Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-06-11
A Parallel.


History informs us that there was once great
and good man by the name OF "asnins''
George Washington. He performed many nHe''
torious services for his country in what was
known as the Revolutionary war. In iAcl he
filed the honorable and elevated position OF Oon-
mapder-in-Chief of the American army. ne
was deemed honest and capable. and was inuoH
respected by his contemporaries. Even 10 'he
present day his name is frequently men'ioneu
with gratitude, and, by general consent ne Is
called :. the Father Of his Country" There Is
perhaps, nothing endearing in this title per Sc
We frequently meet with phrases such as " stern
parept. - unnatural parent" and other e1-
rressions which Indicate that the nature OF the
narental relation Is not always and necessarily
rleasant as il ought to be. Yet the honor OF pa
ternitv TO such promising offspring as me
United States of America j. not an insignificant
one and on the whole there is no reason TO doubt
that the title was meant to be one Of afectonate
respect
Asa farther mark of honor the nation elect
ed Washington to the respectable office OF Fres'-
dent Like all who have filed that POSITION
Is he did not seek the office; it sought him
Some aiulatory individuals have actually as
sorted that he dirniied the Office, instead Of the
Office iignifying him. Still another honor WIS
| once bestowed upon Washington. Some demon
stratiye and patriotic young ladies Of frenton
once wavlaid him as he was passing through that
place. INSTRUCTED his path and nearly smothered
the hero himself, with flowers ingeniously
twined into wreaths and boquets. The affair
has become historic. Nearly every other house
in the land Is adorned with picture, more or
loss valuable in an artistic poiut cf view, rep
resenting the scene Generally speaking how
ever. the pictures are not snch as to commend
themselves TO a delicate aesthetic taste The old
est ones in date Of manufacture, represent wash
inrton apparently bound to pink-oolored horse
This NAV indisate genius in the artist, but does
| not betoken an extensive acquaintance with
/ natural history. But these are TRIES. The
graceful act Of the Trenton danes was the spon-
taneous Offering Of beauty to eousage and pat
riotism. Far be it from US to cast rilieule upon
the transaction. We allude to it for a different
purpose.
There is another American soldier, one Gen.
R. Z. Lee, whose career is pretty well known
His services. it Is true, have net exactly been
given to his country for the past few years, and
some have even called him a traitor But as
he was educated at his country's expense, he was,
of course, relieved ipso faeto from all obligation
to fight in her defense. He has never BEEN
President, which Is perhaps somewhat remark
able. in view Of the fact that his native State i
the Mother of Presidents" However, Mr.
Lee can draw consolation from the reflection that
Washington was not chosen to that high Office
till several years after the close Of the war in
which he distinguished himself
Like his great predecessor, General Lee has
been making tour through portion Of the
country. He was everywhere the centre Of at
traction, and, in many cases, an object Of quite
general homage. He was something Of martyr
withaL Prosy old Virginian politicians present
cd him with protracted " addresses VI welcome,
and miscellaneous gatherings OF women crowded
to press his ruieless lips A few malevolent iudi-
yiduals recalled tie time when this same Lee
passed up through Maryland and Pennsylvania
at the head Of an army bringing fire and death to
peaceful homes. But the people in general dis
claimed any opposition 10 renew the memory Of
those DAYS. The Virginia soldier moved like a
conquering hero.
Gen. Lee, too, has been made the re-
cipient Of a floral offering. Fredericksburg,
Va. is the cit that has thus distinguish
ed itself During the Generals visi; there, he
was met one morning, as We are told, &c by fifty
beautiful little girls. children Of the most pro
minent citizens of the place who strewej flowers
in his path and he walked the distance on a he'd
Of roses. the volunteer offerings Of innocence and
loveliness." The dispatch does not inform Us
whether the Sc fifty beautiful little girls 90 We're
dressed in the national or confederate oolors It
does not say whether they sang " Dixie OF
"Hail Columbia It diinot indicate whether the
'' leading citizens alluded 20, support the
!
Walker ticket. We are even left in doub, as TO
whether this ovation was given to General Lee
# the Confederate Army OF to Presileni Lee Of
the Virginia University. The memory OF the
great friends Of elucation-the Pestolozzis and
Horace NIanus-is everywhere cherished, and
Why should the Virginia teacher be overlooked
Though this explanation does credit to the
actors 10 the affair. We believe that IL Is not
the true one. A more reasonable view is that
the virgiuisus par ercelleace, the most g prom
iueut citizens and their daughters, are be-
ginning TO the Of the name Of Washington
They are weary of hearing him continually
praised, even as the ancient and intelligent
Atheuian was Of hearing Aristides caleb &c The
Just The venerable pictures Of Washington
at Trenton, which adorned so many noble Vir-
-inia mansions, have served their purpose and
must give way 70 something Of more recent
interest Such are the vicissituies Of fame
After honoring the memory Of the "Faihei
IF his Country" We can now begin to celebrate
the character and achievements of the So Betrayer
Of his country It's a mere difference Of one
word, and, as Carlyle would say, eve must
look behind the word TO the man
Who shall say that Virgins is not recon
struc,ed-shan we long-r exclude her from the
Union? To be sure while the ladies Of Freder-
icksburg were decorating Gen. Lee with flowers
many negroes were starving from being refused
the privilege Of earning their own bread To
be sure the students Of the University Of Yir-
GINA are reported in the habit Of shooting
coored men n an innocent diversion. It Is true
that the influential voice Of Gen. Lee Is never
heard from his acsdemical seclusion in favor OF
justice and the oppressed. He may never have
labored to heal the wounds Of war He has
never announced that he had given up the
- Lost Cause" But it is well for Yirginians to
homer him above all the living and dead heroes
of the land It shows clearly where her SYM
pathies are. Her " heart is in the coffin with
the corpse Of the rebellion. Until the practice
Of honoring UNPUBLISHED rebels-the Lees in
Virginia and theBreekinridges Of Kentucky
ceases the country will distrust Southern 10y
atty. The tour Of Lee is Of interest oaly as con-
frming and justiyng this distrust.
In an interesting debate on Canada and the
British Colonies on this continent. in the British
House Of Commons on the ID, reported by cable,
Mr. Monsell, the Under Secretary for the Colon
ial Department, intimated that the policy of the
government was 10 throw the cost Of self de-
fence on each colony. Measures to that end had
been partially taken, and they would be extend
ed next year. He had no doubt that the arrange
ment for the cession of the Hudson's Bay Com
panys territory would receive the ratification Of
the Canadian Government The question Was