The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-14

the object of his most earnest solicit
tude, has steadily and wonderfully de-
VelOped along the lines which his Sa-
gacity and foresight carefully planned.
1t has stood every trial and at the
dawn of a new century is stronger tnan
ever to carry forward its mission OF
liberty. During all the intervening
years it has been true, forever true to
the precepts of the constitution when
he and his illustriOus colleagues framed
for it's guidance and government he
was the national architect says Ban
croft, the historian, and but for him
the nation could not have achieved It's
independence, could not have formed
its union, could not have put the red
eral government into operation.
He had neither precedent nor prede-
ceSsOr. His work was original and con-
StructiVe and has successfully stood the
SevereSt tests
He selected the site for the capital
of the republic he founded, and gave
it the name of the Federal City, but the
commission substituted the name or
Washington as the more fitting and to
be a perpetual recognition of the ser
vices of the communicated of the
Continental army, the president OF the
convention which framed the const1tu-
ton and the first president of the re
public. More than 20 millions OF PEG
pie acknowledge allegiance to the nag
which he made triumphant. me ma
ton is his best eulOgist and his noblest
monument.
l have been deeply interested and
JOucnGQ Dy LHo sentiments u Ills GOAA-
temporaries, uttered a hundred years
ago on the occasion of his death. The
Rev. Walter King of Norwich, Conn,
in the course of an eloquent eulogy de-
livered in that city on January D. 1870,
said in part:
BY one mighty effort of manly res
olutiOn we were horn anew and de-
clared our Independence Now COM
menced the bloody contest for every
thing we hold dear. The same Almighty
being, by whose guidance we We're
hitherto conducted, beheld us with
compassion, and saw what we needed
a pilot, a. leader in the perilOuS enter
prise we had undertaken. He called for
Washington. already prepared, annOint-
ed him as His servant with regal dig
nifty and put into his hands the control
Of all our defensive operations
But here admiration suppresse5S ut
the active character of the man. 4 dis
cription of the warlike skill, the protound
wisdom. the prudence, the herOISm and
integrity which he displayed in the char
acter of the commander in chief would
suffer materially in hands like mine But
this / may say-the eyes of all our Amerl-
can Israel were placed upon him as their
they were not disappointed
The Rev. Nathan Strong pastor OF the
North Presbyterian church in Hartford,
spoke as follows on December q, 1893:
of war. as much respected as deeply rev
erenced in the political cabinet for a lurn-
psTy e9oGsy Became enghtened and
ashamed of itself. as he was for cool
o
when empires hung suspended on the tate
of battle.
the public body and every man was pleas
ed with himself when he found he thought
Under the auspices of this great war
riOr, who was formed by the providence
of God to defend his country the war was
ended and America ranked among the ma
lions. He, who might have been mon
clothed of all authority to enjoy the bliss
Of being private citizen Ihls WAS
never been exceeded in the history of the
world. except it was by his second recess
which was from the presidency of the
And on the day preceding December &c,
1893, in the course of his memorable fun
crosses, Major General Lee, then a repre-
sentative from the state of Virginia, gave
utterance to the noble sentiment as force
full today as IN those early years OF our
'.-ro the horrid din of battle sweet peace
succeeded and our virtuous chief, mindful
only of the common good, in a moment
tempting personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT, hush
ed the discomfort of growing sedition, and
surrendering his power into the hands
from which he had received it converted
his sword into a pillow share, teaching an
admiring world that to be truly great,
you must be truly good"
While strong with his own generation.
he q sse1er9 lions w6icb baVe foII6Wed AZ
ter a lapse of a century he is better ap-
preciated. more perfectly understood, more
when he lived. He remains an ever in
creasing influence for good in every part
and sphere of action of the republic. He
is recognized as not only the most far
sighted statesman of his generation, but
as having had almost prophetic vision.
He built not alone. for his own time, but
for the great future and pointed the
rightful solution of many of the prob
lens which were to arise in the years to
come. John Adams. the immediate sue
cessor of Washington, said of him in
address TO the senate on the 23rd Of De-
cenber, 1893;
For himself. he had lived enough to
life and the glory. For his fellow citizens,
if their prayers could have been answer
ed, he would have been immortal.
His example is now complete and it
will teach wisdom and virtue to magis-
trates, citizens and men. not only in the
present age, but in future generations as
long as our history shall be read. "
The nation needs at this moment the
help of his wise example. In dealing with
our vast responsibilities, We turn to him
We invoke the counsel of his life and
character and courage We summon his
precepts that We may keep his pledges
to maintain justice and law. education
and morality and civil and religious lib
erty in every part of the country, the new
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