American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-07-01

otism such as the world has seldom wit
messed. 1t was finally resolved that
Washington should attend the meeting,
and open it in person. 1t was arranged
that Immediately after his address
ssOld Put" should move that a COM
mittee be appointed to draft resolutions
expressing the feelings of the meeting.
The 18th of March was cold, bleak
day. and the leaden clouds gave SOM
Der 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 began to
climb the hills back of Newburgh to-
ward the Temple near the camp ground.
This was building of hewn logs so
feet long by 40 feet wide. 1t had been
erected the autumn previous, by order
of General Heath, and designed some
say as place of public worship, others
for Masonic temple 1t was dedicated
by a public ball which Washington
opened with the beautiful Miss Belknap,
afterward the wife of John Warren, of
Saratoga. Here Lafayette had been
initiated into Freemasonry, and here the
Cincinnati Society had its origin. 1t
had witnessed many wild revel, and
was known far and wide as the sPublic
Building"
AS Washington approached it this
bleak morning, the numerous horses
with their military trappings that stood
hitched around, or were held by order
lies, showed that the field officers had
already assembled. On the opposite
ridge, across the marsh, in the lots and
openings of the forest, lay scattered as
far as the eye could reach the tents and
cabins and shanties of the suffering SOL
diers, their dilapidated appearance
speaking in language more emphatic
than words of the neglect of Govern
ment. Washington dismounted at the
door, and giving his horse to the order
ly, entered the building. 1t was packed
throughout its entire length with an
anxious audience. Every eye was turn
ed as that tall and stately form moved
calmly toward the raised platform at
the further end. Not sound but his
heavy football on the uucarpeted floor
| broke the profound, impressive silence
of the room. As he reached the plat
form and stood for moment and gazed
on the assembly, his noble heart was
stirred to its profoundest depths. He
knew every face, and as his eye
passed from one to another,
what tide Of feeling must
have swept over his heart. They were
his comrades in battle. How often had
they closed around him in deadly en-
counter, and shoulder to shoulder car
ried him triumphantly 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 thous-
and proofs of their devotion came rush
ing back on his memory; their tolls
and suffering rose before him, and the
whole history of the past swept by like
a moving panorama till his heart swell.
ed over them with parental fondness-
He had no word of rebuke for them
only words of affection and sympathy.
Unrolling his manuscript, he took
out his spectacles, and said, in voice
choked with emotion, " You see, gen.
tlemen, have grown blind as well as
gray in your service.' One could have
heard pin fall, so breathless was the
audience; while many an eye that had
never blenched in the widest storm of
battle, grew dim with tears. Every line
of this immortal address reveals the
stern patriot and the devoted chieftain.
After referring to the anonymous adj
dress, and denouncing the author and
his dark designs in unsparing language,
and the meeting called in this UMPIRE
cedented way, he with changed voice
and manner spoke of the army, its suf-
ferings and devotion, and then passed
on to his own conduct, saying, elf my
conduct heretofore has not evinced to
you that have been 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, and adds, "As have con-
sidered my own military reputation as
inseparably connected with that of the
army, as my heart has ever expanded
with joy when have heard it praised,
and my Indignation has arisen when
the mouth of detraction has been OPEN
ed against it, it can hardly be supposed
at this last stage of the war that am
Indifferent to its interests" But he asks,
How are these interests to be preserved
Not, he plainly shows, by following the
reasonable advice contained in the adj
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 conjure 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 Manner
lea, to express your utmost horror and
detestation of the man who wishes, I'M
der any specious pretenses, to overturn
the liberties of our country, and who
.wickedly attempts to open the flood
gates of civil discord and deluge our
rising empire in blood.'' He closes
L -.