The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-02-11

The Twenty-second ~ February.
Next to the Fourth of July, there is no day more
interesting to American citizens than the Twenty.
second Of February the former gave birth to tn.
declaration Of American independence; the latte
gave birth to him without whom that independents,
might never have been attained The name O
Washington il consecrated in the hearts of III,
American people, and of the votares of human
liberty throughout the world So. also. is the da,
which ~ BEEN rendered ever memorable and plo
rious BY having given him birth.
The approach Of the Twenty-second of Februar,
is always regarded with peculiar interest 1t bring,
forcibly q mind the virtues. the wisdom, the patr
otism Of the father Of his country" whose like
in all that constitutes true greatness mankind may
never again behold.
Washington was Father Of his Country" moi
only in having led the armies Of the American
colonies, in the struggle against British oppression
but, when that struggle had resulted 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 Union of States, in having
administered the Government for two Presidential
terms, with the cordial of the entire people,
With equal appropriateness it may be said that he
the Father of the Union; for what is the Union
but our country, and what our country but the
Union, Thus Washington sanctioned the Con-
stitution Of the Union and thus endorsed the
peculiar Government Of which it was the basis
Il is saying not little 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 or dead
For near three-quarters of century the Consti-
tuition, which was counseled and sanctioned bv
Washington, has been the supreme law of the
nation, and has held firmly together the States, the
union Of which it was intended to cement Within
that time we have grown from population of three
to twenty-three million. From thirteen States we
have become thirty-one. From an occupancy of a
strip Of land contiguous TO the Atlantic coast, the
population Of the Union cover the broa area of the
American Continent from the forty.ninth to the
twenty-sixth degree of latitude, and from the At
lantic to the Pacific. The American Union now
looks out upon Europe on the East and upon Asia
on the West. From the feebleness of infancy it
has, within little more than half century, grown
to the stature of mighty nation among the nations
Of the earth. Its armies have proved themselves
rresstible its fleets cover every sea- Its laws and
policy both international and domestic are received
authority in every Government on the earth which
$ not wholly welded despotism. Such is the
American Union now. Should no obstacle arise
% impede its progress, in Nineteen Hundred and
FIFTY it will have attained a position of national
greatness, which it is now almost bewildering to
Can it be doubted that the unexampled prosperity
which has distinguished u.s. is mainly attributable
to the form Of Government adopted by our fathers
Of the Revolution? Is there any one who can sup
pose that, under any other Government than that
OF the Federal Union, we should now have attained
the position we hold among the nations of the
worldf 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 bless
ngs OF free Government The fact u.s. love of
'ountry-of the whole country Deep devoted,
rdent attachment to the Federal Union-is pre-
Comment sentiment in the heart, if not part of
he nature, of every true American citzen But for
his love OF country, this attachment to the Union
ne American people had long since ceased to revere
ie name of him who was at the same time the
ather Of his country and of the Union When
nat Union ceases to be cherished, then will the l
iemory OF Washington cease to be cherished by Il
he American people but not until then.
The -twenty-second of February is now near at |
and AS citizens Of State, the strength of whose
ttachment to the American Union is not surpassed
y that OF any other member of it, as we love our
ountry and cherish its institutions, as we revere
he name of him who was " first in war, first in
'eace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen,
ct us prepare to celebrate the day which approaches
a manner worthy of us, and of him to whom it |
ave birth.