The Portland daily press., 1899-12-15

Interesting. In beginning he said that -
was ftting thai this meeting should DO
held on ths spot uhsrs eur worthy siti-
xens assembled century ago for . IKE
purpose 20 do honor 70 Gtorxe wsshing-
ton, the founder Of nation. 10 10 faos
ever 10 be held In mind thai the ''sntire
progress Of the civilised world for morn
than century has been shaped By The In
fuence Of his life and prsoept. He owed
nothing 10 Lirth or station. but srsung
from no better stock than thousands OF
other Americans. Rsv. Mr.. Howe went
on to speak Of Warrington a. a youth
and as . man, dwelling upon this self
ma stery, dignity, integrity and the sim
piicity Of his life. Our estimate Of WASH
| ington 10 still further enhanced By his re-
markable achievemsnts. The speaker then
sketchsd the career Of Warrington ss
soldier and military issdsr. He then
osms to speak Of him as statesman oies'
ing his admirable address ~ follows;
wAsHIN GIoN 1HE STATESMAN.
Distinguished az Warrington was ss q
| general he was even more distinguished
as statesman.
The surrender Of CORVALLIS 81 York.
town brought the war Of the Revolution
| to q close.
| Az soon rs practicable Washington ap.
pearsi before Congress and read his fare
we'll, s'the ablsss document recording ths
deeds of men,
he presented his resignation ss COM
mander-in chief, and asked that he might
be permitted TO retire to private life. HIS
request was granted and he withdrew
from the hall In q calm and dignihsd
manner, ard the Assem- bled delegates felt
that great aud good man hal gone out
from their presence.
What q remarkable chapter that is for
MS to look back upon. Warrington hopen
to return to Mt. Vernon and pass his re-
naming years In the superintendence OF
his extensive plantations.
But this was not to be. II was true
that the war was ended; that the colonies
were free; but serious and difhcnt
problsms confronted tho new republic.
A firm aad wise hand was needed 70 90
guide tbs affairs Of state as to insure tine
stability and perpstuity Of the nationai
government.
As we revert to those trying times we
lare convinced that the four years when
followed the war, were tbs most criticai
taa our history. The states, temporarily
drawn together In self defsnse, were now
in danger OF drifting apart on account oil
their mutual jealousiee. The articles oil
1 ina deO "a a.
mands of the hour, and Congress, ruling
under them, was seriously hampered In
Its efforts to administer the government.
A burdensome debt had besn incurred by
the wur. and the soldiers who had fought
for independence were compelled to re-
turn. unpaid to thsir homes At this re-
mote day 1t Is impossible for us, either
to realize or appreciate the chaotic con-
dition of affairs which characterized that
period. For some reason the idea seems
| to tie entertained BY mahy Of our cifizsns
that The revolutionary war was followed
hy q sort of political millennium.
1hs financial distress, the civil war In
| North Carolina aud the revolt In Penn
| sylvania, demanded q wise, prudent ana
strong ruler.
1t soon became apparent to the leaders,
that there was serious need for q more
perfect and permanent union. better
articles of confederation. and q stronger
and more inf uent ial central government.
Out OF this demand came the convention
which framed the Constitution. The
abIess men In the thirteen states were
cho sen "a delegates to this assembly Oh
which Washington was the most promi-
nent and influential member, and over
which hs was called to preside. On the
adoption Of the Constitution Washington
was chosen to be the first president with
John Adams as vice president.
Military men have not usually proven
successful statesmen or sagacious rulers,
but Washington was a marked exception
| to the general rule. 1t Is conceded by all
careful students of that period. that no
other man In America was so eminently
| fitted as he to meet and discharge the
duties OF the presidency. For eight years
he served the country, guiding It's affairs
with remarkable wisdom and skill, and
so soiidity ing the NEGOTIATE elements as to
make them a great and powerful nation.
His farewell address to the American
people reveals the oomprehensiveness OF
his views and the breadth Of his states
manshlp. "Let there he no ssctionalism,
no North, South, East or West. Beware
OF attacks, open OF covert. upon the Con-
stitution. Do not encourage party spirit.
Promote religion, morality and the
m sans of education. Preserve the public
credit; avoid sntangling foreign alli-
ancss."
What more fitting oloss than this to a
long, ussful and unblemished public
career. He retired to private life with the
yeneration OF the nation and the world,
the greatest president this republic has
ever had, with whose wisdom and devo'
ton we couple the name of but one other
man, Abraham Lincoln.
In order to rightly estimate Washing
| .ht llsNa aka toe