The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-05-04
The Washington Centennial.

The Washington Centennial.
That the patriotism of the American
people IS an active principle and not
meaningless sentiment needs no more
convincing proof than that furnished by
the history of the events of the past
week. During that time New York
City has been the Mecca, at whose his
toric shrlnes, honored by the associa-
tons of the nations fathers, tens of
thousands of patriotic pilgrims have
turned their footsteps, and fifty-five
millions of people have reverently
looked. One common impulse of graf
itude and OF benediction has throbbed
in every breast, benedictions upon the
memories of our national ancestors, and
gratitude to Almighty God for the wis.,
dom that has made and has preserved
US nation. While it has been the
privilege OF comparatively few of the
people of this country to share per-
sonally in the great pageant at the ma
tons commercial metropolis, we can
all share the spirit of the occasion, and
profit at least in some degree by the
lessons of this imposing ovation to the
memory of the immortal Washington.
| That it should awaken in the breast of
every American, higher realization of
the blessings of American citizenship,
strengthen the ties of national kindred,
and awaken fresh spirit OF devotion to
our country's institutions, her honor,
and her laws. In word we should be
prouder of America, and more thankful
that we are Americans.
In the midst of the retrospective
comparisons which the Washington
Centennial provokes, we know of no
one consideration which more strkingly
marks the material growth of our coun-
try than the fact that President Harri
son can make in 1889 the same journey
in less number of hours than it re-
quired days for President Washington
to make it in 1880. Along this line of
comparison of the development of the
past hundred years, the Philadelphia
LEDGER very pertinently says, THAT
one of the natural thoughts that will
occur to many persons must be, why
was not President-elect Washington
nearer at hand in 1889 on Inauguration
day, as President Harrison was with his
predecessors
The reply to that brings forward some
interesting points of comparison and
contrast between that time and this, as
we'll as in the matter of slow old coach
ing and quick railway transit. In the
first place Washington could not know
that the Electors appointed by the
States would elect him to be President
until the Electoral vote was actually
counted and declared in Congress.
There were no National nominating
conventions. The results of the action
in the individual States could not be
known throughout the Union the next
morning, as they are now, nor even in
the next month. 1t was intended and
believed by the States which appointed
them, that the Electors would choose
Washington for the Presidency; but
the choice of the Electors rested SO
absolutely within their own discretion
and responsibility that no one could
assume Washington's election, and least
of all could he be persuaded to assume
it. And there was another reason. As
the Constitution then stood, every Fec
tor voted tor t7Oo persons tor President,
and the one person having the highest
number OF Electoral votes was to be
President, and the one with the next
highest number was to be the Vice
President. So both George Washington
and John Adams were voted for by the
Electors-both. for President-as were
George Washington and John Jay, John
Hancock, George Clinton, John Rut-
ledge, Robert n. Harrison and five
others-all of the 60 Electors voting for
Washington, but scattering their votes
upon John Adams and the others as
second man. But Washington could
not know, and certainly would not as
sumo, that more Electors would vote
for him as first choice than would vote
tor John Adams or John Hancock.
Therefore, he could not 60 to New
York to be in attendance there on the
4th of March 1880, but remained at
Mount Vernon until after the slowly
arriving Congress, having secured a
quorum on April 9th, counted the EIec
toral vote, ascertained the result, and
despatched Charles Thomson on that
day with the notification and certificate
OF his election.
To this Washington responded in
person, arriving at Elizabeth, New Jer-
sey, on the morning of the 23d of April,
where he was received by the commit
tees from the Senate and House of
Representatives appointed for the pur,
pose, and. embarking Immediately at
Elizabeth, he reached New York City
on the afternoon of the same day. As
this portion of the journey cannot be
duplicated in the precise order of time,
there must be slight anacronlsm to-
day as to this part Of the three days
ceremony by the compulsory substitu-
ton OF April 29, 1889, for April 20,
1850. 1t was on the next day after he
got TO New York (24th) that, in reply
to the Congressional Committees, the
President signifed to them that "any
time or place for taking the oath OF
offie which both Houses may think
proper to appoint, and any manner
which shall appear most eligible to
them, will be convenient and acceptable
to him." So the committees reported
to Congress that, as it would take until
the next following Thursday, April goth,
to make the requisite preparations, they
recommended that day, for what we
now, with something of a swell, call the