The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-11-28

L 6AAAkASoSy
vested bis greatness, like the rosy hu'
that suffuses the awful summit o
Mont Blanc, Washington writes !,
his diary on the 10th Of April, 1888
"About ten o'clock 1 babe adieu t.
Mount Vernon, to private life, and I,
domestic felicity and with a mine
oppressed with more anxious ant
painful sensations than I have word
to express, set out for New York
with the best disposition to rende
service to my country In obedience 4
its call. but with less hope of answer
ing its expectation" From State t.
State, from town to town, along tina
triumphal way from Mount Vernon
the air murmured with benedicti0nl
as he passed Under laureled arches
and walking upon flowers, amid tn
music of bells, the thunder of can
non, the acclamations of the people
the singing Of hymns, and the elo
quence of votive addresses, Washing.
ton came at last to New York anC
landed at the foot of this street amid
such Joyous exultatlOn as New York
had never known. After q week haG
! passed the great object of his coming
was to be accomplished, and on the
| Both of April, 1889, the procession at
tending the President moved from
| his house on Franklin Square,
through Pearl street to Broad, and
| through Broad street to the spot upon
! which We are now assembled.
Among the most imposing events
in history must always be accounted
the simpl ceremony which was
transacted here. The human mind
| Graves lofty figures TO- a mem' rable
scene, aud loves to decorate with fit
ting circumstance the fulfllment of
great affairs. For this event all such
conditions were satisfied. The scene
was set with every ample prepare
ton of historic Significance and patri-
otto association, with the most emil
nent actors, with the most suspicious
anticipation. For the occasion itself
America offersd no place more be-
coming, for no spot Is more 0Onspicu-
Ously, more hon0rably, or more close
ly identified than this, with the his
tory of American liberty. The scene
around us. is marvelously changed,
indeed, from its aspect in. the colon
ial, the provincial, the revolutionary
city. How transformed this street
from the resort of fashion, the seat of
the State. Government, the modest
residence of merchants, 0ipiomatists
and statesmen, which was the Wall
street of a century ago! Then the So
cial and political heart of a small and
struggling community, it is n w the
financial nerye-center of q. continent.
But il the vast competitions and con-
tentions of capital and enterprise,
which involve the prosperity OF
states and nations, have overlaid the
plain scene of kpolitical strife with a
field of cloth o fgold, yet still the hal
lowed soil is here. The. swarming
street is but a picture painted over.
Beneath the ever shifting characters
of speculation and of eager trade in
cessantly traced upon this pavement
of the modern city, lies the un-
dimmed and indelible patriotic rec
ord Of old New York.
The spot upon which we stand was
thu site of the second City Hall
which,, for more than q hundred
years, was the seat and center Of the
active political life of the State and
city. Faneuil Hall, in Roston, is
justly called the cradle of the rev ,lu-
ton, for it rocked the intent cry
against ministerial injustice into the
Overwhelming chorus of freedom and
independence. Carpenters Hall, in
Philadel phia, sheltered the Cont
mental Congress. There the great
debate upon independence proce .ded,
and there the great Declarations was
signed. The titles of such monu-
ments to lenown and endless nation
al gratitude 10 envy a~ssails, no RI
valry disputes. But the city of Ham,
ll,on, of Jay. of Livington, of John
Lamb, ana I-aac Sears, and Cow
erneur Morris, as it moved with
equal step by it's sister cities in the
field, cherishes the historic sites of Its
own patriotic activity with the same
reverence that it salutes those of its
peers.
Here, in 1876, the trial Of John
Zenger, one of the most famous and
causes in the colonial an
nails, established the freedom of the
press, and declared the
cardinal principle of its liberty, that
the publication of the truth is not q
libel. From the Assembly of New
York, sitting in this place in 1894,
proceeded the protest against the
Act, and here the COMMITTEES
of Correspondence were appointed,
combined aud organized CO.
|onial action. In this ancient hall as |
sembled the Stamp Act Congress, the |
first Congress of the United Colonies, |
clear and uncompro-
voice announced the
purpose, and fore
told American independence. 1t
was a New York merchant, Presi-
lent Of the Chamber of Commerce, !
who wrote the address Of the Con-
yress to the House of Commons.
They were New York merchants !
who, as the Congress adjourned, at
,ested their high design by forminga
eague and covenant of non-importa-
ion. It was to a New York mer-
as Mayor Of the city, that the
governor of the province and
he commander of the royal forces
the hated stamps, and
this spot they were brought in SOL
mn procession, amid the shouts of
'ejoicing citizens.
From the balcony of the hall that
food here the Declaration of Inde-
,endence was first read to the citi-
ems of New York, and, although the
'nemy's fleet had entered the har-
,or, the people, as they listened, tore
Town the royal arms from the walls
# the hall and burned them in the
treet, as their fiery patriotism was
bout to consume the royal power in
he province. Here sat the Cont
lental Congress in its closing days.
Here John Jay prepared the instruc-
ions of John Adams, the first Amer
can Minister to Great Britain, and
lere the Congress received Sir John
'emple, the first British Consul"
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