Evening star., 1946-02-17


ton-they said they were going to chapel,
we concluded to join them there. We
got there pretty late, but time enough
TO be a part of the service and the
grafton, spoken by Mr.. Walsh, one of
the college boys-and a short piece of
poetry by another, Master Lynch of
New York. About noon we returned
nome to dinner and returned immedi-
ately after to George Town, where DR..
I. stopped at the bridge and we pro-
ceeded to the church, where after a
prayer and hymn Mr.. Balch delivered
funeral sermon. The people of the
city and George Town Joined, to show
their respect to the late Gen. Wash
lngton; the society is too small for
them to equal in pomp the other cities,
but they did their best-there were
about 1000 people assembled at the
church"
At that time Gen. Washington had
only recently passed into the great be-
yond, for he died on December IA, 1893,
and the people throughout the country
were still mourning his death, and the
words OF Gen. Henry Lee-"First in war.
first in peace and first in the hearts of
his countrymen"-were still ringing in
the ears of a grateful people. But from
then on, at least, for several decades.
the celebration of the anniversary of
this great mans birth seems to have
been overlooked, to an extent at least,
in the city he founded and which today
bears his illustrious and distinguished
name.
But not SO in the last century, for
during this period, the people of the
District have celebrated the birth of
Washington with reverence due his
matchless sacrifice and service to this
Republic as soldier, patriot and Presi-
dent, and whose sterling character all
might well study and try to emulate.
Observance Increased
During Last Century
When the Association Of the Oldest
Inhabitants Of the District of Colum-
bia was formed, December 7, 1865. one
of its pioneer members was Col. Peter
Grayson Washington, who was also one
of its original vice presidents, and who
presided at its two succeeding meetings.
Col. Washington was the son of Lund
Washington, who became postmaster of
Washington in 1876. Peter Grayson
Washington, whose sister married Lewis
Washington, was distantly related to
the first President, through his father,
who was-according to the records of
Edward NICE. Lewis, son OF Edward S.
Lewis. genealogist of the Washington
family-a nephew of Lund Washington,
who looked after, the Mount Vernon es-
tate while Gen. Washington was serv-
ing in the American Revolution.
Col. Peter Washington
Read Farewell Address
Though the relationship between Col.
Peter G. Washington and the Washing
ton of Revolutionary fame was evidently
quite remote, yet the former had evi-
IDENTIFY inherited much of the patriotic
fervor displayed upon all occasions by
Gen. Washington, and so, at the third
meeting OF the association, we find DR..
j. B. Blake moving that Col. WASH
lngton be requested to read Washing
tons farewell address at the meeting of
February %, 1866. And the practice of
the association of celebrating this not
able day in American history, with the
reading of the farewell address, has been
continued from year to year to the
present time. Indeed, from the BEGIN
ming of the organization, the constitu-
ton has provided that in addition to It's
regular meetings, three special meet
ings be held January /, February 20 and
July 4.
The following year, February %, 1867,
with Col. Washington in the chair.
Joseph H. Bradley read a poem written
by citizen of Washington in 1927. and
Donald M. Mcleod, well-known educa-
tor and elocutionist of this day, read the
farewell address, and this meeting was
attended by w. w. Corcoran, who was
given seat on the platform.
AT the meeting OF February %, 1869,
invocation was probably pronounced for
the first time at these meetings, the
officiating clergyman being Rev. Septi-
mus Tustin.
Birthday Observances
By Members of Cohsress
Apparently Congress itself was neg
lectful in reversing this important day
In the year, for as late as February %,
1888, at the meeting of the association
held in the Corcoran Building, where
now stands the Hotel Washington, the
president, John Marbury, after intro
ducing the secretary, who read WASH
lngton's Farewell Address, said that he
was glad to know that the address was
to be read in the Senate chamber and
hoped that the custom would never be
neglected in the future.
The first official recognition of Wash