St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-24

orders of 1.-THE Society of CINCINNATI
and the Loyal Legion" have the first
place. Then statesmen, who write upon
their hearts, in letters brighter than
gold, his farewell address, and feel that
his counSels are both pole-star and COM
pass to the ship of state. Then soldiers,
who, whether trained to military deeds
or wearing peaceful laurels, feel the
cOntagiOn of his influence
Whose high endeavor was an inward light
That made the path before him always
bright
Then sailors, who, in devotion to his
name, have compelled the recognition
of our flag on every sea, revere his
memory. Then lawyers and judges,
who remember that though the ermine
never clothed him, his judicial intellect,
his love of justice aid his reverence for
truth, made him pattern for the
jurist. Then merchants, who honor
him, who fostered trade, regu-
lated finance, protected finance, and
strove to make its range as wide as the
dark, broad sea. Then farmers, coming
from teeming flOcks and oranges full"
who glow with pride as they remember
the CIncinnatus of the Western hemis-
phere. Then mechanics, who hail HIM
as the wise master builder of our inSti-
erS' talk of Washington. Then the
mothers of America who feel that they
owe debt of gratitude to one who was
the most dutiful of sons, and of whom
his mother could say, when the nation
hailed him as its savior, George always
was good boy" Then sons of the soil,
we to the manor born, who thrill as we
recall the order given at Valley Forge,
LET none but Americans be placed on
guard tonight" And citizens of foreign
birth share with us, our SOjOurnerS, for
he babe them welcome to our hoSpitali-
ties, and clothed their rights with the
panoply of nations might. Members of
the press will claim place, for they well
know that his pen was always loyal to
truth and public good, and that to his
fame more pens have been gladly
dedicated than to any man born within
twice thousand years. Freedmen have
good cause to love one who. in 11S6, re-
solved never to possess another slave
by purchase" and who wrote in the
same year: There is not man who
wishes more sincerely than | do to see
a plan adopted for the abolition of
slavery; my suffrage for this will never
be wanting" All shall have room, tor
philosophers find in him a character
solid as principle and faultleSS as moral
lty. Poets find In his life an epic more
wonderful than the tale of Troy d.
vine" Musicians find in him variety
i'll unity more complete than harmonies
sociates, bound to him by mystic ties,
worshipfully hail him master" Nor
alists applaud him, for in general
orders issued July 20, 1779, he
says: "My feelings are continually
wounded by the oaths and imprecations
of the soldiers" and directs "OfficerS of
every grade, for the sake of religion,
decency and order, to use their influence
to check vice which is as Improbable
as it is wicked and shameful" And
ministers of religion revere him, for be-
fore each battle he bowed in PRAYER, and
at the home altar and in the closet was
reverently studiOus of Gods word. and
bent his knee at the table of the Sacra-
ment of Christ. All classes and all peO-
pie who recognize the purity of his life
and the eXaltatiOn of his devotion shall
unite in the grateful tribute. In the
turbulent strife OF the past years the ma
ton passed through its proving crisis
and emerged again into the light. There
were hours and days of darkness, when
the night watches were counted by the
agoniZing throbs of the nations heart,
when 1t seemed as if doom had sWal-
lowed the dawn and the continent had
been surrendered to Cmmerian dark
ness. But the track of enviouS
vapors" rolled itself together and
disappeared, the sun shone out
once more, revealing to us that
we had gained UNNECESSARILY higher
ground; the plane of our old history was
far below us. The YeXing and tumutu-
Gus questions of the earlier days shriv-
elled into insigniiicance, and i'll the
wider horizon and purer air, there rose
before the eye, as from the lower level,
"a klng;y spirit thronged among the
hills" the gIrth of his base the measure
OF earthly greatness, but so high the
peak that the heavens seem
His shrine, his crystal habitation."
And in the purged vision of to-day,
we may behold, child at play on the
slope of the Potomac; young survey
or guiding his fragile raft over the
turbulent Alleghany; an intrepid Aid
de-camp rallying the fugitive army of
Braddock dignifed commander
drawing the sword of freedom under
the Cambridge elm; batfied but undis-
mayed leader erect in the boat which
ShiverS amid the floating ice
of the Delaware; a sagaciOus gen
eral cheering his famished aud ragged
men in the wintry desolation of Valley
Forge; victor receiving the final sur
render of his country's foes; a trium-
plant progress through redeemed and
rejoicing land; an inaugural oath-taking
as the first president of the republic;
then a sad parting from his brother
officers and the surrender of his COM
mission at Annapolis; a dispenser of
hospitality in the peaceful retirement
of Mt. Vernon; a farewell blessing be
slowed upon his eountrymen, and a sad
funeral procession to the tomb, followed
with the fearful benedictiOns of
humanity. As thus revealed, he APP
pears grander and more majestic than
ne seemed at the beginning of the
century, and the roll OF ages will only
increase his fame.