Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-12-25
Washington Correspondence.

y
lean history is replete with incidents
of stirring activity and great achieve
ment. Men-strong, capable, efficient
men-have come and gone, each leav-
ing his impress behind as a landmark
to guide those who followed. A man
of this character died but few days
ago when Thomas B. Reed, three times
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives and for twenty years member
of the lower branch of Congress,
breathed his last at the Arlington no.
tel in Washington and a nation mourns
in consequence. The death OF Mr..
Reed came at time when public at
tentiOn was directed toward the office
which he so long and SO ably filled.
Speaker HenC erson's resignation,
which sentiment ascribes to both per-
sonal pique and political conviction,
together with the brief, but spirited
contest which placed the scepter of
power in the hands OF Congressman
Cannon, of Illinois, the watchdog of
the Treasury" were subjects on the
tongue of every one and the chief top
les of discussion among politicians and
laymen This combination of events,
this mingling of circumstances about
the speakership, naturally call atten-
ton to the office and give it an lmpOr-
lance apart from that which it usually
and rightfully commands. Ii one
reads the lives of the men who have
filled the place from the beginning he
reads the history of the country from
the adoption of the constitution to the
present. for they are SO closely inter-
woven that separation is impossible.
To the dark days following the war of
the revolution when dissension and
distrust we're on every hand; when
Alexander Hamilton was advocating a
government of the aristocracy and was
opposed by Governor Clinton of New
York; when men were cropping in the
dark and looking FOR the light, and
when the future was fraught with
doubt as the past had been with hard
ship and trial, the first speaker took
his seat and welded his gavel. From
that time on, almost without excep
ton, strong, loyal. brave and capable
ing to guide the ship of State asst
reefs and shoals to harbor of safety
and cOntentment
"There is time for all things a
time to preach and time to pray; but
there is also time to fight, and that
time has now come"
The place was little country church
in Virginia; the time, the year before
the revolution; the speaker, young
pastor of German birth, but a loyal,
earnest, determined supporter Of the
cause of the colonists in the disputes
with the English crown SO soon to de-
velop into long and bloody warfare.
The preacher was John P. Muhlenberg
in charge Of church near the home
of General Washington, who, struck
with the ardent patriotism and mill
tary ability Of this young man, had of
fered him a colonies commission in
the American army. Muhlenberg &C
copied the appointment and spoke
these thrilling words to his congrega-
ton at the time he resigned his pastor
ate to enter the military service OF his
adopted country. He then pronounced
the benediction, threw off his clerical
gown and displayed full military UNI
form. Proceeding to the door of the
church he ordered the drums to beat
for recruits. Nearly three hundred OF
his congregation responded to the ap-
peal. In answer to complaint that
he had abandoned the church for the
army, Muhlenberg said: II am a
clergyman, it is true, but [ am mem
Der of society as we'll as the poorest
layman, and my liberty is as dear to
me as any man. Shall then sit still
and enjoy myself at home when the
best blood of the continent is splitting?
And woU'- you not sooner fight like
man than die like dog?"
Such was the patriotism which made
of the young German preacher of ITO
the major general of the American
army of 1888. And of such stock came
his brother, Frederick Augustus Con-
rad Muhlenberg, of Pennsylvania, the
first speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives under the constitution.
A statue Of General Muhlenberg is
now in the capitol at Washington, be-
ing one of the two allowed to Pennsyl-
vania as that states contribution to
the National Statuary Hall in the old
House of Representatives
Speaker Muhlenberg was not sol
der, but he filled many positions of
honor and responsibility. He was a
member of the Continental congress,
twice speaker Of the Pennsylvania
House and twice speaker of the House
of Representative of the United
States. He came of a family of clergy
men, his father, the famous Bishop
Muhlenberg, having established the
German Lutheran Missionary work in
Pennsylvania in the middle of the 18th
MMAE00 H0vK@ 0nJ0WNlx \