The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-24
WASN'T MENTIONED.
A Dinner on February 22d Without
the Hatchet Story.
Sons Of the evolutlon---Present Day
Thought Of Washington is Rational.

There was a company OF 10 gentlemen
at a dinner at the Narragansett Hotel Sat-
urday evening, given in honor of General
George Washington and that miserable
hatchet story was not even alluded to. 1t
was the annual banquet of the Rhode
can Revolution, and il the ancestry Of all
who sat at the tables should be looked
up for four or five generations the result
would show the roster OF the Rhode
Island patriots who fought in the war for
American independence.
The spirit of the meeting was well ex-
pressed by Judge Carpenter in his re-
sponse TO the toast, General George
Washington" land that was the spirit of
reasonable patriotism, free from both the
absurdities OF spread-eaglelsm and$ that
other extreme Of skepticism as to the ac-
tual existence OF any such thing as gen.
uine love of country.
Judge Carpenter claimed that Was hing
ton was the father OF his country in the
most literal sense, that he, more than all
of his contemporaries and successors,
shaped the future of this nation the de-
velopment of which has been merely the
working out of the ideas of the first Pres
ident. To illustrate, Washington was a
keen advocate of u strong central and fed
eral government rather than of the SOW
ereignty Of the states and the national
idea has always prevailed.
Public opinion relative TO George Wash
ington may be logically divided into
three stages. At first he was an ideal he
70, mythological character. This was
during the first half century, after the
war OF the Revolution. The results of
that struggle were so great that men got
into the wrong philosophical style of
thought about it. They believed that the
leaders must necessarily have been almost
superhuman and Washington was never re-
ferred to except in the superlative degree.
The inevitable reaction came. The sup
erlative became tiresome and there was
nothing left TO that enthusiastically
patriotic spirit. Indeed, patriotism was
considered to be an outgrown, medieval
and childish notion. 1t was claimed that
Washington had been excelled as a gen.
eral and as statesman, that be was not
q very successful Iermer, that he was pro-
fame, and that his letters would not be fit
to read in the presence of young ladies.
Now we are living in the third ana
normal stage and have learned to think
correctly about the significance of the
country's war for liberty and to estimate
rightly the worth of Washington.
His Honor, Mayor McGuinness, showed
HE ability to adapt himself to his
audience and TO the occasion and made a
Providence He emphasized the fact
that patriotic meetings always furnish an
incentive to better citizenship.
Hon. Edwin shepard, President Of the
Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the
American Revolution, told a good story
about Washington that illustrated the
generals lack of frivolity. 1t was on one
of his birthdays (no one ever thinks now
adays of a Washington's birthday while
he was alive) and the army officers had
got up complimentary banquet in honor
OF the day. One of the company thought
he would see If George couldn't be in
duced 10 unbend little so slapped him
cordially on the back and said "Come,
come, general, let's forget our cares and
have a good time" Where upon the man
whom they wished to honor walked out
of the hall. President Barrett illustrated
this anecdote by few vigorous pounds
on the back of Mayor NcGuinness, who
happened to sit next to him at the guests
table.
Professor Munro, the historian of the
society, read a good paper on the Revolu-
tionary record of the town of Bristol, and
x-Lieutenant- Governor Wardwell sang
1.-THE Sword of Bunker HILL
President William Maxwell Greene was
POSTMASTER. and Reeves orchestra played
patriotic airs all the time that there wasn't
someone talking.