The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-19
TURNED UPSIDE DO WV.

The allied American and French armies
were drawn up on opposite sides of the
road for over mile, Washington and
Rochambeau, each with his staff, at the
head OF their respective troops. The
English, about 1000 in number, marched
between the lines with shouldered arms
and cased colors, their band playing an
old march called "The World Turned
Upside Down" Sullenly the British
soldiers, at the order of their officers to
ground their arms threw their guns
with violence on the ground, until Gen
eral Lincoln checked the irregularity.
CORVALLIS sent his sword by the hand Of
General 'Hara, feigning to be sick.
The very day the capitulation was
signed Sir Henry Clinton sailed from
New York with achievements, but he
had delayed too long; the American
Revolution was ended.
The news of the surrender reached
Philadelphia at 2 o'clock, the people be.
ing awakened by the Waterman crying
as he went his rounds, "Past two o'clock.
and CORVALLIS is takenI" Lights soon
flashed from all the windows of Philadel-
phia, and the streets We're thronged with
anxious crowds. 1t is said the old door
keeper of Congress died of JOY At an
early hour Congress assembled, and that
afternoon marched in solemn procession
to the Lutheran church, to return thanks
to Almighty God. The following day,
Washington ordered Divine service to be
held at the head Of the regiments on ac-
count of the particular interposition of
Providence on their behalf"
Lord North, when he received the
news in London, paced the room, and
cried, 40 God it is all overl" The
House of Commons voted that whoever
advised the king to continue hostilities
should be considered a public enemy.
All this was hundred years ago.
The population of Great Britain and Ire
land was then about 100000; of the
United States about 100000. At pre-
sent, Great Britain and Ireland have
about 35,000,oOO the United States So
100000 The world has indeed turned
upside down." That particular provi-
ience" which held the ships of Sir Henry
Clinton in New York harbor, designed
that, in one hundred years, that petty
community whose independence was won
at Yorktown, should be the most power
full nation on the globe.
Great things have occurred since then
the world has been "turned upside
down" several times. The French Rev
olution followed as a sort of sequel to the
establishment of the American Republic.
Mlrabeau, Danton, Robespierre have
passed across the scenes. The two Ma
poleons have come and gone, instructive
examples of the unenduring nature of all
that is false, however brilliant it NAV be
for the moment. In England, Byron,
Coleridge, Wordsworth, Scott, Macaulay.
Brougham, Stuart Mill, Chalmers, Bull
wer, Dickens, have played their respec-
tive parts. The kingdom of Italy has
been established. Germany has become
united empire. France has, after many
GIBBS and flows, bid final adieu to the
Bourbons and the Bonapartes. The Turk
ish empire has been dismembered, and is
about to be obliterated.
The frontier Of the United States has
been extended from the Allegl anies to
Alaska and California. The whole world
of steam-all the railroads of the world
and the huge steamers that throng the
ocean and the inland waters-have been
created Il the past fifty years.
The storm of Unbelief has swept over
Germany. Kant, and Schelling, and He
gel, and the long catalogue of German
Rationalists, have passed in procession
down the years of the nineteenth centu-
ry-and vanished into thin air.
Science has made strides that are al
most bewildering. The application of the
sciences to practical life has revolution
ised all the aspects OF society.
What would General Washington and
the Marquis CORVALLIS think if they
could stand on Brooklyn Heights to-day, |
and survey that wondrous scenel What