Norwich bulletin., 1921-09-09
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
OUR FIRST WAsHINGToN's

The custom of celebrating the 22nd | of February, the birthday of the Fa-l ther of our Country, dates back to 17S3 | On that date and year a number of l gentlemen met in a tavern at New 1 York. One had written an ode An l other brought a list of toasts. All be- fore they went reeling home, agreed to assemble in future on the 22nd of February and make merry over the birthday of Washington.
 Time made the celebration general. No Legislature set the day apart for holiday. Yet, wherever a score of houses were gathered together a few hours at least, were gladly given to festiyity and joy.
 In 1783, on this day, for the first time the fishermen forget his nets, the workman laid aside his tools, the housewife left her needle in her work. the shopkeeper put up the shutters of his windows and the master on that day kept no school.
 Every theatre brought out some play fitting to the hour, and was gay with emblems and transDarencies and flags. Every cavern spread it's best cheer. March was far gone before the ga zettes and advertisers ceased to pub fish narratives of the bonfires and the | barbecues, the bell-ringing, the can nonading, the feasting the toasts, and the balls which came in from every city in the land.
 1 But it was not a universal cele- { bratien such as is represented today, however, when all animosity brought out by party feeling places George l Washington above party and first in i the hearts of his countrymen." Re- publicanism was beginning to be felt and Washington represented the old l line Federalism. Naturally there were | those who, at that time, looked upon his dignity, his reserve, and quiet demeaner as expressing a superiority which they thought did not belong to democratic America.
 There was a strong party against the President in Congress, and when the House was asked to adjourn for an hour on his birthday that the members should have a few minutes given them to congratulate him, ac-
 cording to an old practice, the sug- gestion was voted down. The opposit-
 ion said that the duty of the Repre-
 sentatives was to attend the legisla-
 tive business not to pay foolish com
 pliments.
 The subterfuge, the Federalists de- clared, was a most miserabld one When the Speaker had a headache
 and sent word he was indisposed, did the House choose another and go on
 with the business before it? No, il
 adjourned and continued to adjourn
 day after day till the Speaker was
 well again. Yet thirty minutes was toe precious to be wasted in a respectful
 compliment ito the best man, perhaps
 then living in the world.
 l On the demonstrations that were held on February P. 1783, a large part of the community looked witt
 unhidden rage. Men whose names
 were on the rolls of the self created
 society" or appeared in the subscrip. ton list of the Argus or the Aurora the dissenting journals, who hated tht
 excise, the treaty and Great Britain
 let pass no opportunity of shoWins their contempt for the man and thu ? day.
 They claimed that the Presiden
 was an aristocrat. He was accused O. keeping a fine coach. He was not il the habit of mingling with his fellow. l men at the coffee house or on tn,
 street. What is the meaning they
 fulsome toasts, the bell ringing and tht q birthnight balls that made the 22nt of July? Instead of reminding Wash . of February as ilIustrious as the Fourtl Sald, of the odeS, the fireworks, tn
 ington that he was the servant of tn
 people, he was being treated like g king
 V Nursing such feelings, his enemie j. nicknamed him The American Caesar
 and the step-father of his country.
 They wrote long poems, and had then 1t printed in the journals of those oppos e ed to Washington. in which they de . scribed him as the worst kind of
 man. They went with glee to spik
 the cannon and carry off the sponge his friends had prepared for the cele 7 bration of his birthday. They wilfull q misconsrued his most innocent acts. y Nor were they satisfied with this
 They affirmed that history will ye
 tear the page devoted to his praist q The glory that once snone around hir l. has dissolved in mist. The enemie ,- of liberty and his country claimed hi1 ,e as their own and the name of Wash
 ington has sunk from the high levs
 of Solon and Lycurgus to the mea
 rank of a Dutch stadholder or tn y significance of the Venetian doge.' l. All this has been forgotten, how IF ever, in the later broad sense in whic Id Washington and his work is reviewe4
 and party sptrtt not matter ot whs