The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-01-07
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT IN
DANGER.

There is one blunoer this country has
committed upon which no criticism can be
too severe. In the City of Washington has
been erected q monument, the highest
structure of human hands on the earth. Jts
summit reaches into clOudland, and may be
seen from Rfar. For nearly forty years the
people Of the United States have been faxed
for its erection. Hundreds of thousands
of money have been expended upon
it-money which might have been
used, had it not been thus foolishly
applied, as ''sosp" for the Republican can
didate during the recent hiDpodrome can
vsss for votes. And for whss was this costly
monument upreared2 In whose honor has
its crest been lifted heayenwardr Whence
came he? What was his property holdings2
We would fame twist an answer which
would bring no shame with 1t, but truth
compels the admission that George Wash
iDgton was from the South that solid mon
strosity which good Mr.. Blaine and his vir-
tuous organs deory. He was born In the
South, lived in the South, and died in the
South. This circumstance alone is sad
enough to relate, but there is one much
worse to follow: "The Father Of his Coun-
try" was a slave owner.
That these are serious charges TO bring
against the memory of him who was first
in war, first in peace and first in the hearts
of bis countrymen" is admitted, nor would
the Sentinel risk libel suit from the mill
ions of children of the country's father I'M
less fortified with indubitable proof Of its
statements. The latter comes from the lips
Of Josiah Quincy, an old nam Of eighty
seven, now residing at Marshall Hall, on the
Maryland side of the Potomac While
youth Quincy lived many years with the
Gusts family and personally knew a number
OF the slaves that had belonged to Washing
ton.
Washington did not own slaves for
pleasure says Mr.. Quincy. He made them
work, l tell you, and If they were not out ia
the morning, they must have a good reason
for IT. Mr.. Gusts often said that General
Washington could get more work out OF a
negro than any other man in Virginia. Bat
he was very Just man. be would not over
work them, and he would not let them be
punished If they did not really deserve 1t.
de would not whip q slave himself but
sometimes he would knock one down with
his fist. One of his slaves, named Sam, had
. ECtt I'll Ills JllccA WuiCu ITO tOlu Ills
master put there. The General caught Sam
riding one OF his fine horses one day, aud he
gave him blow that Sam never forgot"
What will the patriots of the Republic
say upon reading the above2-these patriots
who twenty years after the abolition OF
slavery in the South, have been holding the
people of that section up to hatred for
having owned slaves. What will be their
appreciation of the Washington monument?
Win they not move to rae it TO its founda-
tons? May we not expect to see the editors
Of the Tribunes of New York and Chicago,
the Commercial Gazette of Cincinnati, and
the Journal of Indianapolis, armed with
bsttering rams, marching to Washington to
beat down the Washington monument?
Nay, may We not look to see their respective
papers moving to have the name of the
National capital changed from Washington
70 Blsinetown or PlumedknightsviIle2
Seriously, If the monumental asses who
can never separate Southern Democracy
from slavery would be consistent, they
should hold George Washington as unwor-
thy, for the same reason, Of national respect
and include him prominently in their de-
nunciation. But it Is true, in all fairness,
that such ridiculous twaddle should cease.
Slavery was approved by the Constitution
Of the United States as fully twenty-five
years ago as in Washington's day. The
South has no more desire to reinstate slavery
to-day than has the dust of Washington in
his tomb at Mount Vernon.