The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-07-04

Come with me, you who love Washington,
and look upon the home which his culture
adorned, and where his life grew beautiful
and symmetrical to the last. See hanging TO
your right in the corridor as you enter, the
great key of the Bastile wrested by nations
indignant anger from the grasp OF power and
given to him by his, and our nations friend,
Lafayette. See here the mementoes oil the
home life ofthe patriot. All around you is the
aroma of beautiful, well ordered home
Yonder is the old armchair, on the one side
of the great fireplace, in the keeping room,
sits the farmer Of Virginia, and just opposite
its twin, where the gentle voiced Martha sat.
Enterwith me the chamber of death tread light
ly, for the place whereon you stand is holy
ground Yonder is the bed where the good
man dies. Look at the noble form, and that
beautiful spirit passing away to the "undis-
covered country, to the benedctions of the
blest." Hank to that voice ~ am just GO
ing;have me decently buried, and do not let
my body be put into the vault in less than
three days after I am dead" And as the
loving assent was given by the bowed head
of his attendant Washington whispered:
| "Do ysu understand" and then said the last
words he ever spoke: "Tis wellr' In silent
grief sat that woman upon whom was put the
new name of widow, and to his loving physi-
clan. with firm and collected voice, she said:
'Ts he gomez" And as the answer came she
added, at is aoell; all is now over; l shall
soon follow him, l have no more trials to
pass through. "That home under the loving
care of the women of America will be left as
he left it. In the better land, Sin the house
not made with hands, eternity is his dwell
ling now"
Hear the worlds testimony to his worth.
Washington serene in his life, his death
was calm and without struggle. When the
great Napoleon received the intelligence he
exclaimed "The great light of the world has
gone out"
In the general order of that day he thus
announced the decease of the great pa
triot to the Consular Guard, and
| luG SOlOiSlo vi iiahSC. p
Washington is dead, This great man fought
against tyranny; he established the liberty Of
his country His memory must always be
dear to the French, as we'll as the people of
both worlds, especially to French soldiers,
who like him and his American troops fight
for liberty and equality. Therefore the First
Consul has ordered that for the space of ten
J days, Grape shall be hung on all the colors and
standards OF the Republic" From all ma
tons came the testimony of the reverence the
world had for the man and his memory, and
to-day wherever virtue is revered, and purity
honored; wherever great leaders of men have
passed away unstained by the dross Of un-
holy ambition, and refused pnrples, and life's
honors, to 60 back to the serene shades Of
private life; wherever the sun shines upon
free people an sets upon nations which yedrr
: for freedom; from the frozen banks of Labra
| dor, by his own home on the Potomac, in
the everglades Of Florida; amidst the cliffs
Of the Sierras, and on those golden shores
where the Pacific kisses the western fringe Of
the great Republic, shall he and his memory
be precious to mankind. He is the COM
mon property of the world, and her peoples
claim him as their own.
THANK YOU.