The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-02

generals one after another rode up
Wayne, and Putnam, and Sullivan en-
tered one after another !: Steuben from
over the river !; while the veterans
Knox and Green rode mp, together
from the south. Others arrived from
near the camp ground, until as no.
BILE group as ever, gathered around a
chieftain stood around Washington.
Gould this old room speak and tell what
passed at that sad and solemn council,
it would tell of noble devotion andp
fiotism such as the world has seldom
witnessed. It was finally resolved that
Washington should attend the meeting
and open it in person. It was arranged
that Immediately after his address 'sOld
Put y. should move that q committee be
appointed TO draft resolutions expressing
the feehngso of the meetiDg.A - 6S&
The fifteenth of March was a cold,
bleak day, and the leaden clouds gave q
somber hue to the wintry landscape.
Snow was still on the mountain tops.
and here and there lay in drifts in the
hollows, as Washington and his staff be-
gan to climb the hills back of Newburgh
toward the temple neur the camp ground.
Washington dismounted at the
door, and giving his horse to
the orderly, entered the building. It
was packed throughout its entire
length with an anxious audience:
Every eye was turned as that tall and
stately form moved calmly toward the
raised platform at the further end.
Not sound but his heavy football on
the uncarpeted floor broke the profound,
impressive silence Of the room. As he
reached the platform and stood for q
moment and ga-ed on the assembly; his
noble heart was stirred to its profounds
est depths. He knew every face, and,
as his eye passed from one to another,
what tide. of feeling must have swept
over his hear. They were his comrades
in battle. How often had they closed
round him in the deadly sencounters and
shoulder to shoulder carried him trum-
phantly over the fields OF his fame.
Noble men were they ALL on whom he
had relied, and not in vain, in the hour
of deadly peril. A thousand proofs of
their devotion came rushing back on his
memory; Their tolls and suffering rose
before him, and the whole history OF the
past swept by like moving panorama
till his heart swelled over them with
parental fondness. He hsd no word of
rebuke for them-only words of affec-
ton and sympathy. a .E3EAS ="
Unrolllng his manuscript, he took
out his spectacles, and said, in a voice
choked with emotion =" Youisee, gentle
men, have grown blind as we'll as gray
in your ;seryice." One could have heard
pin fall, $50 breathless was the audi.
ence; while many an eye, that had never
blenched in the widest storm, of bat
tie, grew dim with tears Every line
of this immortal address reveals the
stern patriot and the. devote l ehieftain.
After referring to the anonymous ad
dress, and denouncing the author and
his dark designs in unsparing language,
and the meeting called in this unprece-
dented way, he with changed voice and
manner spoke of the army, J its1 suffer
ngs!and devotion. and then passed on
to his own conduct, saying: elf my
conduct heretofore has not, eyinoed to
You that have been q faithful friend
to the army, my declaration to you at
this time would be equally unavailing
and improper" that he had
never left the side of the army except
when called away by duty, but had ever
been their companion in distress and
danger, aud adds: GAS 1 have consid-
cred my own military reputation as in
separately connected with that of the
army, as my heart has ever expanded
with JOY when I have heard it praised,
and my indignation has arisen when the
mouth of detraction has been opened
against it, it can hardly be supposed at
this last gstageof the2war tat am in.
different to its interests" Dut he asks:
How are these interests to be preserved ?
Not, he plainly shows, by following the,
reasonable advice contained in the ad-
dress. He then pledges most solemnly
his utmost ability to see all their wrongs
redressed, all their rights established. +"
He conjures them to, rely on the
plighted faith OF their country, and TAX
ing fire as he proceeds, he exclaims:
~ Let me eonjue you in the name of
our common country, as you value your
own sacred honor, as you respect the
rights of humanity, as you regard the
military or national character OF Ameri-
ca, to express your utmost. horror and
detestation of the man who wishes, un-
der any specious pretenses, to overturn
the liberties of our country, and who
'wickedly attempts to open the food
gates of civil discord and deluge our
rising empire in blood" He closes up.
his stirring appeal by saying: # you
will do this, yon will by the dignity OF
your conduct afford posterity OCCASION
to say, when speaking of the glorious
example you have exhibited to man
kind: Had this day been wanting, the
world would never have seen the last
stage of perfection to which human ma
ture is capable of attaining.
Tt was enough. The conspiracy was
dead, and a deep murmur of delight ran
through the audience. Removing his
spectacles, he descen ed the platform
and. moved out through the assembly,
each eye following the stately form as it
disappeared through tho doorway.
Knox Immediately arose. and moved
that the thanks of the officers be tender
ed to the commander-ln-chief for his ad-
dress, and "to assure him that the off,
GERS reciprocated his afectionate expires:
sions with the greatest sincerity Of
which the human heart is capable" It
was carried with q unanimous and loud
cheer. sold Put" as he was called,
then moved that committee of three
b6 appointed to draft resolutions and
report in hadf an hour. In half an hour
the report was ready. The resolutions
were short and spicy and tothe point.
They we're carried by exclamation, and
that was the hast ever heard OF the an
onymous address. " .~,
BEwARE.-Let ladies beware OF " lac
ing back "strapping up" or what
ever the correct term is, their dresses
too tightly; at least when they go to
court. At one of the last drawing
,oo,,, a lodv ofter exeeIItinr q most low