New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-02-22

TyWHlNIY-SE 0k' Stkafsf9 " iAk A. Hs5Se
The custom of celebrating the occurrence Of great
1 events and Keeping green the memory Of noble
achievements By particular honors paid to the=day on
which they transpire, il almost as old as the world
and has foundation in sound philosophy: that men,
seeing how virtue is priced and crowned with honors,
long after the actors have crumbled to DUST and long
after the immediate interests affected have ceased to
be, shall more willingly grid themselves to similar
course Of action and more zealousy pursue the study
of virtue This philosophy, running back to the most
remote periods has caused those commemorative eel
ebratlons, which, in every age and country have been
placed with golden letters on the national calendar
and there created its fasts its jubeesits days of
solrowing and rejoicing. -.
We, endeayoring to CLEAN and preserve from the
past all that is most advantageous and profitable,
While the chatf is blown away by the winds, have
saved this oden custom and found national cause sui
lcent to add a new crown to the day which gave us
and the world, the person, the preceps and the eA
ample Of him whowas 8 first in war; first in peace
and first in the hearts of his countrymen "-Georse
Washington. Stepping into manly strength just as
4 the French and Indian war was Its blossom, and
when the colonies we're il, no small degree, depend
ent upon the mother country for support, he lived
to see America through his own efforts and counsels,
and those of tile patriots who stood with him, great,
| free and independent the arbiter of the Western
Continent; tile envy Of the Eastern the asylum for
oppression tile model Of the world; praised by phi
losophers, sung bypoets, and initiated, to some eS-
tent by those transatlantic nations whose history was
gray and old before its very existence was known
The great facts Of George Wasiingtons life need
not be repeated here or elsewhere They are the
public property of the world--eyery where read,
every where criticised and universally praised Even
those whose politics were opposed to his the great
of the very nation he 50 stery and successfully
combatted, corspired do honor to one whose
virtues were beyond suspicion whose life was without
guile whose efforts noble national and patriotic
whose ambition was for his country first, and his own
success in hers who perilled life, honor property
and happiness that those around him and those who
came after him might enjoy the full measure of per-
5sonal freedom and national independence. Other
nations have had their heroes whom future ages
made demigods Rome its Cincinnat,ls and Fabius
Switzerland its Tell: Scotland, Bruce and Wallace
but, in the whole constellation of greatness, what
character of them all rises up with such round per-
feet and harmonious proportions as that of George
Washington? and on what page Of history is in
scrbed the synonymc of his name and fame
The day Of which the present is the anniversary
State of Virginia. But, as has been before said,
State claim no country exclusively appropri-
ate any such man as Washington His fame, his vir-
tue and his example, though nurtured and exhibited
on American SOIL shine great light to all the rest
of the world, showing men and nations how they
must act and what they must do to secure the re-
ward of greatness and goodness combined. Obtain
ing from the hands of Congress power almost un
limited that conferred upon the ancient dictators
enabled at any time to secure to himself much sup
port for the encouragement OF ambitious views his
integrity led him to throw personal considerations
wholly aside and to steer such course has crown
ed him with more inpershable honors than were
bequeathed by royalty
&" The first, the last the hest
The Cincinnals of the West.'
The present day is the anniversary of the birth of
George Washington; and throughout the country
such celebrations being had of it were pre-
jirtp1 fDr thn Fourth Iu1y Inv Holm Adams