Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-23
Letter from Judge Stephenson.
The following letter was sent to the enter

Inc following letter was sent to the enter
tainment:
WAsHINGToN's BIRTHDAY, Feb. %, AID. 1879.
Hon. I. Y. d. Heard.
My DEAR SIR: Sore throat rheumatism. in
tanned lungs, and general depression deny me
the earnest desire to hear you tonight, and to
meet our old pioneer com panions and comrades.
l hope IN your "reminiscences you will remember
the noble band of young men who, in those
days, came together from all climes, and almost
by the sympathy of generous ambition for the
young Territory of Minnesota. and for the great
commonwealth of the State to follow
Do me this great favor. Read to the assem-
bled convection these words of Everett's
Grafton on Washington, and let the words be
my greeting, because they are splendid
But to US. fellow-citizens of America it
belongs above all Others to show respect to the
memory of Washington, by the practical defer
ence which We pay to those sober ma1ims of
public policy which he has left us-a last testa-
n1e'st OF affection in his farewell address. Of
All the exhortations which it contains.
scarce need say to you that none are
SO emphatlcally uttered, none 80 anxiously re-
peated, as those which enjoin the preservation
OF the Union of these States. On this, under
providence. it depends in the Judgment of
Washington whether the the people of America
shall follow the old world example, and be
broken up into group of Independent military
powers, wasted by eternal boruer wars. feeding
the ambition of petty sovereigns on the life
blood OF wasted prlncipalities-a custom house
on the bank OF every river, a fortress on every
frontier hill. pirate lurking in the recesses of
every bay, or whether they shall continue to
constitute confederate republic. the most ex-
tensive, the most powerful, the most prosper
Gus in the long line of ages. No one can read
The farewell address without feeling that this
was the thought and this the care which Law
nearest and heaviest upon that noble heart; and
| (which Heaven forbid-the day shall ever
arrive, when his parting counseIs shall
be forgotten on that day. come
1t soon or come 1t late. it may as mournfully as
truly be said, that Washington has lived in
vain. Then the vessels, as they ascend and de-
scend the Potomac, may toll their bells with new
slsnlhcance, as they pass Mount Vernon; they
will strike the requiem of constitutional iber-
ty for us-for all nations
Let us make national festival and holiday of
MS birthday; and even as the 22d of February
returns. let us remember, that while with these
solemn and joyous rights of observance we eel
citrate the great anniversary. our fellow -citi-
zens on the Hudson on the Potomac, from the
southern plains to the western lakes, are en-
gagged IN the same Offices of gratitude and love-
Nor we, nor they alone, beyond the Ohio, be-
| yond the Mississippi, along that stupendous
tran OF immigration from East to West, which,
bursting into States, as it moves westward, is
already threading the western prairies, swarm
ing through the portals of the Rocky noun
tains, and winding down their slopes,
the name and memory of Washington
on tdat gracious night, will travel with the sill
yer queen of heaven through sixty degrees of
longitude, nor part company with her till she
walks IN her brightness through the golden gate
of California, and passes serenely on to hold
court with her Australian stars. There, and
there only, in barbarous archipelagoes, as yet
nntrodden by civilized man, the name of Wash
lngton is unknown; and there, too, when they
swarm with enlightened millions, new honors
shall be paid to his memory
These are my greetings on the birth-night of
Washington to the pioneer settlers of Mime
sofa. OSCAR STEPHENSON,