The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-10-20

THE FATHER OF LAND.
Immortal Washington to thee we raise
This tribute OF grateful nations love;
In harmony we chant thy hallowed praise,
Which meets an echo In the realms above.
When Time has wrought the spoilers part
And crushed this pile with ruthless hand
Thy name shall live in every heart,
The "Father of his Land"
No record of the past SO fair as thine,
Though valiant deeds on history's page We see,
Oftyrants' conquests, wrung from freedoms shrine,
But victries far more glorious won by thso
Who fought but for thy country's good,
And drew for Liberty thy brand,
Who formost in the battle Stood
The "Father of his Land"
How proudly mcm'ry dwells upon thy fame
Foe to oppression, freedom's favorite son!
From sire to child shall pass without a stain,
The charter which thy arm and wisdom won.
For Liberty upon that scroll
Was written by thy master hand,
Whose spirit spurned unjust CONTROL
The " Father of his Land -
Col JosErH e. HART of the Directors of the As
ISOLATION then came forward and addressed the
bled multitude az follows
My fellow citizens- will not attempt repetition
of the historical details which have been ably dis.
cussed by my venerable and respected friend who has
just preceded 1t is known to many of my hearers
that charter obtained In the year 1888, by
ISOLATION of gentlemen, under the title of "The New
York Washington Monument Association' at the head
Of whom the late Governor Morgan Lewis, who to-
gether with eighty other highly respectable cit
named in the act of incorporation dirsc
tors. 1t proposed that monument should
be erected in this city under the auspices Of
that association, "n commemoraton of the services
and In honor Of the memory Of George Washing
ton" Nothing, however, done by that as
socatisn beyond organizing II is to be regretted that
the fact, because it was mposed Of men Of
great wealth and influence; and 1t Is believed that had
they exerted themselves at all the monument could ess
ly have been erected many years ago second Asso-
citation formed for the purposes,
Alien Moses H. GrinprII, william W Fox and others
men Of influence and possessing great wealth. the
managers named in the act of Incorporation Under
this act am sorry to say very little done and 1t
suffered to expire by it's own limitation In the
month of March Of the present year obtain
modifying and amending 1t In some PARTICULARS and the
gentlemen composing the board Of trustees
named therein Under this act the trustees immedi-
ately organized and adopted measures for future
operation. In justice to them, it is but right
to say that they have ever since been active in the
work; and that either body by committees they
have been in session almost every day and have
attention to the subject committed their
charge by the citizens and the Legislature They have
far succeeded that failure to carry through
sign Of building monument of vast size and magniA-
cence and OF unexceptonabis architectural beauty Is
considered out Of the question, thoroughly and
successfully have they taken their design
been adopted by the trustees which, without having
been by the public has been criticised and con-
demned in advance by writers and editors Of ability 1t
is not too much trust, to ask them to forbear awhile
until they have opportunity Of seeing IL them
selves when they its merits dement's u-
derstandingy But, while the trustees feel satisfied
with the design of their adoption, and II adopted
after months Of elaboration believe that they well
the architect himself willing to lay IL aside and
any time while the progress Of the building viii warrant it.
The trustees lind 1t necessary under the restric
tons OF the charter, to raise certain OF
before proceeding with the building That sum lacks
but few thousand dollars of being made up and they
confidently appeal to the citizens of New York for aid
In the great undertaking Of erecting this monument It
Is to the people largo they appeal and subscriptions
will be received here upon the ground aid Of
undertaking No matter how small how large the
1t will be most acceptable aud will be at once ap
propriatsd towards the intended object. We are
gathered together upon great and interesting
sion and, think you will all agree with me- that
time is appropriate than the present for raising the
funds proceed with the monument Youhsve
laid its corner stone, and 1t depends upon you my fell
lowcitizeps, to whether the superstructure shall
arise speedily II Is hardly necessary but II Is
raising this monument in memory Of the Father of his
Country Of whom it Is justly said, he was First In
war first In peace and first in the hearts Of his
trymen.n These are impressive words and they
true. That war, In which Washington was first Is
thrilling tals tale whose pages filed with anything
but pomp and pageant It was indeed, succession OF
privstons and calamity to almost every family in the
broadland The chief Of the greatest struggles
aud the greatest disasters were in the State of New
York, which was tracked with blood, and sered with
fire from one end to the other Even the ground on
which stand baptised in blood Here rested the
wounded and the dying pausing In that most skiu
treat after the battle upon Long Island, which
Quoted in person by Washington. Our monumental
pile will overlook the Of that battle and many
another kindred in immediate neigh borhood
1t will be in memory Of these things well OF the
| great leader OF our armies Of the Revolution. On
| the height just beyond U.S. occurred the dreadful
| massacre Of Fort Washington which file all
hearts with sorrow; and 1t the final act of that
deepest tragedy Of the war undertaken for freedom
Our monument will look upon the graves Of the brave
men who persisted In those able fights of Island
and Fort Washington while contendng against thrice
their number Of the best disciplined the best appointed
and the best Differed troops EDRand sent over here
to reconstruct and refasen our chain, t wiz look up
the remains Of those brave but unfortunate Who
taken n.bate mmured In prison ships and suffer-
ed TO die under circumstances OF cruelty passing oehef
Yet Of those brave hearts who escaped had their
recompense not their That lost day on Long
Island regained them mt Saratoga and NJ YORK
town the 18th Of October the day before yestsr
day were In the year 777 and the other on the
10Th Of October 1881 the day are COMMUNICATING
Glorious October! Though armies bled At every
pore amid disaster and defeat In every other month Of
the Yea it was In October that the American people
| saw the dsy-star Of freedom shining gloriously
bowed before these defeated troops Of ours
that bound up their WOUNDS the ground upon
which we are standing and that star TO Its
meridian and the day work DONE and the reckon
ing summed up the 10Th Of October 1891 at York
town where Corvallis the foremost In the fight on
and battered Of This tbs decisive action
o. slthe browning glory Of our long In the
OF freedom. Here then on this spot where people
stopped bews their greatest dsas err but where they
learned wisdom and prudence and gained experience
from defeat let us raise this monument IL here,
amidst the greatest dependency that Washington in
fused that mighty spirit In his men which afterwards
led to victory In 30 many battles Here let the tall
monumental pyramid Of stone 60 up towards the hea-
yens In memory OF that pyramid Of mind and action
devoted to his country's service Though the land
around us tells sad tale Of blood and Violence whose
details scken the soul and make the heart stand STILL
yet monument will also awaken the memory
ton's progress from infancy TO manhood. II will
look proudly over city small indeed, aud pn-
Jagged and crushed In the Of the Revolution
yet now the most hourshing and magnificent CITY In