The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-14
o1rr OFFICIAL PAPER.
AMpsnlnNTs TO-DAY.
THIRD AVENUE THnArER-"Human
wnap&a
snArrLn, THURSDAY. DEC. -.

Hearts."
snAETLn, THURsDAY, DEC. ~.
A CENTURY FROM WARRINGTON.
the years are creeping in upon this
nations life We are adding very rapid
" TO our centennial celebrations One
hundred years ago today George Wash
inxton closed the career which win be
numbered among the most remarkable
n the history Of the world. The an
cient and the modern nations have pro-
duced many mon worthy Of greater
fame than has been accorded them, but
only . few stand out so conspicuously
that every school boy ID familiar with
their names. Among them win be in
cluded BY posterity the name Of George
washington.
TO this country he VIII ever remain
glorious ideal, which will become more
perfect a. the few traces Of his human
frailties are obliterated by time. He
had only retired from active life three
years when he entered upon his long
rest. He had not been out OF Office
long enough for the asperities incl
dental to political activity to have died
out. yet his death was felt by the whole
nation to be bereavement. The Amer
lean people experienced then their first
genuine sorrow for personal loss, and
It has not been eQualed in our time
except In the case Of Lincoln.
There were go many witnesses to the
death Of Washington that The incidents
are well known--almost too well known;
for great as he was he was only hui
man when the dread wielder Of the
scythe made his appearance.
The French expressed the extent Of
the bereavement when one Of them
declared that no period had sustained
loss 90 irreparable az the end Of the
eighteenth century. 1t Is somewhat re-
markable that the official tribute to
the memory Of the great republican
been conveyed by Napoleon Bonaparte,
who eulogized him because Washing
ton had fought against tyranny end
had firmly established the liberty Of his
country" The man who was to be-
come emperor under self-constituted
despotism lauded the man whose "mem-
DRY will be ever dear to every friend Of
freedom in the two worlds. and espe-
cially to the French soldiers. who. like
him and the Americans. bravely fought
for liberty and equality"
The English people expressed their
sorrow in a general way, but. to the
discredit Of the government. no official
notice whatever was taken of WASH
ington's death. Our minister to Great
Britain at that time, in q communica-
ton to the secretary Of state, reports
that. although he was brought into per-
eonal relations with the king and sew
Grad Of his ministers, they studiously
avoided any mention OF the subject.
All the newspapers commented upon
the event and even recommended pub
lilo mourning, and the American min
lister appeared at court in fun mourn
Ing. so that the failure to take cognis-
ance Of the demise was. as our minis
ter interpreted 1t, concerted neglect.
It was only sixteen years since the
close Of the revolutionary war; and the
sting Of the great humiliation to Eng
land had not lost much OF its bitter
ness. Washington, however. had held
the position Of chief executive OF a
country with which England was then
on friendly terms and had diplomatic
relations. and the slight was a mani
festation Of a paltry disposition.
George Washington was identified
with, and always will be identified with,
the release OF this country from the
domination Of Great Britain. but he
was not the cause. The cause had been
growing for many years before Wash
iagton was born. and he came upon the