The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-05-03


procession of foreign Ambassadors, Of
Sc ttesmen and Generals, of civic societies
and military companies which escorted
him, marched from Franklin square to
Broad. and up Broad to this
spot, but the people saw onsy
Washington As he stood upon the
steps Of the old Government building here,
the thought must have occurred to him that
it was a cradle of liberty, and as such CIV
ing bright omen for the future. In these
halls in 1875 in the trial of John Zenger,
had been established for the first time in its
history the liberty OF the press Here the
New York Assembly, in 1864, made the pro
test against the Stamp act, and proposed
the general conference. which was
the beginning of the United Colonial
action. In this old State House IN
1868 the Stamp act congress- the
Congresses. assembled and presented to the
English Government that vigorous protest
which caused the repeal of the act, and
checked the first step towards the usurpa-
ton which lost the American colonies to
the British empire Within these walls the
Congress of the Confederation had cOmmls-
stoned its Ambassadors abroad, and IN lneI-
feotual efforts at government had created
the necessity for the concentration OF Fed
eraI authority, now to be contaminated
The first Congress of the United States
gathered in this ancient temple of liberty
greeted Washington and accompanied him
to the balcony The famous men visible
about him were Chancellor Livingston,
N1C6-BrGSlQenB
Hamilton Governor Clinton, Roger Sher-
man. Richard Henry Lee, General Knox and
Baron Steuben. But we believe that among
the invisible host above him, at this supreme
moment of the elimination in permanent
triumph of the thousands OF years of strug-
gle for self government, were the spirits OF
the soldiers of the revolution who had
died that their cOuntrymen might ENJOY
this blessed day, and with them were the
Barons of Runnymede and William the
Silent, and Sidney and Russell, and Crom,,
martyrs of liberty of every race and age.
AS he came forward, the multitude in the
streets, in the windows and on the roots
sent up such TapturOus shout that
Washington sat down overcome with
emotion AS he slowly rose and his tall
and majestic form again appeared, the
people, deeply affected, IN awed silence
viewed the scene. The Chancellor sol
EMMY read to him the oath of office, and
Washington, repeating, said: Il do solemn
" swear that viii faithfully execute the
office of President of the United States, and
will, to the best of my ability, preserve,
protect and defend the Constitution of tina
United States" Then he reVerently
bent low and kissed the Bible, utter
ing with profound emotion: $50 help me,
God" The Chancellor waved his robes and
shouted: 1T is done; long live George
Washington, President of the United
Statesl" Long live George Washington,
our first PRESIDENT" was the answering
cheer of the people, and from the belfrieS
rang the bells, and from forts and ships
Numbered the cannon, echoing and repeat
ing the cry with responding acclaim all
over the land: Long live George Washing
ton, President of the United States!" =
No man ever stood for so much to his
country and to mankind as George WASH
ington. Hamilton, Jefferson and Adams,
Madison and Jay each represented some OF
the elements which formed the Union.
Washington embodied them all.
Do his cOuntrymen eXaggerate his viz
tues? Listen to GuiZot the historian of
civilization: Washington did the two great
est things which in politics it is permitted
to man to attempt. he maintained py peace
the independence Of his country which he
conquered by war. He founded a
free Government in the name of the
principles OF order and by re-esGa bHshlng
their sway" Hear LoId Ersk1ne, the
most famous of English advocates: You
are the only being for whom I have an aw-
full reverence Remember the tribute of
Charles James Fox, the greatest parIIa-
mentary orator who ever swayed the British
House OF Commons: Industrious man, be-
fore whom all borrowed greatness sinks
into insignificanca. y Contemplate the
character of Lord BrOugham pre-
eminent for two generations in
every department of human activity and
thought, and then impress upon the memo
ries of your children his deliberate Judg-
ment: "Until time shall be no more will
test of the progress which our race has
made in wisdom and virtue be derived from
the yeneration paid to the immortal name OF
Washington" <
We stand to-day upon the dividing line
between the first and second century OF
constitutional government There are no
clouds overhead and no commissions under
our feet. We TeYeFently return thanks to
Almighty God for the past, and with conf
dent and hopeful promise march n upon sure
ground towards the future. The simple
facts of these hundred years paralyZe the
imagination, and we contemplate the vast
accommodations of the century with awe and
pride. Our population has grown from
four to siXty-tiVe millions. Its center, NOV
ing westward five hundred miles since
I 1879, is eloquent with the founding of cities
and the birth of States. New settl ments,
clearing the forests and subduing the prai-
ries and adding four millions to the few
thousands of farms which were the support
of WashingtOns Republic, create one of the
great grainaries OF the world and open ex-
haustless reservoirs of National wealth.
During this generation, a civil war OF
uneuualed magnitude caused the expendi~
/ ture and loss OF eight thousand millions OF
/ dollars, and killed six hundred thousand
and permanently disabled over million
young men, and yet the impetuous prog
! ress of the North and the marvellous in
dustrial de velopment of the new and free
South have obIiterated the evidences of de-
( struCtiOn, and made the war; memory,
and have stimulated production until our
annual surplus nearly equals that of
I England, France and Germany combined.
The teeming millions Of Asia till the patient
/ soil, and work the shuttle and loom as their
| Europe has felt the influence and
received the benefit of the 1ncalcu-
genius snce the NapOleonic wars and yet,
only two hundred and sixty nine years after
the little band of pilgrims landed on
! Plymouth Rock, our people, numbering
/ less than One-fifteenth of the inhabitants OF
! the globe do one-third of its mining, one
fourth of it's manufacturing, One-tifth of its
, agriculture, and own one sixth of its wealth
! Steam and electricity have changed the
/ commerce not only they have revolution
1 lied also the governments OF the world
/ They have given to the press It's power,
/ and brought all races and natlonallt es into
/ touch and sympathy. They have tested
/ and are trying the strength OF all systems
/ to stand the strain and conform to the con-
| ditions which follow the terminating
! influences of American Democracy. At
/ the time of the inauguration of Wash
/ ington, seven royal families ruled as
/ many kingdoms in Italy, but SIX or them
/ have seen their thrones overturned ana
/ their countries disappear from the map
! of Europe. Most Cf the Kings, Princes,
! Dukes and maTgraves of Germany who
/ reigned despOtically and sold their soldiers
4 for foreign ser vice, have pas ed into MS
/ tory, and their heirs have neither prerog-
/ atives nor domain. Spain has gone through
many violent changes and the permanency
! of her present government seems to depend
/ upon the feeble life of an infant Prince.
/ France, our ancient friend, with repeated
and bloody revolutions, has tried the
government of Bourbon and Con-
ventiOn, az Directory and Consul
I late, of Empire and Citizen King,
4 of hereditary Sovereign and Republic
/ OF Empire ana again hepuDIfc. Inc maps
1 burg and the HohenzOllern, after Convul'
] sions which have rocked the foundation Of
! their throne have been compelled to con-
/ cede constitutions to their people and to
divide with them the arbitrary power
I wielde1 so automatically and brilliantly by
/ Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great
/ The royal viii of George III could crowC
/ the merican colonies into rebellion and
/ wage war upon them until they were LOST
/ to his kingdom, but the authority of the
! Crown has devolved upon Ministers whf
/ hold office subject to the approval ol
/ the representatives Of the people, and the