The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-02-22
WAsHINaTnN,S BIRTHDAY

WAsHINGT0N'S BIRTHDAY
To day is national holiday because it
i the anniversary VI the birthday of George
Washington. Ii ia meet and proper that this
should be- holiday, aud il should, by tho
federal government and the government Of
every state in the union, be celebrated in
some marked and appropriate manner, US y
testimonial of that venerstion and respect in
which tho memory Of the immortal Wash
ington, truly tho lathor of his country, and
the exemplar of all that is good, ana pure,
and true in public and in private life is hold
Wondrous and mighty changes have swept
over this country since the time when George
Washington was the head md front of tho
weak and struggling republic, its cloud by
day and its pillar of fro by night to lead it
forth from the wilderness Of doubts and
fesrs, and accomplishing difficulties. While
the truth, the courage, the blity Of oharac.
te', and tho CT noeur and grostnessof Georga
Washington can never, while tho American
republic lives, become hacSneyed subjects,
yet we do not on this occasion intend to in
duge in any panogyric or eulogy He needs
no rounded periods OF rhetoric, no peans Of
poesy, no sculptured urn nor grSVon brass.
for thii mighty country Is his monum mt, its
history the scroll of his greatness and his
fame, But when we contemplate bis times
when c,mpared with the wonders of TO day,
and consider OF the almost miracles that have
ben wrought throughout the entire country
since when he, Os the frat president of the
United States administered the affairs Of an
inchoate nation as IL wore, rulod tho deslnies
We may Say Of a people ind county with
scarcely footholA in the world Of nations,
We ara filed with awe, and a. tho Same time
the b som Of every American must ewell
with pride and his heart teri with the QUO
tiou Of love fer lholand tnat Is nll his own.
When our republic was in its infancy mad
WIS offered him, was at tho helm ms tho
chosen read of the people directing AFFAIR.",
its horoscope WIS cast by the wise ones Of
Europe the statesmen brought up 10 the
shadow Of throne and the
atmosphere of royalty, and they
liked fifty yeara as the limit Of
It's life, Had that policy the m'eter spirit Of
which was Alexander Hamilton, which
prompted the tender of a crown to Washing
ton, obtained supremacy AT any time in
those first fifty years of the republics OK
isance, the prophets Of tho cast would have
been right, and the government founded by
the fathers on the broad democratic basis of
people, would have ended indeed, and from
its ruins a feeble monarchy would have
arisen to have achieved at best, but third
or second rate destiny among the imperial
governments of the world. But federalism
failed of its objects then, however 1t may
succeed 10 this latter day, for the snake was
only scotched, rot killed, and has succeeded
in iniusing its poison into the veins of alas!
too many in this day and time Of our ex-
istanoa as unon of states, We SEQ what he
republic has accomplished in its one hundred
and tour years of life rs government of the
people, by the people for the people From
thirteen weak colonial states il has grown 10
be aunion of thirty.eight, strong and power
ful, and each one rich in all that
tends TO make community
great, commercially and politically. From
an insignificant power that scarce COM
mandod the recognition and respect Of the
weakest and most helpless of the European
governments, we have developed into ma
too dat is honorod and feared, add looked
up to by the people and the rulers of every
nationality in every nook aud corner of the
universe. Without steamboats, and steam
ships without canals or railroads; without
telegraph wires or telephones; without agri-
cultural implements or mechanical tools,
save Of the simplest and rudest kinds; with
out manufactures; with no developed or dis.
covered coal fields or mineral wealth Of any
kind--with only brave souls, honest hearts
and strong arms, in tho mi st of wildernessss
all about and around them, the noble men
ans women of the time of Washington went
courageously 10 work to build upa nation
and TO wiring success from difficulty
itself. On this the natal day Of
that mighty one whose calm
forti,ude, dienihed self-posscasion, un'
wavering integrity aud wise counsels
made him the leader and trusted friend o.
our fathers, We can stop long enough IL
the midst Of the whirl and turmoil and cares
Of the prosperity -four time to look upor
the picture of hundred years ago and TIT
picture Of to-day--.o pass our mental eyes
over the panorama of a century and sec wha
an earnest and thrifty people can accomplish
when tho blessings of free government arr