, 1889-05-02


chief officers OF the retiring government ot
the country, by the governor Of the com.
monwpalrh and by the whole population
This superb harbor was alive with fleets
and hdus. and the ships of other nations
with salutps from their guns and the
cheers OF their crews added to the joyous
acclaim. But as the captains who had
asked tho privilege, bending proudly to
their oars, rowed the presidents barge
swiftly through these inspiring scenes:
WashinRtun's mind and heart we're full o.
"Reminiscences and foreboding. He had
visited New York thirty.t three years be-
tore, s\lso in the, month of April, 10 the
full Lerfpction of his early manhood.
flesh from Braddock's bloody field, and
wearing the only laurels of the battle.
| bearing the prophetic blessing of the ven
erable President Davies of Princeton coll
ege, as. That heronic youth Colonel
| Washington, whom | cannot but hope
| providence has hitherto preserved in 30
| signal manner for some important SER
vice to the country" IL was u fair daugh'
| ter of our state whose smiles allured him
| here, and whose coy confession that her
heart was euothr's recorded his only fail
ure. aud saddened his departure. Twenty
years passed, and he stood
before the New York congress, on
this very spot the unanimously cho-
army. urging the people to more vigorous
measures, and made painfully aware OF
the increased desperation of the struggle.
from the aid to be given the enemy by
| domestic sympathizers, when he knew
that the same local military company
which escorted him was to perform the
| like service for the British Governor Tryon
on his lnndinR on the morrow. Return
ing for the defence of the city the next
/ n hn fpd ha
| Long Island, which secured from Fredrr-
| ick the Great the opinion, thai great
commander had appeared, and at Harlem
| Heights he won
THE FIRST AMERICAN VICTORY
| of the revolution. which gave that
| co p6dence to our raw recruits against the
| famous veterans OF Europe which carried
| our army triumphantly through the war
| Six years or more Of untold sufferinRs. of
| freezing and starving camps. OF marches
| over the snow by bsrefooted soldiers to
heroic attack and splendid victory, Of des.
| pair with an unpaid army, and OF hope
from the generous assistance of France.
and peace had come and independence tri-
umphed. As the last soldier of the invad-
ing enemy embarks, Washington at the
head of the patriot host enters the city. re-
ceives the welcome and gratitude OF its
people, and in the tavern which faces us
across the way, in silence more eloquent
than speech, and " tn tears which choke
the words, he bids farewell for.
ever to his companions in arms. Such
| we're the crowdipR memories OF the past
suggested to Washington in 1889 by his
approach to New York. But the future
had none Of the splendor OF precedept and
briliiance Of promise which have since at
tended the inauguration Of our presidents.
An untried scheme, adopted mainly be.
cause its dministration was to be conided
to him. was to be put in practice. He
knew that he was to be met at every step
of constitutional progress by factions tenn
porarily hushed into unaninity by the
terrific force of the tidal wave which was
bearing him to the presidents seat, out
6ercely hostile upon questions affecting
every power of nationality and the exist
ence of the federal government.
| Washington was never dramatic, but on
| 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
him, marched from Franklin Square TO
Pearl street. through Pearl TO Broad,
and up Broad to this spot, but the people
SAW ONLY wAsHINsroE.
As he stood upon the steps Of the old GOV
ernment building here. the thought must
have occurred to him that il was cradle
of liberty, and as such giving a bright
omen for the future. 10 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
1854, made the protest against the Stamp
act and proposed the general confer.
ence which was the beginning Of united
colonial action. In this old statehouse in
1865 the stamp act congress- the FIRST and
the father of American congresses, assem-
bled and presented to the English govern
ment that vigorous protest which caused
the repeal of the act, and checked the first
step toward the usurpation which lost the
| American colonies to the British empire.
| Within these walls the congress of the
| confederation had commissioned its am
bassadors abroad, and in Intellectual efforts
| at government had created the necessity
| for the concentration OF federal authority,
| now 10 be cousummated.
The first congress of the United States
gathered In this ancient temple of liberty.
greeted Washington ana accompanied
him to the balcony. The famous men Wis.
| ible about him were Chancellor LivinRs.
der Hamilton, Governor Clinton, Roger
Sherman, Richard Henry Lee, General
Knox and Baron Steuben. But we be.
lieve that among the invisible host above
| him, at this supreme moment Of
the elimination in permanent tri.
umph of the thousands OF years of
struggle for government, were the
spirits Of the soldiers of the revolution
who had died that their countrymen might
enjoy this blessed day, and with them
we're the barons Of Runnymede and Will
lam the silent, and Sidney and Russell,