The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-05-03

the New York convention by the splendo
or his oratory
But the multitudes whom no argumen
could convince, who saw in the Executive
power and centralized force of the consti
tuition, under another name, the dreaded
usurpation OF King and Ministry. were sat
isfied only with the assurance. "Washingtol
will be President 1t quieted alarm ant
to the weak
He alone could stay assault and inspire
confidence while the great and complicated
machinery Of organized government wa
put in order and set in motion. Doubt ex
listed nowhere except in his modest and un
been spent in repeated sacrifices fol
his country's welfare, and he did moi
hesitate now. though there is an under
tone of inexpressible sadness in this entry
in his diary on the night of his departure
ABOUT ten O'Clock / babe adieu to Mount
Vernon, to private life, and to domestic
felicity, and with a mind oppressed with
more anxious and painful sensations than
have words to express, set out for New YOrl
with the best disposition to render service
to my country in obedience to its call, but
with less hope Of answering its expecta-
tons"
No conqueror was ever accorded such 9
this memorable march of six days to the
Capitol, it was the pride of States to &C.
company him with the masses of their peo-
pie to their borders, that the citizens of the
next commonwealth might escort him
through its territory. =
He had visited New York thirty three
years before. also In the month of April, In
the full perfection of his early manhood,
fresh from Braddock's bloody field, and
wearing the only laurels of the battle, bear
ing the prophetic blessing of the venerable
President Davies. of Princeton College,
as That heroic youth. Colonel Wash
ington, whom l can not but hope Prov.
idence has hitherto preserved In SO signal
a manner for some important service to
the country" 1t was a fair daughter of our
State whose smiles allured him here, and
whose coy confession that her heart was
another's recorded his only failure, and sad
dened his departure. Twenty years passed,
gress, on this very spot, the unanimously
chosen Commander in Chief of the CONT
mental army, urging the people to more Wig
orous measures, and made painfully aware
Of the increased desperation of the strug-
gle, from the aid to be given to the enc
my by domestic sympathizers, when
he knew that the same local military COM
the like service for the British Governor
Tryon on his landing on the morrow. Re
turning for the defense of the city the next
summer, he executed the retreat from Long
Island, which secured from Frederick the
Great the opinion that q great commander
he won the first American vic
tory of the Revolution. which gave
that confidence of our raw recruits against
the famous veterans Of Europe which car
ried our army triumphantly through the
war. Six years more of untold sufferings.
Of freezing and starving camps. Of marches
over the snow by bare footed soldiers to
heroic attack and splendid victory, Of de-
spair with an unpaid army, and Of hope from
the generous assistance Of France, and
peace had come and independence
triumphed As the last soldier Of
the invading enemy embarks, Wash
ington at the head Of the patriot host
enters the city, receives the welcome and
gratitude of its people, and In the tanerv
which faces US across the way, in silence
more eloquent than speech, and with tears
which choke the words, he bids farewell
forever to his companions in arms Such
were the crowding memories of the past
suggested to Washington in 17S9 by his ap-
proach to New York.
great occasions he not only rose to the full
ideal of the event. he became himself the
event One hundred years ago to-day the
procession of foreign Ambassadors of
statesmen and Generals, of civic societies
and military companies, which escorted
Pearl street. through Pearl to
spot, but the people 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 a cradle of liberty, and as such CIV
ing a bright omen for the future. In these
ha lie in c.2S in tho trial pf Jnhn Znnuar
had been established for the first time in its
history the liberty of the press Here the
New York Assembly. in l764, made the pro-
test against the Stamp act, and proposed
the general conference. which was
the beginning, of the United Colonial
1863 the Stamp act congress, the
first and the father of American
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-
the British empire. Within these walls the
Congress of the Confederation had commits
stoned its Ambassadors abroad, and in inef-
fectual efforts at government had created
the necessity for the concentration of Fed
eral authority. now to be consummated
The first Congress Of the United States
gathered in this ancien Mt temple Of liberty,
to the balcony. The famous men visible
about him were Chancellor Livingston,
Vice President John Adams, Alexander
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
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-
we'll and Hampden, and the heroes and
martyrs of liberty of every race and age.
As he came forward, the multitude in the
streets in the windows, and on the roofs
sent up such rapturOus 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 will 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 the
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
States!" Long live George Washington,
Dur first PRESIDENT" was the answering
cheer of the people. and from the Delfries
rang the bells, and from forts and ships
the cannon. echoing and repeat
ng the cry with responding acclaim all
over the land: Long live George Washing
ton. President of the United States," y =
No man ever stood for so much to his
country and to mankind as George Wash
ngton- Hamilton, Jefferson and Adams:
Madison and Jay, each represented some of
the elements which formed the Union.
W shington embodied them all
Do his counIymen exaggerate his viz
tues? Listen to Guizot, the historian of
civilization: Washington did the two great