Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-21


and M much sanctity would be impart-
ed by the church, aud memories OF
Lee and Washington, In the one ci,se,
might be 'grecner' than III the other.
But ''pious Frauds In an atmosphere
like this are impossible. ! stood upon
holy ground, where the people, only
eighty-threc years ago, with heads
barred, bent more revcrently when
Geroge Washington and his stately
wife descended from his lofty coach OF
state and entered the modest brick
church, than when the man OF God
lifted up eyes, hands aud voice In So
norous somnolent prayer.
wAsnfSGToN's FOIBLEs.
A trivial traditional fact may give u
share Of credibility 10 the statement of
Chataubriand who visited Washing
ton ut Mount Vernon, and said of him
that he was cold, naughty, reserved,
without brilliancy, and not devoid Of
vanity. One ofthree seats Of washing
! toms spacious quadrangulag pew was
placed against the wall. This Wash
! ington always occupied. He he sat
bolt upright. facing the congregation,
rather thon the preacher the most con-
! spicuous person, save the priest, in the
/ building. To what extent he
accepted the teaching Of the
sanctuary Is still matter Of
doubt. Bishop Meade devoted several
pages of ponderous volume to the
inquiry which, while the taciturn sol
der and statesman lived, was never
solved. Very many Of those whose
estimate Of Washington character
and deeds are rational, rather than de-
rived from books, and Fourth Of July
orations, and who have heard of his
daily practices, modes Of life Dnd con-
versations, believed that he concurred
with old John Adams, and was Uni
tartan, even if he did not accept
theories OF Jefferson, Franklin and
Paine.
THE PREACH or THE oLDEN TIME.
Great men have ministercd To the
spiritual wants of the people OF the
two old churches mentioned i'm these
pages. Bishop Meade in early youth
began here his long and useful career.
congressman Clay, Randolph
and Adams--were wont to listen to
the simple, unaffected eloquence of the
youthful preacher; but Washington
had been dead eleven years when
Meade came down from the noun
tains Of Virginia TO electrify statesmen
and make old Christ Church mem
orable In song and story.
The morals OF the country after the
revolutionary war were horrible
Shcrman's devastating 'march to the
sea" was most merciful, since il is put
n period to the conflict that was rapid
ly hurrying the country, North and
South, into vices infinitely more dis
astrous than famine, fire and sword.
The old war Of independence lasted
eight years, happily the rebellion"
only four, and unhappily we have few
preachers like Meade, who turned
backward the tide OF war-born vices
and made the Old Dominion the scat
of admirable virtuesand refined social
pleasures.
OLD POHICK CHURCH
was so-called, because n little stream
assigned this name by the Indians,
was hard by. The first structure
built here, about seven miles from Mt.
Vernon and twelve from Alexandria,
was of wood, located on the southern
side of the stream. In 1773, when
this had gone to decay. the present
brick structure was raised. 1t ~ two
miles from the site of the older build
ing, and the story IL told that old
George Mason, the head of n family IL
| lustrious in the annals of Virginia.
! sought to have the new church reared
on the precise site of the old. Wash
| ington objected, and while Mason in
sisted TINT members OF many families
were buried there. Washington de-
! clared the present site to he that most
accessible To the greatest number of
paishioners, and that many
were poor. having no facilities
for travelling like the gentry
OF the country. The question
excited much feeling, and storm
was brewing calculated to do great
detriment 10 the cause Of christianity.
| But when the meeting adjourned,
| Washington made an accurate survey
OF the whole neighborhood. and when
the vestry was reconvened presented
n map drawn with painstakinp care.
| showing TINT the location of the new
church on the north side of Pohick
creek was demanded by every practi-
cal eXigcncy of the people.
Wnshingtons map governed the
action of the vestry. From 1778 til
l7s5, when Mt home, Washington at.
tended religious services at this sane
tnary, hut for fifteen years, prior TO
1900, he was n regular occupant of his
| pew IN oid Christ Church, in Alexan-
dria, and the building reared in l77s
near Pohick Creek, slowly went to
decay, II has been repaired at inter
vals, ana the sketch given represents
u as 1t was In the days OF Washington
and as il is to-day.
WAsilINGroN'S FAMILY COACH.
! None horn since the modern poljti-
clans Noachian deluge of woes have
beheld such a swinging, swaying We.
hlcie MS that from which the Washing
Ton FAMILY descended each Sunday in
front of old Pohick church.
The body of tho carriage was sus-
pended by leathera straps from hieb
I ana curved "Cn springs, like that of n
stage-coach in the days OF good Queen
Anne It's occupants were soon rocked
70 repose; or Tapped in an clysium of
uclleious sea-sickness. This private
] Ia,