The times., 1899-12-15

his illustrious colleagues framed for its
guidance and government. He was the
national architect. says Bancroft, the his
torian, and but for him the nation could
not have achieved its independence, could
not have formed its Union, could not have
put the Federal Government into opera
ton. He had neither precedent nor prede-
cessor. His work was original and con-
secutive 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 Commis-
sion substituted the name of Washington as
the more fitting, and to be a perpetual rec
ognition of the services Of the Commander
in-Chief OF the Continental Army the Pres
ident of the Convention which framed the
Constitution, and the first President of the
Republic. More than seventy millions of
people acknowledge allegiance to the flag
which he made triumphant The nation is
his best eulogist and his roblest monument
Il have been deeply interested and
touched by the sentiments Of his contem-
poraries 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 delivered in that city on
January ., 1S00 said in part:
n AEFedtt SOtAlef-
g BY one mighty effort of manly resOlu-
ton we were born anew, and declared our
independence. Now commenced the bloody
contest for everything We held dear The
same Almighty Being, by whose guidance
we we're hitherto conducted, beheld US with
compassion and saw what we needed-a pi-
lot, a leader in the perilous enterprise We
had undertaken. He called for Washing
ton, already prepared, anointed him as His
servant with regal dignity and put into his
hands the control OF all our defensive ope-
ratiOns.
But here admiration suppresses utter
ance. Your own minds must iin cut the
active character of the nan. A descrip-
tion Of the warlike skill. he profound wis
dom, the prudence the heroisin aud integ-
rity which he displayed in the character Of
the Commander -in-Chief would suffer ma
teriaIly in hands like mine. Bur this l may
say--the eyes Of all our American Israel
were placed upon him as their savior TN
der the direction Of Heaven. and they were
not disappointed
The Rev. Nathan Strong, pGst0r of the
North Presbyterian Church in Hartford
spoke as follows on December -. l1eg:
" He was as much the angel of peace as
of war. as much respected as deeply .eV-
CT renced in the political cabinet for a lum-
nous coolrtss of disposition. whereby par
ty Jealousy became enlightened and
ashamed OF itself as he was fer 4 Coolness
of command Ia me dreadful moment when
empires hung suspended IN he fate Of bat
tie. His opinions became the opinions of
the public body, and every mar vas pleased
with himself y men he fouru lie thought ike
Washington. Under the auspices Of this
great warrior, who was formed by the
providence of God to defend his country
the war was ended and America ranked
among the nations. He who might have
been a monarch retired to his own Vernon,
unclothed of all authority, TO enjoy the
bliss of being a free private citizen. This
was strange sight, and gave a new tri-
umph to human viFtue-a triumph that
hath never been eXGeeded in the history
OF the world, except it was by his second
recess. which was from the Presidency OF
The United States.
And on the day preceding, December
&C. 1888 in the course OF his memorable
funeral Grafton before both houses Of Con-
gress, Major General Lee. then Repre-
sentative from the State OF Virginia gave
utterauce to the noble sentiment as force
ful today as in those early years OF our
national life:
To the horrid din OF battle sweet peace
succeeded. and our virtuous Chief, mindful
only of the common good in a moment
tempting personal aggrandizement hushed
the discomfort Of growing sedition, and,
surrendering his power into the hands from
which be had received it. converted his
sword into a plowshare, teaching an ad-
miring world that to be truly great, you
must be truly good
While strong with his own generation,
he is stronger even in the judgment of the
generations which have followed. After
lapse of a century he is better apprecia-
ted, more perfectly understood more thor
oughly yenerated and loved than when he
lived. He remains an ever-increasing in
fluence for good in every part and sphere
of action Of the Republic: He Is recognized
a 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
polluted the rightful solution of many of
the problems which were to arise in the
years TO come.
John Adams, the immediate successor
OF Washington. said OF him in an address