The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-08-05

10 hDo'lSN II, ana 10 institute new boNeTH %
mont, laying it's foundation on such prInc-
Piles, and organizing its power in such form
us to them shall seem most likely to affect
their safety and happiness" these fundamen-
tai mnNims of the right ofmun are proclaim
cdas emphntically this day in Paris as they
were seventy-two years ago this day in Phil
ddelphin.
And not in Paris nonc. Tho whole civil
| lied world rCsounds with American opinions
and American principles. Every vale is vo-
cal with them. Every mountain has found n
tongue for them.
-Sonitum toto Gormania Cmlo,
Audit, CT insoitis trcmucrunt motibus hlpcs.
Every where the people nre heard calling
the rulers TO account and holding them TO u
just responsibility. Every where tho cry is
raised for the elective frnnchisc,tho trial byju
ry, the freedom Of the press, written consti-
tutions, representative systems, republican
forms.
In some cases, most fortunately, the rulers
themselves have not escaped some scasonn-
bic symptoms ofthe pervndiug fcrvor for free
dom,nnd have nobly anticipated the demands
of their subjects. TO the sovereign Pontiir
of the Roman States in particular belongs the
honor of having led the way in tho great
movement of the day, and no American will
withhold from him cordial tribute of re-
| spect and admiration for whatever he has
done or designed for the regeneration of Tia
| ". Glorious indeed on the page of history
will he the name of Plus IN, if the rise of n
mother Rome shall hc traced to his wise and
! liberal policy. Yet not less truly glorious,if
his own authority should date its decline to
his noble refusal to lend his opostoical sane
ton to n war of conquest.
For Italy, howcver,and for France, and for
the whole European world nlikc,n great work
still remains. A RATIONAL practical, endur-
ing liberty cannot he acquired in pnroXysm,
cannot he established by II proclamation. 1t
is not, our history proves that it is not,
"thc hasty product off day
Blu, the wclI'rpGncd fruit Of wise delay"
The redress Of few crying grievances,thc
reform ola few glazing abuses the Danish
mcmt OF II minister the burning Of a throne,
the overthrow of a dynasty, these arc but
scauty preparations for the mighty undertake
ing upon which they have entered. New sys-
TENS are to he constructed; new forms 10 he
established; new Governments to be instlu-
ted, organized and administered, upon prin-
ciplcs which shall reconcile the seeming con-
ilict between liberty and law, and secure to
every ono the enjoyment Of regulated const-
tu;onal freedom.
And il. is nj this moment, fellow citizens,
this vast labor is about tn he commenced,
when the files ofthr old world are searched
in vain for prcccdcnts, and the file leaders of
the old world are looked to in vain for po-
nccrS, and when all eyes are strained TO iiud
the men, to tiud the mnn who Is sufficient for
these thugs, it is at such a moment that we
are assembled on this pinnacle oithe Amcri-
can Rcpublic--I might almost say by some
Divine impulse and dircction-to hold up n
fresh tn the admiration and imitation ofinan-
kind the character and example Of George
Washington.
Let us contemplate that character and that
example for n moment, and see whether
there be anything in all the treasures of our
coun,ry's fame, I do not say merely Of equal
intrinsic value, but of such eminent adap,a-
ton TO the cXigcuccs Of the time aud the M
mediate wants ofthc world.
will enter into no details Of his personal |
history. WaShngton's birth day is n nation
al festival. His whole life, boyhood and man |.
hood, has been learned by heart by us all. |
Who knows not that he was 4 sctmadc man?
Who knows not that the only education which |
lie enjoyed was that ofthc common schools |
of Virginia, which AT that day were the YER |
Y commoncst sort? Who remembers not
those extraordinary youthful adventures by |
which Inc was trained up TO the great work |
of his destiny? Who remembers not the la
bors u exposures which he encountered as
land surveyor, at tho early age of sixteen !
years! Who has forgotten the perls of his
journey of forty one days and five hundred |
and sixty miles, from Williamsburg to French |
Creek, when sent, at the age of only twenty
one. as commissioner from Gov Dinwlddic,to
demand of the French forces their authority
for Invading The Kings domiEions? Who
has not followed him a hundred times, with
breathlcss anxiety, ms he threads his way
through that pa,llcss wilderness, at ono mo-
mcnt fired nj by the Indians mt fifteen PAGES,
Mt the next wrecked upon raft amid snow
and ice, and subjected throughout 10 every
danger which trcacherous elements or still
more ircachcrous enemies could involve?
Who has forgotten his hardly less miraculous
escape, n few years later, on the banks of the
when, foremost in that fearful
fight, he was the only mounted officer of the
British troops who was not either killed or
desperately wounded?
Let me not speak of Washington as
merely self made man. There were milu-
onccs employed in Wondering and making ]
him, far above his own control. Bcrcit of
his father at the tender ago Of eleven years,
he had mother left to whom the world can
never over estimate its debt. And higher,
loicr still, was tho guardianship so signally
manifested in more than ono event his life.
'By the oil powerful dispensations of Provi- {
lencc," wrote Washington himself to his
generated parent after Braddocks doicai, 81
nave been protected beyond all human prob
lbilty, or expectations; for had four bullets
through my coat and two horses shot under
ne,yet escaped unhurt although death wns {
evelling my companions on every side OF
me-" Well did the eloquent pastor ola
parish, on his return, point out a
o the public TINT heroic youth, Col Washing /
on, whom (says he) cannot hut hope Frovi-
!cnce has hitherto preserved in so signal |
nnnnnr Cnr snnln iInnnrtnnt Scrvicr to the q