The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-16

military companies. which escorted
him, marched from Franklin square to
Pearl street, through Pearl to Broad,
and up Broad to this spot. but the peo-
pie saw only Washington. AS he stood
upon the steps of the old Government
building here, the thought must have
occurred to him that it was cradle
I of Liberty, and as such giving bright
omen for the future. In these halls in
1875, In the trial of John Zenger, had
bsen established for the first time in
its history the liberty Of the press.
Here the New York Assembly, inI764,
made the protest against the Stamp
act, and proposed the general con-
ference, which was the beginning Of
the United Colonial action. In this
old State House in 1865 the Stamp |
act congress, the first and the father
of American Congresses, assembled
and presented to the English Govern
ment that vigorous protest which caused
the repeal of the act, and checked the
first step towards the usurpation which
lost the American colonies to the
British empire. Within these walls
the Congress of the Confederation had
commissioned its Ambassadors abroad
and in Intellectual efforts at govern
ment had created the necessity for
the concentration of Federal authority,
now to be consummated.
The first Congress of the United
States gathered in this ancient temple
of liberty, greeted Washington and ac-
companied him to the balcony. The
famous men visible about him were
Chancellor Livingston, Vice-President
John Adams, Alexander Hamilton,
Governor Clinton, Roger Sherman,
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 struggle for
! self government, were the spirits OF
, tthe soldiers of the revolution who had
: died that their countrymen might en-
10Y this blessed day, and with them
: were the Barons of Runnymede and
S William the Silent, and Sidney and
Y Russell, and Cromwell and Hampden,
: and the heroes and martyrs of liberty
X of every race and age.
+ AS he came forward, the multitude
= in the streets, in the windows, and OF
# the roofs set up such a raptuous shou
that Washington sat down overcome
J. with emotion. AS he slowly rose ane
his tall and majestic form again ap
n peared, the people, deeply affected, il
l. awed silence viewed the scene. Ih'
J. Chancellor solemnly read to him tn
l. oath of office, and Washington, repeat
j. ing, said 81 do solemnly swear tha
re Twill faithfully execute the office {
p President of the United States, an
[e will, to the best of my ability, pre-
al serve, protect and defend the Const
r. tuition of the United States" The
he he reverently bent low and kissed tn
d. Bible, uttering with profound emotion
a. $50 help me, God" The Chance
he lor waved his robes and shouted: q"
in is done; long live George Washington
he President of the United States
he "Long live George Washington, o,
d first President!" was the answerlr
a. cheer of the people, and from the be
by fries rang the bells, and from for
and ships thundered the cannon, ech'
,u- ing and repeating the cry with r
he spending acclaim all over the lane
ce "Long live George Washington, Pre-
ne. ident of the United States!"
nd No man ever stood for SO much
the his country and to mankind as Geor
ISL Washington. Hamilton, Jefferson al
ave Adams, Madison and Jay, each re
,oe resented some of the elements wbi
formed the Union. Washington el
in bodied them all.
md Do his countrymen exaggerate
zed virtues? Listen to Guizot, the his
set rian of civilization: Washington &
,ere the two greatest things which in p
Gus itics it is permitted to man to attem
,ent He maintained by peace the int
RVS pendence OF his country which he ce
ow. quered by war. He founded I
,ex- Government in the name of the pr
his ciples of order and establish
ire their sway" Hear I.nrd Erskine,
tn most famous of English advocat
to .sYou are the only being for whom
lind have an awful reverence. Rcmem
ain the tribute of Charles James Fox,
ex- greatest parliamentary orator who e
the swayed the British House of &c
TO mons" lllustrious man, before VIII
call. all borrowed greatness sinks into
ex- significance" Contemplate the cf
acter of Lord Brougham, pre-emin
rded for two generations in every dep;
h ment OF human activity and thout
arch and then impress upon the memo
the OF your children his deliberate ju
with ment Until time shall he no n
their will test of the progress which
,,ex, race has made in wisdom and wi
him be derived from the veneration !
to the immortal name of Washingte
=
latic,
rose We stand to-day upon the divi
-. line between the first and second
tury Of constitutional goyernm
i rYvf- do arar