Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-12-06

the social and political heart Of small and
struggling community, 1t IS now the financial
nerve center Of Il continent, But II the vast
cOmpCt.t Ons and contentious Of capital and
enterprise which involve the prosperity OF
states and nations, have ov,ra Il the plain
scene o! political strife with iir d of cloth of
gold, yet still
THE HALLOwED SOIL rs HERE.
The swarmiDg street Is but picture painted
over. Beneath the c;er shift ing characters
Of spccu alton and Of eager trade ilccssantly
traced upon this pavement Of the modern
city lies the undlmmed and indclihle patritiOt-
ic IT cord Of old New York.
The spot upon which we stand was the site
Of tie second city hall, " hich for more than a
hundred years, was the seat and center Of the
active pDit cal life of the state and city.
Fantull hall, in Boston, is justly called the
cradle OF the revolution, for IL rocked the in.
fant cry against ministerial injustice into the
overwhelming chorus OF freedom and indcpGn-
deacc, Carpenters hall, in Philadclpria,
she tered / continental congress. There
he great debate upon independence proceed
ed aud there the great declaration was signed
The titles Of such monuments to rcuOwn and
end Css national gratitude no envy assai's, no
rivalry disputes. But toe city Of Ham ltOn, of
Jay, OF Livingstone, Of john Lamb, of Isaac
Sears, aud q uyerncur Morris, as it moved
with equal step by is is cr cities In the field,
ch ri-tcs the historic sites Of its own patriotic
activity with the same reverence that It sl-
utes those of It's peers.
Here, In li35, The trial of John Xangcr. one
uf the most famous and significant causes in
the colonial annals, c>tublishC the fire. dom
Of the American pre- 5, and dpClar ii the ear
dnal principle Of its ib rty, that the rublica-
tiOn Of the truth Is not libel. From the
a srmb' yof New York, sitting in this place in
liji proceeded the protest against the stamp
act and here lh committees # corrcspou.
dcucc were appoint, Il, which combined aud
organized colonial action.
IN THIS ANCIENT HALL
assembled the stamp act congress, the first
con srCss Of the united colon rs, whose clear
and uncOmprOmlsing vO'ce announced the
Am ca purpose and fOrctOld American in
dependence. II was New York merchant,
president Of the chamber Of commerce, WhD
wrote the address Of the cOngrcs to the hOu e
ofcOmmons, They were New York merchants
who, as the corg ess adjourned, aitcsted their
high design by forming league aud covenant
If nOn-impDrtiton. II was TO New York
merchant, as mayor Of the city, that the Brit
ish governor Of tic province and the com
mamacr of the royal forces surrendered the
hated stamps, and to this spot they were
brought in solemn procession, amid the
shouts + rejoicing citizens.
From the h lcOnv Of the hall that stood here
the Declaration Of Independence was first read
to the citiX rs Of New York, ami, although
the enemy fleet had entered the harbor, th"
people, as they listen d, tore down th'Ioyal
arms from the walls Of the hall and burned
them in the street, as their fiery pitr Oti,m
was about to consume the roy,l power in the
province. Here sat the continental congress
in its closing days. Here John Jay prcplr. d
the instructions Of John Adams, The first
American minister to great Brit lin, and here
the congress received Sir John Temple, tue
first British consul general TO the United
States, Here Jefferson was select Il br m
grcss as minister to France, aud here Socrc-
tirv Jdv, with the same Cquablc mind, and
clear COmprchCnsi m, and unben ing integrity
thar after Yard illustrated the first Xcrcis' Of
the Judicial power Of the union, drcc ed the
iorcgn alT,r Of the confederate n. Here
also, when he conf dcratiDn disappeared, the
first cong ess Of the union assembled. Indeed
are
ENyELOpED BY ISSpIRING MEMORIES
and kin ing local associ tions. Yond' r, al
most within sound # my voice, still stands
the ancicn inn where the cOmmandcr-in.Chi'f
tCndcrly parted with his officer, and there,
over he way, where once a modest mInsiun
stood, The Fclrrali-t was chiefly writ en-. The
ycry air about this hal owed spOt is he air Of
Amcri an patriot SIN, To breathe H., CHARGED
with such memories, is to he inspired with the
loitirSt human purpose and the mob est en-.
lCivOr. By the most impressive as-O iatinIs
by the most diguird and important historic
events, was this place dcd atcd to the il.
