Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-22
WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON.
This day is the one hundred and forty
second anniversary of the birth of George
Washington. Without claiming for him
the genius of Julius Caesar or Napoleon
Bonaparte, Washington has a far purer
fame, as his ambition was of higher and
llolier nature. Of him Earl Russell said
in his "Life and Times of Charles James
Fox:'' 'Instead of seeking to raise his own
name, or seize supreme power, he devoted
his whole talents, military and civil, to the
establishment of the independence and the
perpetuity of the liberties of his own
country. In modern history no man
has done such great things without the soil
of selfshness or the stain of groyeling am
bition. Caesar, Cromwell, Napoleon at
tanned higher elevation, out the love Of
dominion was the spur that drove them on.
John Hampden, William Russell, Algernon
Sidney, may have had motives as pure, and
an ambition as sustained; but they fell.
To George Washington alone, in modern
a wonderful revolution, and yet
TO remain to all future
times the theme of peoples gratitude,
and an example of virtuous and benelicent
power" The pre-eminence thus accorded
10 Washington by this illustrious historian
has met with universal approval, and it has
long been conceded that he unchallenge-
ably stands out as the purest great man in
universal history. The great-srandfathor
Of the first President of the United States
of America emigrated from England, about
the year 1867, having previously lived in
NorthamptOnshire. The history of the
ancestry of the father of his country has
been traced with much clearneSs by
a clergyman named SimpkinsOn, of
Brighton, near northampton, in volume
now before us, entitled The WGsbingtOns,
published in 1850, and more cOncisely in
speech delivered at a meeting of American
citizens in London, on Washington's birth
day, a few years later. 'The Washing
tons" he says, ''were a Northern family,
who lived sometime in Durham, and also
in Lancashire. 1t was from the latter
place that they came to Northamptonshire,
which is celebrated for its wool trade, in
which the Washington family appear to
have been interested. The uncle of
the first Lawrence Washington
was Sir Thomas Ketson, one
of the great merchants, who, in the time of
Henry VII. and Henry VIII. developed the
wool trade of the country. 81 have no
doubt" continues the lecturer, 'that the
reason why Lawrence Washington settled
in Northamptonshire, leaving his own pro
fession, which was that of barrister, was
that he might superintend his uncle's tran
sactions with the sheep proprie.ors in that
county. Lawrence Washington soon became |
Mayor of Northampton, and al the time OF
the dissolution Of the m0nasteries, being
identified with the cause Of civil and relig-
ions liberty, he gained grant of some mon
astic lands. The Lady Spencer Of that time
was n Kitson, daughter of Washington's
uncle. For three generations the Wash
ingtons remained in this. locality taking
rank among the nobility and gentry of the
country. At the end of three centuries
their fortunes failed. From this depres-
sion the Washingtons recovered by singu-
lar marriage. The eldest son of the family |
had married the half-sister Of George Viii |
liers, Duke of Buckingham, which at this |
time was not an alliance above the preten-
sions of the Washingtons. They rose again
into great prosperity. Ofthe emigrant it |
is remarked that he, above all others of the |
family, continued to be on intimate terms !
with the Spencers, down to the very eve of |
the civil war; was knignted by James l.
in 1923. When the civil war broke out
the Washingtons took the side of the King, ]
and Sin Henry Washington distinguished |
himself for bis valOr at the storming of |
Bristol and the defense Of Worcester.
This Col. Washington, says the historian |
Lloyd, was so well known for his bravery, |
that it became proyerb in the army when |
4 difficulty arose-"Away with it, quoth |
Washington" In Brighton Church may be |
seen to this day two sepulchral stones, one, |
dated 1916, over the grave Of the father Of |
the emigrant, in which his arms appear i'm |
paled with those of his wife; the other COW |
ering the remains of the uncle |
of the same person, and presenting |
on a brass the simple family shield, |
which exhibits stars and stripes, the latter |
alternate gules and white, while the stars
have the popularity of being fiye-pOinted-
six points being more common. 1t has 1
been coniectured by many that the origin
of our own star-spansied banner-Or ma
tiOnal fag-may have been taken from this
shield of the illustriOus general, as a COM
pliment no more than due to him.
OF his life and character it is unnecessa-
ry TO speak here. They are summed up in
his last word, sit is we'll
.sUndisturb'd d let the dust of the lov'd warrior
Where living he wish'd in his death to repose;
Where DER him the leaves in the summer winds
play,
Let the spot where he died when his honors were
Ever shield in its shade the renOwn'd of his
race; |
The blaze of whose glory shall never grow dull,
Nor the ravage of ages his triumphs deface.
asThe chisel-ETOught statue may sink 10 decay; |
The monument fall where it tOwcT'd sublime; |
The column To ruin slow Crumble away
But his name shall outlaSt all the trophies OF
time.
Tho the transports Of praise, and the tTiumPhs
OF art,
Add tributes 10 swell the renOwn OF his name,
y ct the homage that flows from the free tlrob-
biug heart,
Is the mood OF his worth, and the test OF his
fame"
A WouId-be YOtress Comes 10 Grief.
WORCESTER. MASS, Feb. 2l.--The FoS-
,r,aS cold l,yv Tho rav OlipctGr