Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-10-25
From our Washington Correspondent.
......... WASHINGTON, ID. c.,
Al

public resort. Tt has been christened
ancto, for the body of the beloved and
lamented Lincoln lay there fresh from
the shands of traitors and assassins,
while the people poured out their grief
over the revered also it has been deco
rated with the portraits of some of our
most distinguished and gallant soldiers
of the late. war, who fought for their
country's safety. No wonder the peo-
pie of the Quaker City. hold that Hall
more in sacred reverence since they
beLeld the President that was singIy
the peer Of Washington, while the
body Of the former lay wrapped in its
bloody gore beneath the shadow of the
statue Of the latter. The scene was
complete and grander than Earth ever
before beheld, when Lincoln lay i'm the
presence of the cherished patriots of
the Revolution. The Hall, though not
old and dingy, yet wears the appear
ance of former times-it tells ofThe
days of Franklin and Morris. 1t would
be well here to note that all of the
buildings in Independence Square are
built i'm conformity with the old State
House, even the new Court House that
has just been finished wears more of an
air of simplicity than some Court
Houses in new States. AS you enter
the Hall, the first object that attracts
attention is the Hancock Chair.o that
sits OH top of the table on which the
Declaration was signed. They stand i'm
the center of the Hall. The table is
small one-being common office table.
TO the right of these two is the Old In
dependence Bel. 1t has rang its last
note of joy and echoed the last response
from the American people. What a
pity that the same bell that sounded
liberty to the colonies, did not ring the
death knell of the Confederacy. The
| first and browning figure is the COM
handing statue of Washington. On
his right are the signers of the Decla-
ration. Near that renowned group,
Jefferson and Adams look on i'm PEN
sive silence. Still farther to the right
is William Penn, taken in full size.
The next is the distinguished orator
of the World since the days of Cicero.
Clay is represented in Congress when
he delivered speeches that amazed and
drew the admiration of the World
To the left of Washington is General
Meade, placed as though on national
dress parade. 1t is certainly fitting
that he should occupy a position so
near to the "Father of his Country"
for his services will ever be remember
ed with gratitude by the loyal, as
for tho disloyal their opinion
is worth no more than q tory of the
Revolution.
On the left of Meade is Lafayette, his
name brings up the forced retreat of
Washington and his small band of pat
riots across the Brandywine and the
gallant conduct of Lafayette there
until he was wounded. If he could
rise from the tomb and accompany
dashing Phil. on tour through this
country, he could then rest from his
glory and say that such demonstrations
of joy and gratitude were never paid to
Napoleon, Cromwell or Caesar. Gem
erals Knox, Greene, Lee and others
who rendered important service during
the Revolution overlook the old Bell.
Now We come to 1.-The sage to whom
/ two worlds lay Claim Franklin sits
there looking as majestically as II pen
ming to the World that he had conduc-
ted and centrsfed the lightning from
the Heavens. A modest, unobtrusive
stone simply tells where the Statesman
and Patriot lies in the grave on Arch
Street. Lieutenant Greble, one of the
first officers who fell at Great Bethel,
is just above franklin. Being from
Philadelphia, he was placed there by
the people of that place as the Ellis
worth of that battle. Mrs. Washing
ton is represented in her youth From
the fact that she was the mother OF
General Washington, every one would
admire her, but certainly she was a
woman of as much beauty as Cleopatra.
Jackson is holding in one hand the
noted proclamation, against treason, to
South Carolina, and i'm the other the
Constitution-may Nasty preserve it
now. 1t is strange to hear the seces-
sionists of Washington claim that Ste.
vens and his compeers in Congress
hare shattered 1t, and entirely. forgot
ten its commands. If it be possible
that duty and loyalty called for them
to go beyond its lines-it was because
there was no provision made or con-
templated for such rebellion, and OF
course there was no law provided or
else Davis would not now be in Canada
and the major part of the other leaders
now enjoying the privileges of loyal
freemen-it was better that Fort Sum
ter be sustained aud the Union pre-
served, even if the Democratic party
doubted whether the Constitution over
Swallowed Charleston-the same grave
doubt exists whether it over shadows
any of the Democratic party. The
Radicals have not plotted treason re-
Gently, nor for thirty years. Their
hands are not stained with the blood of
the loyal and brave. The cries of the
innocent are not ascending to Heaven
hourly and the orphan babe crying for
food by their acts. They never insult
ed nor fred on the flag of their Coun-
try. There is one happy consolation
that no portrait of any man connected
with the Rebellion, has place or can
have in Independence Hall.
"1L a e4 JACK DOWNING.