River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-02-15

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-
ror 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 floodgates 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 letter
to the governors of the states, urging
upon them realization of the four
well-being of the United States:
First, an indissoluble union Of the
states under one federal head second,
sacred regard to public Justice;
third, the adoption of proper peace
establishment; and, fourth, the preva-
lence of that pacific and friendly dis
position among the people of the Unit
a1 ioh will inI -
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 independently and national char
acter must rest
In the domestic retirement so dear
to his nature, he kept careful watch
of public matters. We find in one of
his letters this estimate: "The con-
federation appears to me little more
than shadow without the substance,
and congress a migratory body"
Again he writes: 81 have ever been
friend to adequate powers in con-
gress, without which it is evident to
me we shall never establish a national
character. We are either a
united people under one head and for
federal purposes, or we are Is indie
pendent sovereignties, equally counter
acting each other" Again, in more
in To- IN
ceive we can exist longer as a nation
without lodging somewhere a power
which will pervade the whole union
in as energetic a manner as the au.
thority of the state governments ex-
tends over the several states"
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 II, on which date
Washington, as one of his biographers
phrases it, had the supreme satisfac-
ton of addressing a 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: 1t
is clear that if you continue in Office
nothing materially misehievous is to
be apprehended. If you quit much is to
be dreaded. | trust, and
pray God, that you will determine to
make further sacrifice of your tram
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 FIRST in peace'-a nation builder.