lust-ious transaction which We commemorate
. log
But thu majesty of the event was not Its
circumstance; 1t was / imp rt. people
whose courage and cnduru &c In the II I'D,
and these cap city uf Ia al sc ( government
mad lcrn amply tested, was here to take its
place as a united republic bcsid' the ancient
and powerful monarchirs Of OhriStcndOm. II
was to do this amid the scornful disIust OF
the wor i, aud involved inhomcstic ica Ousies
and vast and obscure intcrual pCrls. The
hope of success lay apparent y in one man,
rcvcrcd aRd beloved Us no other man had 'vcr
lccu, aud upon the Successful issue Of The
trust to which he was here lcmnly devoted.
WHAT sccae in human his u'y transccnds the
grandeur ald sgnih aqCc NJ thai cDnsCCra
tiun. Gazlr z uIon this sCulnlurCd form, and
remcmrCrng that this was The very hour aud
hi- the place Ot the sublime event; that here,
under the benIguant arch OF heaven, Wash
pgton appeared to take the ca h of his great
Office tho air Is hushcd, even the
JOYOUS TCMULT OF TINS GLAnpY
is stlcd, the amiliir scene fades from hef re
our tNt-, anu IUT dNtll ltNIlb " ll-Itl WI llll
IL: Put of thy shoes fro u of thy feet, Tor
The place on which thou staudtsl is holy
ground"
The -treets, the windows, the roofs, were
tNrongcd with people, and, drowning my
feeble voice, surely YOU can hear the vast and
prulMg'd shout that salu el the hero.
Touch Il to the heart by the airectiOnite
greeting, he advanced t. the railing and
placing his hand upon his breast, he bowed
low, and for moment, Overwi elmcd by emo
on, he stepped back amid su ldcn and
solemn silence. Then he arose, and Coming
forward, h ; NJ irstic and commanding frame
stood upon the Identical stone upon which
stand at this moment aud which, liked fast
here bcne dh the statue, will remain, In he
ewes Of all men, an imperlsha lie memorial Of
the scene. Mar Washing on stood John
Aoams, Alexander Hamilton, Roger Shcr-
man, Chancellor Livin- stOn, Gen. Knox. Gen.
Sinclair Baron Seuhcn, and other famous
men. The chancellor, in his roles, sOlcmnly
rcritcd the words of th'oath. The secretary
Of the senate raised the binle, Washington
bent low, anl Hudibly saying, 81 swear, so
hel mr god ~ Teverently kissed the book. at
is done" cricd the chancellor, "Long live
George Washington, president OF the United
Satjsw "Long live George Wa hington.n -
shouted the p ople in one rcsoundng cry Of
exu tatiou. Long live George Washington"
rang all the bells, and
RoARED ALL THE CANNON
of a continent. "Long live George Washing
ton,n e hoed every heat and voice in the
world that eaded and beat for iDcriy Al
most a hundred years have passed, but more
revcrently, more universally, more graf fully,
now than ever, in all civilized land- in which
the greatness Of his eSampc has eXal ed the
estimate Of human character and the standard
of human conduct, every people ferv, Il. y
prolones the prayer, Long live George Wash
ingt0nw
The task upon which he entered here was
infinitely greater than that which he under
took when, iOulteen years before, he drew
his sword under the elm at Cambridge as
commander in-chief Of the Continental amy.
To lead people in revolution wisely and sue.
cesstully, without ambition aud without 4
crime, demands, indeed, lofty genius and
unbendiug virtue. But to build their state,-
amid the angry conflict of passion and preju'
dice, and unreasonable apprehension, the ln-
credulity of many, the grave doubt Of all, TO
organize for them and peacefully to inaugu-
rate a complete and satisfactory government,
is the greatest serv &C that man can render
10 mankind. But this, also, Is the glory Of
| Washington. The lower OF his personal
character, his penetrating fore sight, aud The
wiz dom Of his Judgment, in eomposiug the
myriad elements That threatened to over
whclm the mighty undertaking, are all un-
paralleled. "Nothiug bnt harmony, honesty,
industry, and frugaliiy" he said to Lafay
cite, "are necessary to make us a great aud
happy peoples.n But he was not a man OF
phri, es nor did he suppose that government
could be established or maintained By
LOFTY PROFESSIONS uF VIRTUE.
No mans perception Of the indjspensabllty OF
| great prlnCpes to the surcessful conduct Oi