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THE COUNTRYMAN.
5
On those nights the house would be crowd
ed from top to bottom, as many to see the
hero as the play. Upon the president’s
entering the stage-box with his family,
the orchestra would strike up ‘ The Presi
dent’s March ’ (now ‘ Ilail Columbia ’)
composed by a German named Feyles, in
’89, in contradistinction to the march of the
revolution, called ‘Washington’s March.’
The audience applauded on the entrance of
the president, but the pit and gallery were
so truly despotic in the early days of the
republic, that so soon as ‘ Hail Columbia ’
had ceased, ‘Washington's March’ was
called for by the deafening din of an hun
dred voices at once, and upon its being
played, three hearty cheers would rock the
building to its base. Indeed, five-and-tlnr-
ty years ago, there could not be gotten to
gether any large public assembly without
a considerable spice of the revolution be
ing among it. The soldiers and sailors of
the war for liberty abounded in all public
places, and no sooner would their old chief
appear, than off came each hat, and the
shout of welcome resounded, pure, sponta
neous, direct from the heart.”
Gen. Washington also occasionally en
gaged in the “worldly amusement” of
playing cards. He was no gambler (and
no one ought to be) but he sometimes play
ed for amusement. His biographer says :
“ He was never disposed to conviviality,
but liked the cheerful converse of the so
cial board. He indulged in no games of
chance, except in the olden times, when re
quired to make up a party at whist, in
playing for a trifle ; although, for many
years, play of all kinds was unknown in
his household.
During his younger married life, Wash
ington indulged in all lawful amusemeuts.
His home was a gay one, and almost every
day he had company at dinner-. ‘ Would
any person believe,’ lie says in his diary,
in 1786, ‘ that, with a hundred and one cows
actually reported at a late enumeration of
the cattle, I should be obliged to buy but
ter for my family]’ The hunting days,
which occurred frequently, generally end
ed in a dinner at Belvoir, the seat of the
Fairfaxes, a little lower on the Potomac,
or at Mount Yernon—more frequently the
latter. The company usually staid all
night, and bad weather might keep them
there. Washington was indifferent as to
games, but on such occasions he resorted
to them to amuse his guests. On one of
these, he records in his diary : ‘At home
all day at cards—it snowing.’ ”
We must enter our protest against sta
king even a trifle at cards. A game of
whist is just as amusing without the stake
as with it.
Although “ never disposed to conviviali
ty,” Washington indulged in the “world
ly amusement” of taking a glass of wine
with his friends. His biographer says :
“ Precisely at a quarter before three, the
industrious farmer always returned, dress
ed, and dined, at three o’clock. At this
meal, he ate heartily, but was not particu
lar in bis diet, with the exception of fish,
of which ho was excessively fond. He
partook spaiingly ot desert, drank a home
made beverage, and from four to five glas
ses of Madeira wine. When the cloth
was removed, with old-fashioned courtesy,
lie drank to the health of every person
present, and then gave bis toast, bis only
toast—‘All our friends'—than which a
noblei or a kindliei sentiment never was
pledged at the board of social friendship,
or ‘ brayed out with the trumpet’s tri
umphs,’ at the carousals of a king.”
Washington was also a great patron of
the “worldly amusement” of the chase.
But we will reserve his character and hab
its as a sportsman for another paper.
An Appeal for the Putnam Rifles.
“Fellow-citizens of Putnam county:—On
Saturday, the 23d November, as many of
the members of the Putnam Rifles as could
be got together at short notice, assembled
for consultation with regard to the affairs of
the company, and the undersigned were
appointed a committee to prepare a brief
statement of our purposes and wishes.
In view of the fact, that even if the
legislature should provide for the equip-
inent and support of military companies by
taxation, it would be nearly or quite 12
months before we could draw the money,
it was determined that an appeal in behalf
of the Putnam Rifles should be made to
those most interested in their efficient or
ganization. None of us, friends and coun
trymen, can shut our eyes to the fact that
a military force is necessary, at the pres
ent time, to secure our safety and tranquil
ity, perhaps our very existence as a people.
Every county should have at least one well
organized military company for protection,
now, and to serve as a nucleus for a larger
army, if, in the dispensations of an all-ru
ling Providence, it should become neces
sary to raise such an army. We ardently
hope that the necessity will not arise, but
it becomes prudent men to be prepared for
emergencies.
Granted, then, that each county should
now have at least one military company,
as a protection for the dangers which ac
tually threaten us at this time, we propose
to organize a corps which shall guard the
hearthstones of our citizens ; which shall
overawe and keep in subjection the bond-
men who may contemplate servile insur*
rection ; which shall enable our maidens
and youths, our matrons and men, our aged
mothers and venerable fathers, to repose
in confidence and security. Let each one
ask himself if this is not an object to be
earnestly sought after. Let each one re
collect how much of alarm there is among
the female portion of our community, es
pecially those living on plantations in neigh
borhoods remote from any town or village,
where but few white men are present to
protect them. Then let each one say wheth
er a strong military company will not do
much toward quieting this alarm, and let
him say farther, whether he will refuse a
pittance which will help to secure this end.
We assure you, fellow-citizens, that ‘we
are not band-box men, nor do we come out
for band-box purposes.’ We pledge you'
our honor, as gentlemen, that our object is
not merely to make a display by parad-
ing through the streets of Eatonton. We
propose, solemnly, to use our utmost efforts
to render our company efficient, and useful
to our county. We propose to wear a
cheap uniform, made of Georgia cloth. At
the same time, we wish to present a neat
and soldier-like appearance, so that our
fellow-citizens will not be ashamed of us,
as Falstaff was of his ragmuffins ; nor do
we believe that you would be willing that
this should be the case. Besides uniforms,
we wish to purchase tents, procure instru
ments and musicians, and a drill-room, &c.
The old camp equipage is worn out and
worthless.
Some of the company are amply able
and willing to bear their full proportion of
all expenses, but others, equally as willing,
worthy, ana patriotic, are not blessed with
such a portion of this world’s goods as will
enable them to contribute their share to
ward the support of the company. We
ask you to help us to help them to place
our body on such a footing as that we shall
be able to protect your and our homes and
firesides. By all you hold most sacred
and dear, we entreat you not to resist this
appeal.
Messrs. L. G. Dennis, Wm. O’Brien, R.
A. Reid, and Robert Dennis, have been
appointed a committee to receive subscrip
tions, and we hope our fellow-citizens will
not be backward, but will, without solicita-