Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-02-22

chief that can befall my country. II
| am not deceived In the knowledge
OF myself, you could not have found
person to whom your schemes are
more disagreeable. Let me conjure
you, then, If you have any regard for
your country, concern for youself or
posterity, or respect for me, to Danish
these thoughts from your mind, and
never communicate, from yourself or
anyone else, sentiment of like ma
ture."
The discomfort and apprehension
continued, meeting of officers was ar
ranged and there were issued the
'Newburg Addresses" intended to
arouse the army to resentment. Wash
ington, unlimited, attended the meet
ing and made an address, in which he
declared the claims of the army would
not be disregarded, and begged his
hearers ito express their utmost hor-
rcr and detestation of the man who
wishes, under any specious pretenses,
to overturn the liberties of our coun-
try, and who wickedly attempts to
open the fioodgates of civil discord
and deluge our rising empire in
blood" The result of his appeal, reso-
lutions were unanimously adopted con-
curing in the policy he proposed.
Shortly before the dissolution of the
army Washington addressed a letter
to the governors of the states, urging
upon them realization of the four
things essential to the existence and
well-being of the United States:
First, an indissoluble union Of the
states under one federal head; second,
a sacred regard to public Justice;
third, the adoption of a proper peace
establishment; and, fourth, the preva-
lence of that pacific and friendly dis
position among the people of the Unit
ed States which will induce them to
forget their local prejudices and poll
cies, to make those mutual conces-
sions which are requisite to the gen.
eral prosperity, and, in some in-
stances, to sacrifice their individual
advantages to the interest of the COM
munity." These he counted "the pill
lars on which the glorious fabric of
our independency and national char
acter must rest"
In such perfect sympathy with the
idea of comforting greater powers on
the federal government, he consented
to head the delegates from Virginia
to the Philadelphia convention called
May IA, 1887, and was unanimously
elected president of this convention.
1t closed September IT, on which date
Washington, as one of his biographers
phrases it, had the supreme satisfac-
tion of addressing letter to congress
announcing the adoption of the con-
stitution of the United States. To
quote directly from the letter: "In
all our deliberations on the subject,
We kept steadily In our view that
which appears to us the greatest inter-
est of every true American-the con-
solidation of our union-in which is
involved our prosperity, our safety,
and perhaps our national existence"
On the 9Th of April, 1889, Washing
ton was declared president of the Unit
ed States. On the 30th of April, he
was inaugurated. His wisdom and
firmness carried the ship of state safe
ly through two administrations,
though the waters oft were troubled.
At the close of the first term he de-
sired to withdraw to private life, but
was urged that duty to the country
demanded he continue in public serv.
ice. Jefferson wrote: "The confidence
of the whole country is centered in
you. North and south will hang to-
gether if they have you to hang on"
Hamilton used this persuasion: "It
is clear that if you continue In office
nothing materially mischievous is to
be apprehended. If you quit much is to
be dreaded. ! trust, and |
pray God, that You will determine to
make a further sacrifice of your tran
quillity and happiness to the public
good"
Washington the soldier, to whom
proud CORVALLIS made surrender au-
peals to the popular fancy. But the
people should remember the hero was
also ''drst in peace'--a nation buildeE.