Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-02-15
The Twentv-second of February.

The Twenty-second of February.
Nextto the Fourth of July, there is no day
moro interesting to American citizens thar
the Twenty-secoud of February: the former
gave birth to the declaration OF American in.
dependence; the latter gave birth to him with
out whom that independence might never
have been attained. The name Of Washing.
ton is consecrated in the hearts of TIE Ameri.
can people, and of the ~votaries of human lib.
erty throughout the world. So, also, is the
day which has been rendered ever memorable
and glorious by having given him birth.
The approach of the Twenty.second Of
February is always regarded with peculiar
interest. 1t brings forcibly to mind the vir-
tues, the wisdom, the patriotism Of "the father
of his country" whose like, in all that consti-
tutes true greatness, mankind may never
again behold.
Washington was "Father of his Country"
not only in having led the armies of the Amer
lean colonies, in the struggle against British
oppression, but when that struggle had result
ed in victory to the arms he commanded, in
having presided over the Convention which
framed the Constitution, and, when under that
Constitution the separate colonies had become
a Union of States, in having administered the
Government for two Presidential TERMS, with
the cordial consent of the entire people. With
equal appropriateness it may be said that
he was the Father of the Union; for what is
the Union but our country, and what our
country but the Union! Thus Washington
sanctioned the Constitution of the Union; and
thus endorsed the peculiar Government OF
which it was the basis. 1t is saying moi 4 lit
tie for this Government that it received the
sanction and endorsement Of him who, by the
whole civilized world, is regarded as the first
among men, living OF dead,
For near tnree-quarters of a century the
Constitution which was counseled and sane
toned by Washington, has been the supreme
law of the nation, and has held firmly togeth-
er the States, the union Of which it was in
tended to cement. Within that time we have
grown from a population of three to twenty
three million. From thirteen States we have
have become thirty-one. From an occupancy
of . strip Of land contiguous to the Atlantic
coast, the population of the Union cover the
broad era of the American Continent, from the
forty-ninth to the twenty-sixth degree of lati-
tude, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific
The American Union now looks out upon
Europe on the East, and upon Asia on the
West. From the feeblcness of infancy it has,
within little more than half a century, grown
to the stature of q mighty nation among the
nations of the earth. Its armies have proved
| themselves irresistible; its fleets cover every
sea. It's laws and policy, both international
and domestic, are received authority in every
Government on the earth which is not wholly
welded despotism. Such is the American
| Union now. Should no obstacle arise to i'm
| pedc its progress, in Nintecn Hundred and
Fifty it will have attained a position of nation
al greatness, which it is now almost bdwilder-
ing to contemplate.
Can it be doubted that the unexampled pros
perity which has distinguished us, is mainly at
tributable to the form Of Government adopted
by our fathers. of the Revolution! Is there
any one who can suppose that, under any 9TH
er Government than that of the Federal Union,
we should now have attained the position We
hold among the nations of the world! Show
US the man who thus supposes, and we will
show you one who is insane, or loves not his
country, and is incapable of approaching the
blessings of free Government. The fact is,
a love of countrv-of the whole country-a
deep, devoted attachment tothe Federal Union
is a predominant sentiment in the heart, II
not a part of The nature, of every true Ameri-
can citizen. But for this love of country, this
attachment to the Union, the American people
had long since ceased to revere the name Of
him who was at the same time the Father Of
his country and of the Union. When that
Union cease to be cherished by the American
people; but not until then.
The twenty-sccond of February is now near
at hand. As citizens of a State, the strength
of whose attachment to the American Union
is not surpassed BY that of any other member
of it, as W. love our country and cherish its in
situations, as we revere the name Of him who
was first in war, first in peace, and first in the
hearts of his co~untrymen," let us prepare to
celebrate the day which approaches in a man
ner worthy of us, and of him to whom it gave
birth.-N, 0. Crescent.