Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-02-23
WkSHINGTOk'S BIRTHDAY.
GRAND MILITARY &CIVlCPARADE
BANQUET AND SPEECHES
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY,
FULL ACCOUNT OF THE PROCESSION

FULL ACCOUNT OF THE PROCESSION.
What day is this of proud acclaim,
Of rolling drum and trumpet strain,
And banners fl ,.ting in the breeze.
And cannon booming loud again?
A people come with grateful praise,
And hearts in unison,
As we'll BELTS, to celebrate
The birth of W .shington
From east and west and north and south,
Throughout our broad domain,
The plaudits of a nation swell
O'er mountain ILL and plain.
Not for ambitions selfish deeds,
Net for the cong ror's name
This day the glorious need is given,
But for the nobler tsme.
By man world wide accorded
And grander grown by time,
The fame that comes OF duty
And life of deeds sublime.
The 22ud of February is always an occasion
seldom fail to hail the anniversary Of Washing
tons birthday without some pubic demoustra-
ton in honor of the departed statesman and
hero, and as time wears on and year after year
passcs bringing with his birthday renewed de-
monstrations of honor to his virtues and 9alor,
society might indeed pause to contemplate the
spectacle OF the mperishable fruits OF his eX
ample that continues to pass down the genera
tions and centuries, and to receive the pubic
plaudits of his grateful and admiriHg country
men and the enconiums of the liberty loving
world. Examples like his are worth more to
patriotism than written parchments OF coust!
tutiona guaraGtees of civil liberty, and thus
while independence day eVokes but tse patrl-
o,ic ardor, Washlngton's deeds are cUthuSias
ticaIly remembered and revered. La these
DAYS Of tacuon aud passionate strife, of crlmlna
ton and denunciatlou, the people will not tor
sake all hope of the future as they remember
Washington serene and calm amid the tempta-
lions, trials aod dlsappolntmenls OF his Career
awaiting his hual aud ultimate triumph. lu
such times bis example STANDS like mighty
pharoS founded on sea-girt rock; the moSs Of
time gathers upon 1t, aud about II; the storms
beat upouit, aud the rude aud uncvli sea breaks
over 1t, but 10 vain 1t stands uushaken am
the storm aud the tempest, aud its beams,
steady aud serene, light up the fading horiz1n
of nations hope.
The weather on the eve of the 22i was most
uDpropltlouS, but the answer SeUt q Oid Prob
abilities to a telegram from the COMMITTEE of
ARRANGEMENTS was reassurlng, aud the morn
| ing's promise of fair day has seldom been
ly han lph pipt
pierced the severlug clouds at dawn by the
many watchers. So much preparation had
been made that all were DESTROYS there should
be good opportunity for the display. A. first
the sky was overcast, but long before the llme
for the procession the SUI came out and drove
most of the clouds away. Theucetor"ard orua
mentation Of houses proceeded rapidly, some
of it being, imprpmptu.
The day was OF al! others gala uay Tor AicX.
audria. he city was arrayed 10 ali her D.au
t., and dressed ut 10 her lovllast hues 10 graft
fy her cltizans and TO ontertaiu Der iiIustrluus
guests. BauGerS kissed the gale aud Il 'alcd 10
ges, aud as the Filth Regiment, and Company
A, Washington Light Infantry, aud Columbia
Cadets arrived from Baltimore aud Washing.
too, their approach WIS greeted by the deep
boom of the cannon opening roar. Nearly
every building in the line 81 luurcn Was more
or less vrDam 4Uted with .gs aud other deccra-
tons, aud from every UacJuy AIT window .:.:s,o
dark as midnight, or blue as ether sn1"-
down like stars upon the splendid pageant be
low. len Thousand visitors, it is estimated,
sweled the uat;Ve population IN dense crowds
OF delighted spectators tiat thr0ugad the streets
aud presented panorama OF breathing hu,
manly, Uuoyan with animation and exu!tlDg
10 spec ace un que anu entertaining.
In some sections vi the town there Was scarce.
y house that Was not decorated, and the
houses that Wore mourning at L"e's d.ath all
displayed the Anerical, fig.
Looking down Kug street it seemed to be
fairly lined with tut ins. Within quarter OF
a mile thirty immense Fl ,gs, with at les five
thousand smaller f g., were displayed. The
alpha and omega Ut the century, llI6-lSI6.
was favorite motto. WELCOME to Virgins"
Virginia Greets her Guests" Welcome Fifth
Marylaud;" Fifth Maryland, We Greet Thee"
Virginia to Maryland, Welcome, " and None
arc Strangers at Washiugton's Home, were
among the hundreds of notices displayed.
The Peabody building Was decorated with
long festooos of evergreen, and the letters
Nv ashington and Lee Schools" Flags also
adorned the building.
The Friendship Eogne Fl use was decorated
handsomely, showing the numbers l1I4-l7I6;
l02 years.
The Hydrau!ioD Engine House was hand
sonely ornamented and showed the motto u
the company-"The public good our only
aim
The Sun Engine House displayed flags across
the streets CONTAINING the names OF all the hre
companies 10 the city.
The R lief Hook and Ladder Hous. showed
several large flags
The Columbia Engine House was tastefully
dressed.
St. Johns Academy was wreathed with ever.
green arches ADD other devices. 10 front, sus-
pended under an arch, were the words; We
u rect Virginia Guests" Washington s little
hatche, was prominently displayed on the build
iog.
o. many houses pictures of Washiueton and
Lee were displayed SIDE BY side. MIR. Brill, on
Klog street, showed Jackson, Lee aud Wash
iugtou. 10 some places the Declaration Of L.
dependence was hung surrounded BY flags and
flowers