The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-01-15
The Death of Washington.

Seventy-six years ago died George
Washington, the first President Of
the United States. On December Il
h; noted in his diary that "about one
o'clock it began to snow, soon after to
hail, and then turned to settled cold
rain" He had gone out in the morn
ing mounted on his horse to make the
round of his estate, and notwithstand-
ing the change in the weather, he con-
tinued his ride until three o'clock in
the afternoon. On the following
morning heavy fall of snow prevent
ed him from taking his customary ride,
and he complained of sore throat
and cold he had taken the previous
day. During the ensuing night he
was taken extremely i'll, and by day
break his condition excited the most
serious alarm. Although able at times
to speak during tine day of December
IA, he breathed with difficulty, and
continued to fail until between ten and
eleven o'clock at night he calmly ex-
PRED. There was nothing remarkable
aoout the death of George Washing
ton. The manner of his death was
like the manner of his life, strikingly il
Illustrative of his character. Other great
soldiers have died in their beds sur
rounded by their families and friends,
but with their own minds filed with
the visions of glorious war, or the
terrible recollections of defeat; other
great rulers have died in retirement,
but with the fancy that they were still
welding the rod of empire shutting
out the view of death. George Wash
ington died as any Virginia country
gentleman might die, with his last
thoughts given to those who were dear
est to him, and to the settlement of his
own temporal and spiritual affairs.
His last act was to feel his own pulse,
and his last word was request that
he might be decently and unostenta-
tiously buried. A few hours before
his death he requested Mrs. Washing
ton to bring him two wills which she
would find in his desk. On being
brought to him he directed her to burn
one, as it had been superseded by the
other and was of no further USE
After this he remarked to his friend
MIR. Lear: 81 find [ am going; my
breath cannot last long. / believed
from the first that the disorder would
be fatal. Do you arrange and record
all my late military letters and papers.
Arrange my accounts and settle my
books, as you know more about them
than any one else; and let Mr.. Rawlins
finish reco, ding my letters which he
has begun Late in the afternoon he
said to his physician doctor, l die
hard, but am not afraid to GO" Still
later, he said to the same gentleman
81 feel l am going; l thank you for
your attentions, but pray you to take
no more trouble about me; let me go
off quietly; | cannot last long" A
few moments before his death he made
his request concerning his burial, and
on receiving the assurance of his friend
that he was understr I'd he simply said
"It Is well, and composed himself for
his final departure from this world.
This was the quiet, uneventful death
scene i'll the career of the first Presi-
dent. There was no startling death
bed utterance that men might learn
and repeat It's the last words of the
Father of his Country. There was no
message sent out to the people he had
loved so well and served so faithfully.
He had done his whole duty by his
country and his fellow-man, and now,
in this supreme moment, his thoughts
of earth were confined to his own do
nestle circle, or wondered beyond his
home only to contemplate his meeting
with the Divine Ruler of the universe.
Washington died like brave and good
man, but the example he set before his
country was in his life, and not in his
death. His death belonged to his God,
his family and himself; his life was his