sincere admiration than we now
commemorate it, When they shall meet as we now meet to
do themselves and him that honor surely they shall see
the blue SUBMITS of his native mountains rise in the horizon
surely tey shall behold the river on whose banks he
lived and whose banks he rests still flowing 10 the sea SO
surely may they see, the flag of the Union
floating the top Of the Capitol and them as now NAV the
in his visit land Free more happy more
lovely, than this country"
STEAMBOAT DIsAsTERs.--It appears from re-
port recently made by the Committee on Naval
Affairs to the United States House of Representa-
tives, that from the year 1880 to 1910 eighty YES
sells were lostby explosion Of steam boilers and that