Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-02-22

IO-aay ls the anniversary Of the birth Of Wash
ingOn, and we have thought that we could not NOR
appropriately occupy portion of our paper thai
with some "reminiscences Of him Of whom il has beef
beaufulysaid Providence left him childles that thu
nation might call him Father.
In a recent number of the New York Leager Mrs
l. H. Sigeurney brings forth from the treasures Of
Mount Vernon hitherto unpublished epistle Of
Washington, addressed to his "dear Lund." who
was then in charge of the premises while he was
serving his country in the war. alt covers she
says, 'nearly four pages of the antique foolscap,
in clear, fair chrOgrapby, without blot or erasure
It's date Aug. 20, l77s) reveals that il was written
in less than two months after the Declaration Of In
dependence, at time when some Of the most eau,
ious statesmen, balancing our infant power with
that Of an exaspera'ed foe, secreely contemplated
the act as Of temerity. Yel Washington, stand
ing forth in the front of danger, at the head of an
disappointed and siekly army, threatened with i'm
mediate battle by naughty host lowering on his
borders, is still able to give minute directions re,
speeding his rural and household concerns not even
| forgetting message Of kind remembrance to a
faithful domestic In this We an illustration Of
the superior capacity which he possessed of never
emitting the smslles. duties when burdened with the
greatest" For after giving directions respecting
the shipping eff -four, Washington says: al wish
most ardently that you would get the north end Of
the hOusecoversd this fall you should be Obliged
to send ell over Virgins, Maryland and Pennsylva-
mia for nails to do it with" That houss is falling
TO decay, and the Ladies' Mount Vernon Associa-
ticn is going over the whole Union 10 get money to
rescue it with. After alludingto the sekIy condi.
ton and the smsllness Of his army, Washington
says: al ksve doubt, at least an altered into
the belief, that victory, if unfortunately it should be
decided in favor Of the enemy, viii be Purchas-
ed at very easy rate " and expressing bis reliance
on Providence for success concludes by saying: IF
did not think oursiTuggle just, am sure il would
meet with assistance from me, and sure aun that
no pecunisry satisfaction upon this earth can com
pensSte for the loss of all ny domestic happiness
and requiIe me for the load OF business that con-
stsntly presses upon and deprives me of every en-
joymeut."
limited edition Zone hundred copies) of Dairy !
Of Washington, from the Let Of October, 1889. to
the 10th of October, 1890, has recently been pub>
lisbed in New York by Mr.. B. J. LOSING notice
Of which VS. find in the first number of TIE Centurv
This is, of course, only portion of the Diary
which, in some shape or other, Washington Kept
through his life, but, as The Century remarks. the
book being from his pen, brings before us viv-
idly in bis habits he lived the venerable shape Of
Washington.
Extending aver period Of five months, from the
fret Of October, 1889, until the tenth OF March,
1870, says The Century, it embraces that rss inter
val Of repsss, if repOse it can be called, which
Washington enjoyed after his Inauguration as Prss-
DENT at New York, and the opening session Of Con-
gress. He was at the age Of fifty seven.
1t was but five months since he took the oath Of
Office. More than half that time had been passed
under the effects Of serious illness in the course
Of which be uttered that memorable answer to his
physician, Dr. Baird, whom he had questioned
about bis hopes Of recovery" Whether tonight,
or twenty years hence, makes no difference,
know that am in the hands Of Good Providence"
tho very sentiment which Shakespeare put in the
lips Of Hamlet on the eve of mortality" There is
q special Providence in the fall Of sparrow. If it
be now, it's not to come; if it be not to come, it
will be now; if it be not now, ye. it will come: the
readiness is ALL"
His mothers death, at Fredericksburg occurred
When we add to this sickness and this solemnity,
anxiety in the formation and working Of the new
government, We feel that we have entered period
of Washlngton's life when the intimacy Of diary
is especial privilege 1t must be promised, how
ever, that this Diary bears no resemblance to the
ordinary works Of authorship OF that name, where
me closet is made confessional, and manuscript
the depository Of personal thought or sentiment. or
where there is an accumulation Of piquaut gossip to
crafty the curiosity Of pOs.erity; il is simply in
plain sincerity, record or memorandum Of facts
for personal reference But they are the facts Of
great career, and partly, by their very negative
character, their reserve and omissions, are signih-
cant Of the man.
Congress had just adjourned for thrse mouths at
the end Of September, lesving the President to fill
up judieisry appointments, meet the army Of Office
seekers, kept at greater distance then than now
and study questions Of policy at home and abroad.
The tour through New England is complete cpl
sode in the midst of these details We have its ncep
ton October 8: "Had conversation with Col Ham
iitOn on the prOprety Of my making a tour through
the Eastern States during the recess of Congress- to
acquire knowledge OF the face Of the country, the
growth and agriculture thereof aad the temper and
disposition of the inhabitants toward the new Gov
nuent, who thought it 8 very desirable plan, and
advised it accordingly" Gen. Knox is consulted
the next day, Jay the day after, and on the 18th
Il e ctvalcade is fairly on its way through West
chester county The state of the country, crops,
and cattle is carefully noted with the eye Of the
! farmer Along the Sound to New Haven by Horse
reck, where, with noticeable towering Of Ian
glage and slight scratch Of Prisoian, he remarks:
''Tae superb landscape to be from the meeting
house is superb regalis, by Fairfield "a pretty
village" and stfatfOrd, where he was greeted by
Dr.. johnson, then Senator, and afterwards Prssi>
dent of Columbia College, to Middleton, Hartford,
| Springfield, Worcester, Cambridge.
! The entry Of Boston was nam incident Of the
Presidential progress" which. it viii be rsnem-
bered was somewhat marred BY the vagsries Of Gov
Hancock, with al hs good qualities and services to