Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-16
CELEBRATION OF THE CENTEN-
AIRY OF GEORGIs.
"a Proud Day flor Savannahc-A
Grand Event and Beautiful
Grafton.


account from the files Of the Savannah
journals Of that day Of the arrangements
instituted for the celebration Of the Cen
tennial Anniversary in 1888. We now pre-
sent from the columns of the Georgian Of
the 14th February, 1888, a description OF
that centennial celebration, which will be
read with great interest. The Georgian
says:
"On Tuesday, the 18th instant, the Centen-
NAL Anniversary of Oglethorpe's first land
ing on the banks of the Savannah. for the
purpose OF founding the Colony of Georgia,
was celebrated in this city in becoming
and spirited manner. At ten O'Clock the
different volunteer corps, viz, the Hussars,
Capt. Gordon; the Artillery, Capt. Stephens;
the Rifemen, Capt. Olmstead; the Blues,
Capt. Pooler, and the Guards, Capt. jack
son, formed on the right of the Exchange.
under the command of Col. Williams, and
after marching In the route prescribed by
the Committee of Arrangements returned to
the same ground and formed the escort OF
the procession, consisting of the Orator and
the Reciter of the Ode, with the Committee,
the Reverend Clergy of the city, the de-
scendants of those who accompanied Ogle
thorpe to Georgia, Foreign Consuls and
Agents, the Judges of the several courts,
to wit the District Court Of the United
States, the Superior Court, the Inferior
Court, Court of Common Pleas and Oyer and
Terminer, with their officers; the Justices OF
the Peace, With their officers; the Corpora
ton of the city, and officers; the Officers OF
the Army and Navy, the Field. Staff and
Commissioned Officers of the First Regl-
ment and of the neighboring battalions, the
Collector OF the port and officers, the Union,
Ghfn-
masters, pilots of the port, citizens and boys.
at about half-past eleven the procession
moved to the Methodist Church, which,
with a commendable patriotism, had been
lent for the occasion. After an address to
the Throne OF Grace from the Rev. Mr..
Pierce, of that church, Mr.. Robert M.
Charlton, ESQ recited an ode written bY
himself for the occasion, with winch we, In
common with a crowded auditory, were
highly delighted. His manner Of delivery
and his matter elected from his delighted
| auditory frequent bursts of appreciation.
| After the recital of the ode, Matthew Hall
| McAllister, ESQ, pronounced an Grafton In
every respect suitable to the day. During
| the rapid but lucid sketch which he gave OF
| the virtues and services of the benevolent
Oglethorpe, he was often interrupted by
asked said he, where is the
memorial Of Oglethorpe and his
associates, history will point to the ex-
istence of this fair country, living monu-
ment, which, long after the pillar and the
| column shall have crumbled to the dust,
| shall stand, an enduring memorial OF their
| labors and their lives He touched In
poetic language the story OF the un1ortu-
| nate red man, but showed that reason ana
philosophy taught us that bis disappearance
before the superior policy Of the white man
was the triumph of civilization over bar
barism, of peace over violence'-remarked
| that It came not within the limits Of the &C.
