Weekly Trinity journal., 1863-07-04
The Immortal Memory of Washington.

I
full are likely to be excited the story of her then
recent struggle raised throb in every heart that
| loved liberty, and wrung reluctant tribute even
! from discounted oppression. | saw her spurn-
| ing the luXuries that would enervate, and the le
| gions that would ntimidate dashing from her
/ lips the poisoned cup of European servitude, and
! through all the vcissitudes of her proraced con-
! tct, displaying magnanimty that defied mis-
( fortune, aud moderation that gave new grace
| to victory. 1t was the first vision of my child.
hood, it will descend with me to the grave.
/ But if as man, venerate the mention of
america what must be my feelings towards hor
az an lrishman? Never, while memory remains,
can Ireland forget the home of her emigrant,
and the asylum of her exile. No matter whether
their sorrows were real or imaginary, that must
be reserved for the scrutiny of those whom the
lapse of time shall acquit of partalty. 1t is for
the men of other ages to investigate and record
! ii but surely il is for the men of every age to
hail the hospitality that received the shelerless
and love the feeling that befrieuded the unfor.
tunate. Search creation round where can you
find country that presents so sublime view
so interesting an anticipation? The oppressed
of all countries, the martyrs of every creed, the
innocent victim of despotic arrogance or super
stious frenzy, may there find refuge his in
dustry encouraged, his pety respected, his am
bition animated with no restraint but those
laws which are the same to all, and no distinc
tion, but that which his merit may originate.
Who can deny that the existence of such a
country presents subject for human congratu
lation Who can deny that its gigantic advance
ment offers field for the most rational conlec-
iure Who shall say that when, in its follies or
its crimes, the Old world may have inferred all
the pride OF its power and all the pomp OF its
civilization, human nature may not find its des-
tined renovation in the new! For myself have
no doubt of it, | have not the least doubt thai
when onr temples and our trophies shall have
! m Mt wi hn oln ac ON
name shall be but the legend of tradition,
philosophy will rise again in the sky of her Frank
lin, and glory rekinde at the urn of WASHINGTON.
Is this the vision of a romantic fancy Is it
even improbable? Is it half 50 improbable ns
the events which for the last twenty years have
rolled like successive tides over the surface of
the European world, each erasng the impression
that preceded it? Thousands upon thousands,
sir, know there are, who will consider this sup
position as wild and whimsical but they have
dwelt with little reflection upon the records of
the past. They have but i'll observed the never
ceasing progress of national rise, and national
ruin. They form theis judgment on the dcceitlul
stability of the present hour never considering
the innumerable mOnarchies and republics in
former days. apparently as permanent, whose
very existence is now become a subject of specu-
laton, had almost said 81 skepticsm
appeal to history Tell me, thou reverend
chtoel4ler of the grave. can ambition. wealth.
/
permanency of lis possession? Alas Troy
thought so once, yet the land Of Priam lives only
J in song! Thebes thought SO 0nce yet her hun
dred gates have crumbed and her monuments
are as the dust they were vainly intended to com
memorate SO thought Palmyra ; but where is
she So thought the countries OF Dem0sthenes
and Leouidas yet Sparta is trampled by the
timed slave, and Athens insulted by the servile
Ottoman. The days of their glory are as il they
had never been and the island which was then
speck, rude and neglected in the barren ocean,
now rivals the ubquily of their commerce, The
glory OF their arms, the force OF their philosophy,
the eoquence of their senate, and the inspiration
of their bards
Who shall say then, contemplating the past,
that England, proud and powerful as she appears
may not day be what Athens u.s. and the
young America yet soaE to be what Athens .pas
Who Shall say, that when the European column
shall have moudered, and the night of barbarism
obscured its very ruins that mighty continent
may not emerge from the horizon to rule for its
time sovereign of the ascendant
Such, sir, is the natural progress of human
operations, and such the unsubstantia mockery
of human pride But | should, perhaps, apollo
gize for this. dgresson. The tombs are at best
"a sad, although an instructive subject At all
events, they are i'll suited to such hour as
this ! shall endeavor to atone for it, by turn
ing to a theme which tombs cannot inurn, or
revolution alter.
1t is the custom of your board, and noble
one it is, to deck the cup of the gay with the
garland of the great. Allow me to add one flower
to the chaplet, which though it sprang in Amer
lea, is no exotic virtue planted it, aud ii is nat
| uralzed everywhere.
| see you concur with me that it matters very
| little what immediate spot may be the birth place
| of such man as WAsIIlNGTON. No people can
claim, no country can appropriate him. The
boon of Providence to the human race, his fame
is eternity, and his residence creation. Though
it was the defeat Of our arms, and the disgrace OF
our policy, | almost bless the convulson in
which he had his origin. In the production of
WAsHINGToN. it does really appear as II nature
was endeavOring to improve on herself and that
all the virtues of the ancient world were but so
many studies preparatory to the patriot Of the
| new Individual instances no doubt there we're !;
splendid examples of some single qualification
Caesar was meTciful ScipiO was continent, Han
nbal was patient; but it was reserved for
WAsuINGToN TO blend them all in one and like
the lovely master piece OF the Grecian artist, TO
exhibit in Que glow OF associated beauty, the
pride of every model, and the perfection of every
master.
AS a general he marshalled the peasant into q
veteran and supplied by discipline the absence
of experience. AS a statesman, he enlarged the
policy of the cabinet into the most comprehen-
sive system of general advantage and such was
the wisdom of his views, and the philosophy Of
his cOunsels, that to the soldier and the states
man, he almost added the character of the sage.
A conqueror, he was unainted with the crime
of blood a revoutionist, he was free from any
stain of treason, for aggression commenced the
contest, and his country called him to the com
nand. Liberty unsheathed his sword, necessity
stained, victory returned 1t.
If he had paused here, history might have
doubted what station 10 assign him, whether at
the head of her citizens or soldiers, her heroes
or her patriots But The last glorious act crowns
bis career, and banshes all hesitation. Who,
like WAsHINGToN after having emancipated u
hemisphere, resigned its crown, and preferred
the retirement of domestic life to the alteration
of land he might be almost said to have created
How shall ", rank thee upon glory's page,
Thou more THAI soldier, aud just less than sage2
All thou hast been reflects less fame on thee,
Far less than all thou hast forborne TO be.
Such, sir, is the testimony OF one not TO be ac-
cused of his partiaity in bis estimate OF America
Happy, proud America The lightnings of
heaven Welded to your philosophy The temp