The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-03-13
How Washington Behaved when he was
IN the Wrong.

An incident IN - He NlrglulaNs, repre-
senting Washington as ready to accept
challenge, has led Leslic's Illustrated Paper
to reprint the following pertinent anecdote
from Weeuls Goss;Pping Life of Washing
ton
In 1891, Washington was stationed at
Alexandria with his regiment, the only one
o. the colony, of which he was Colonel
There happened to be at this time an elect
ion in the town loI members OF the Assem-
bly,, and the contest ran high between Col.
George Fairfax aud Mr.. E,zey. ! dispute
taking place in the { urthouse yard, Wash
ington, at that time net twenty-five years Of
age, contrary to his usual manner, became
excited, and, what was still more uncom-
mon, said something that offended Mr..
Payne. whcreupon the little gentleman, who
though but cub in size, raised his sturdy
hickory, and by a single blow, brought
Washington TO the ground.
Several of Washington's officers being
present, they whipped out their irons in an
instant, and it was supposed there would
be murder of hand. To make bad worse,
the members Of the regiment, hearing how
their commander had been treated, bolted
out of the barracks, every man with his
weapon, threatening vengeance on those
V ho dared to knock down their beloved Col.
Happily for Mr. Payne and his party, Wash
ington recovered time enough to go out and
meet his enraged soldiers, and after thank
ing them for their expression Of attachment
assured them that he was not hurt in the
least, and begged them, as they loved him
and their duty, TO return to their barracks.
As to Washington himself, he went to his
room, and finding, on mature reflection, that
he mad been the agTressor, he determined to
make Mr.. Payne honorable reparation by
asking his pardon on the morrow. No
sooner had he made this noble resolution
| than he recovered his natural calmness OF
| manuer, dressed himself and went to ball.
behaving as if nothing had happened.
! The next day he went to tavern and
wrote polite note to Mr.. Payne, requesting
| to see him. Mr.. Payne presumed the i'm
port of it was challenge for duel, and re-
| paired to the place appointed for the meet
| ing, expecting to see pair OF pistols intro
duced. But conceive his surprise upon en-
! tering the chamber where Washington was,
! he discovered decanter of wine and glass
es upon the table, and IN very friendly
manner me, him and presented his hand,
saying:
"Mr. Payne, to err sometimes is nature,
to rectify error is always glory. | find that
| was wrong in the affair yesterday. You
! have had, think, some satisfaction, and II
YOU think that is sufficient, here's my hand.
Let us be friends"
1t is only necessary to say, that from this
time Mr.. Payne became one of Washington
most enthusiastic admirers and friends. l
this conduct had not been deemed in Wash
ington to arise from magnanimity, and no
from fear, then he could not have become
the immortal hero he is regarded in history.
The ZoDIAcAL LIGuT.-The first clsa
evening, the National LntelligeHcer says, tn
zodiacal light may be seen in great beauty
in the shape of sharp pyramid, passing
inward from near the western horizon from
Jupiter, and thence by the Pleiades, beyon'
which it is lost in the Milky Way. On tn
eastern side of the Milky Way it can agar
be traced, especially between Praesepe am
Regulus; but in this latter case II IS Vel.
s, faint. being like thin white gauze along IN
,, sky. and can be detected only oy carelu
comparison of that portion OF t.e heaven
with The portions either SIDE. In tn
, west IL is beautiful yellow light, looking a
If the sun was just about to rise there.
: Lord Brougham's son, who is yet mir
' or. and consequently dependent on his Fl
e tber for support. has been noted somewha
= of late for Os attention to young actre:
o in the French theatre. His father recent
s wrote the following laconic eplstle ="
y you don't quit her, III stop ycur allowance.
/ To which the son replied-"lf If you don
|, double it, I'll marry qer." The son will e.
If en;ov \ seat in parliament when he becon