casion to discuss the abstract equity OF the
| principle, the occupancy OF this whole contl-
nent was consequent upon Its establish
ment: It was to the results the princi-
pie had led us applicable-to our own State
| that his remarks would be confined. he
briefly sketched the commanding traits OF
| the character Of OglethoTpe as soldier and
| a statesman, and alluded in q happy man
ner to the most beautiful incident, as we
| think, Of his life-the noble refusal TO ac'
cept from the Ministry Of England the com
mand of the forces destined to suodue
swered that he would not hgnt
against the inheritance OF his chill
| dren.' He noticed the fact that
| Oglethorpe afforded the only instance
known to modern times, OF the founder OF
a country living to see the wilderness he
had reclaimed expanded into an indepen-
| dent and sovereign State The incidents
| Of his military life, portrayed oY the orator,
| evinced, he said, that had Oglethorpe so
| chosen, he could have wreathed around his
brow the blood-stained laurel, and that In
lieu Of a wilderness reclaimed, he could
have transmitted to posterity the battle
| field and the camp as the memorials OF MS
| fame He briefly narrated the struggles
of the infant colony with the hostile span
iards or the savages on its borders, as also
it's miraculous escape from conspiracy 10
involve it in a general massacre-painted
the endorsements to her growth, arising
from the introduction of the feudal tenure
into her early government, tenure Wnlcn
had long before been abolished In
England; and from the impediments
which obstructed her march in improve
ment. The orator dated the actual exist
cree from the year 1760-shat 1T was not
until that year that a CLEAN OF sunshine
broke in upon the dark prospect which had
hitherto hung upon the horizon OF this
country.' The orator depleted In gloomy
colors the sufferings of the infant colony OF
Georgia IN the contest OF the revolution, pc
ing century younger than any OF the otner
colonies, and having out Of population OF
Is 600 whites, only 1900 whites capable OF
hearing arms to protect frontier Of two
hundred and fifty miles In extent, exposed to
the ravages of the refugee banditti OF Flori-
ds and the surrounding savsges. His allu-
sion to the historical fact that large por-
ton of the gunpowder captured from a
British vessel In our harbor laden with mill
tarY stores, by volunteer GeOTgtd'ls from this
city, was sent on to Boston, where 1t was
made to utter In audible tones from Bun
ker Hill the feelings of an oppressed peo-
pie, was introduced most felicitously, and
drew forth the most rapturous COM
mendation. HIS appeal to the citizen
soldiers {who evinced by their num-
bers their admiration for the
deeds of their ancestorsl, 'to be prepared,
If need be, to cement with their blood the
superstructure of that mighty fabric, the
foundations of which repose on the bones of
their sires, to swear to protect 1t with the
sacrifice Of their lives from foreign agrees
sion, or the more deadly assaults OF internal
faction-to rally at their country's call be-
meath that standard which has borne
the fame of this infant republic
on swelling breeze and rolling bill
low, to the foOt-stool of each
trembling tyrsnt; to guard with jealous
care. reverence with sacred awe tnese insti-
buttons so recently transmitted by their
bleeding fathers, that they NAV be said to
be even now reeking with their blood He
concluded by stretching the imagination
into the vale of futurity, to contemplate the
destiny Of our country when she shall have
completed her two hundredth year.
"sIn that far day, oh.iwhat shall be
In this dominion Of the free,
When we and ours have rendered up our trust,
And men unborn shall tread upon our dusts
Oh what shall be7 He, He alone,
The dread response can make,
Who sitteth on the only throne
That Time shall never shake
"But we, too, must conclude. We must
remark, however, that it has never fallen to
h. r1lo on
than we were with the spirit stirring produc-
lions of both the orator and the poet. We
trust that they will be given to the public as
of right their property, and not from fas-
tidious delicacY be withheld from their fell
low citizens. The church was crowded.
The patriotic fair In numbers successfully
cheered with their happy smiles the poet
and orator, and inspired the citizen-soldier
with renewed determination to guard with
Jealous anxiety those institutions which are
the pride and bulwsrk Of our country. No
altar of disgIRios was there erected, but
the spontaneous sun OF grateful
people announced a holy determination to
cling TO the Union, the main pillar of their
independeDce' After the services the pro-
cession returned to the place OF formation,
where 1t was dismissed. The military then
marched to the lower end of the bluff that
received the first footsteps OF Oglethorpe,
where a salute of one hundred guns was
fred by the Chatham Artillery from the two
pieces of cannon captured at Yorktown and
presented to them by General Washington
TO eyince his regard for their military ap-
pearance on his visit to our city. A salute
and fen de iOie were then fired BY the nhemen
and infantry. A brilliant and crowded ball
closed the celebration Of the day. A splen-
did supper, prepared by Luddington,
added zest to the entertainment, and the
comnanv retired at late hour, pleased with