Wichita eagle., 1889-05-01

| very spot. the unanimously chosen
commander-in-chief of the continental
| 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 to the enemy
| by domestic sympathizers, when he knew
| that the same local military company
| which escorted him was to perform ike
! service for the British governor. Iryon. on
/ his landing on the morrow Returning
! for the defence of the city the next sum-
| Iner, he executed the retreat from Long
, Island, which secured from Frederick the
Great the opinion that great COM
| nander had appeared. and at HaF-
| lem heights he won the first American
| victory of the revolution, which gave
| that confidence TO our raw recruits against
the famous veterans OF Europe which
carried our army triumphantiy through
| the war. Six years more OF untold suffer
| ings, of freezing aud starving camps, of
marches over the snow by bare footed sol
diers to heroic attack and splendid victo Y,
of dispair with an unpaid army, and CT
| hope from the generous assistance Of
| France, and peace had come and indepen-
dence triumphed As the last soldier of
the invading enemy embarks, Washing
ton at the head of the patriot host enters
the city, receives the welcome and graft
tude of its people, and in the tavern which
faces Us across the way, IN silence more
eloquent than speech, and with
tears which choke the words, he bids fare
| well to his companions in arms Such
were the crowding memories of the past
suggested TO Washington in 1879 by his
approach to New York. But the future
had none of the splendor of precedent and
brlliance of promise which have since at
tended the inauguration of our presidents.
An untried scheme, adopted mainly be-
cause its administration was to be conhded
I l. Il
knew that he was TO be met at every step
of constitutional progress by factions tenn
porarily hushed into unanimity by the
terrific force of the tidal wave which was
bearing him to the president seat, but
fiercely 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 today 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 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
giving 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 1854,
made the protest against the Stamp Act,
and proposed the general confer
ence, which was the beginning of the
united colonial action In this old state
house in 1865 the stamp act of congress, the
first and the father of American con-
II 4 81 - l.,
English government the 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 COM
missiOned its ambassadors abroad, and In
Intellectual efforts at government had
created the necessity for the concentra-
ZION of federal authority, now 10 be con-
Sumated.
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 Liv-
ingston, Vice-President John Adams,
Alexander Hamilton, Governor Clinton,
Roger Sherman, Richard Henry Lee, Gen
eral 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
thousand of years of struggle for self
government, were the spirits of the sol
diers of the revolution who had died
that their countrymen might en-
JOY this blessed day, and with them
We're the bar0ns OF Runnymede
and William the Silent, and Sidney and
Russell, and Cromwell and Hampden, and
the heroes and martyrs OF liberty of every
race and age.
l. ~
the streets, in the windows and on the
roofs sent up such arapturous shout that
Washington sat down overcome with emo
ton. AS he slowly rose and his tall and
majestic form again appeared, the people,
deeply affected, in awed silence viewed the
scene. The chancellor solemnly read to
him the oath of office, and Washington re-
peating. said, Il do sOlemnly swear that L
Will faithfully execute the office of presi
dent of the United States, and will, to the
best of my ability, preserve, protect and de-
fend the constitution OF the United
States" Then he reverently bent low and
kissed the bible, uttering witch profound
emotion, 80 help me God" The chan
cellor waived his robes and shouted, 1T is
done; long live George Washington, Pres
ident of the United States!" Long live
George Washington, our first PRESIDENT
was the answering cheer OF the people, and
from the belfries rang the bells, and from
the forts and ships Numbered the cannon,
echoing and repeating the cry with re-
spending acclaim all over the land, Long
live George Washington, president of the
United States"
The simple and imposing ceremony over,
the inaugural read, the blessing of God
prayerfully petioned in old st. Paul's, the
festivities passed; and Washington stood
alone No one else could take the helm of
state, and enthusiast and doubter alike
trusted only him. The teachings and
habits OF the past had educated the people
to faith in the independence of their states,
and for the supreme authority of the new
government there stood against the pre-
cedent of a century and the passions of
the hour. little besides the arguments Of
Hamilton, Madison and Jay in the Fed
eralists, and the judgment Of Washing
ton. With the first attempt to exercise
national power began the duel 10 the
death between state sovereignty claim
ing the right to nulllfy federal
laws or cecede from the union,
and the power of the republic to command
the resources of the country, TO enforce its
authority and protect its life. II was the
beginning OF the sixty years war for the
constitution and the nation. 1t scared
consciences, degraded politics DESTROYED
parties, ruined statesmen. and retarded
the advance aud development OF the coun-
try; IL sacrificed hundreds of thousands Of
precious lives, and squaudered thousands
of millions of money, it desolated the fair
est portion OF the land and carried mourn
ing into every home north and south: bat
IL ended at Appomaltox n the absolute
triumph of the republic.
Posterity owes to Washington's admin
istration the policy and measures. the
force and direction which made it possible
this glorious result 10 giving the or-ani
cation Of the department Of state and for
eigu relation 70 Jefferson, the treasury 10