Litchfield enquirer., 1859-05-05


 zion has extended even to Alabama, and it is certain that North Carolina and Maryland will respond in decisive tones to the rallying cry which is pealed from State to State through out the South.
 What does this movement import but that the refecting mind of the South is sick and weary of National Democracy that the fate of that party is sealed beyond redemption, and that the Presidential election in 1860 will consummate great deliyerance.
 --e=. St. Louis Democrat. THE DEATH OF WASHINGTON. Neither McCaulcy, nor Carlyle nor Ban croft with all their vivid and brilliant diction, can give us the history of great events with that power of current life with which they are recorded in newspapers that chronicle them as they occur The newspapers, the world 1 over, at the close of the last century, were small and meagre, compared with the journals of to-day but they are interesting as we'll as unique, even to their advertisements We re- gently noticed one, in the possession of Rev. Mr. Rockwell of this town, draped in mourn ing for the death of Alexander Hamilton. During the last week, two have been forward cd to us, both surrounded with broad, black borders of public grief for the death of Wash- amgton. One of these is number of the " Connecticut Courant," bearing the date of Dec. 30, l779, and forwarded by J. o. Petit bone, Esq, Simsbury, Ct. The other is the " Ulster County Gazette" "pubished at Kings ton, N. Y. date Jan. 4, 1900 ; or one week later than the other, but divided from it by the boundary of two centuries. We know not who sent the last but it was postmarked Chicago. Both are mainly filled with the sad intelligence of the death of the great Father of his country, and with accounts of his filne- raI. They contain the first outburst of the nations heart on the first news of the event The words of mourning are simple, natural and feeling. There had been no time for the elaborate diction of grief for studied ora tions In these brown, scant country news papers we have the first running rivulets of the popular grief at the national bereave- ment, not the well-rounded and euphonious volume of posthumous sorrow Unlike the decease of most of the iilustrious men who hemed our ship of state in times of tempest and trial, the departure of Washington was sudden and entirely unexpected. Not an n- timation of his indispostion could have got fifty miles from Mount Vernon, in the travel ling of those days, before the patriot-hero breathed his last. Here is probably the first published intelligence of his death, communi- cated in private letter dated Alexandria. Dee. Is, 1899:
 Il mention to you the truly melancholy event of the death of GEORGE WASHINGTON. He made his exit last night between the hours of II and l2, after short but painful illness  is by some called the Grippe, by others an Iu- tfammatory Quiusey disorder lately so nor tai among children ill this place, and believe, not until this year known to utta:k persons at the age of maturity" ss...
 What simple and impressive narrative of mortality have we in the foregoing statement {! The great man of America, Pater Patrie, the spotless, unselfsh, self-sacrifcing Patriot, who had stood the ordeal of seven years' cam paigns in the battle field without days fur | tough who had stood unhent by the hard ships of Valley Forge, now, at the acme of 1 his glory, when tue Indian summer of autum- nal age was shedding golden halo around his l head, in less than one days tale of time sick ened with an infants disease, and snccumbed 1 under 1t to death sooner than an infant yields to it's mortal touch its baby life
 Another private letter from Alexandria conveys additional information touching the event. It says, with a nervous incoherence l which adds interest to the account
 l My information l have from Dr. Dick, who was called in at late hour. Alexandria is making arrangements to show its high es- teem for him. We are all to close our hous- es, and act as we should do, if one of our fam l iv hoA fad ho bo1 No Aoun daily until he is buried, which will not be u,l- til Wednesday or Thursday. He died per fectly in his senses, and from Dr. Dicks ac- count. perfectly resigned He informed them that he had no fear of death, and that his af. fairs were in good order, that he had made his will, aud that bis public business was but ten days behiud."
 l Everett has given us the grand tout t-ensem5le of, Washington's life and history in the lucid and comprehensive generalization of phiIoso pher, and in the elegant diction of an orator But the great end of the great man was never put in more life-like words, and vivid truth ,,fulness thon in the last few lines of this letter 1 from one whose name is unknown--a private citizen of Alexandria. The ruling principles of Washing ton's life were strong and clear i,l death. Many have wondered at the minute and vivid exactness of his business habits ]; at
 the. small spacialities of his account current with the nation he..was defending at entries of such little items of credit and debt. All thess principles and habits show out to theil fullin the best hours of his ife.a His account
 current with his Maker was such as to givt
 him perfect peace and resignation His owr lprivate affairs were Ill ssttled ready for hi.