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About The Henry County weekly. (McDonough, GA.) 18??-1934 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1921)
The Henry County Weekly VOL. XLVII. George Washington’s Birthday Washington Shaft Country’s Tribute to Her Great Son The two great monuments in the United States, of the many hundreds that have been erected in all parts of our country, are the Bunker Hill mon ument, in Boston, dedicated in 1843, a shaft to commemorate the beginning of our fight for independence, and the Washington monument, at Washing ton, erected to the memory of him who had been most instrumental in bringing about the result. For 30 years after Washington’s death the project was, every now and then, suggested, but nothing definite happened until September, 1833, when the Washington National Monument society was formed, with Chief Jus tice John Marshall, then 73 years old, as president. It was not until three years later that advertisements were inserted inviting designs from Ameri can artists. w An effort was made to secure the funds by popular subscription and by 1847 $87,000 was in band and prepara tion for construction was begun. • Con gress, by resolution, granted a site where the monument now stands and the cornerstone was laid on the Fourth of July, 1848, in the presence of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government, foreign ‘ministers and officers and a vast con course of citizens from all parts of the Union. The work of erection progressed steadily until 1854, when the shaft had reached a height of 156 feet and had m^£m^k mmm fea®§|S zMmm i%*?|t§®sps ■WtfflM w^Mm I .£ <& v;,,.;/i| Washington Monument, the City's Focusing Point, Is No Less a Pro \fcund Enigma Than the Sphinx, but of Greater Significance. cost $300,000. The treasury of the so ciety now being exhausted, a memo rial was presented to congress asking It to take action in the matter. Poli tics in tiie government prevented a ready response and it was not until 1850 that the society was given a for mal charter. The Washington monument was •finally finished in the winter of 1884- 85, and it was decided to dedicate it optm the anniversary of the birth of the man to whom it had been erected. Consequently, on February 22, 1885, there were impressive ceremonies at the national capital, when the monu ment was turned over to the nation. The formal presentation of the mon ument was made at the base of the grand obelisk, but owing to the raw, cold weather that existed the dedica tion ceremonies proper took place in the hall of the house of representa tives. A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of McDonough and Henry County. » Washington s inauguration as the First Chief Executive George Washington was inagurated first President of the United States April 30, 1789, in New York city, which at that time was the federal capital. During the ceremonies, the chancellor administered the oath with great deliberation and em phasis, after which Washington bowed down, seized the Bible, kissed it, and ex claimed with closed eyes and much devo tion: “I swear; so help me God!” Thereupon the chancellor declared, ‘‘lt is done,” and turning to the crowd ex claimed: "Long live George Washington, President of the United States!” The last named declaration on the part of the chancellor was in imitation of mon archical custom. The error of this prac tice was, however, soon exposed and abandoned, but at the time the crowd thought of nothing but the exciting solem nity of the scene, and many who demon stratively waved their hats were too over come by emotion to join in'the huzzas. Lesson in Honors to Founders of Nation It Is always fitting that Washing ton’s birthday should be made a spe cial occasion for impressing on all just what his achievements and those of his associates who established the gov ernment of the United States and founded a nation really mean. While there has never been any lack of en thusiasm over the man who was first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen, it is well that the full significance of what clus ters about the name and fame of Washington shall be set out beyond all peradventure. It is not only the uninformed alien who fails to understand our debt to the past, so, despite the highly intel ligent and intensive efforts of the pub lic schools to deal with Washington as the great national hero, the ex traordinary nature of the government of a people and by a people and for a people which his efforts set up can not be too emphatically described, since we all tend to get rusty on his toric facts, and altogether too many forget that blatant idealistic reform ers the world over today are claiming as freshly discovered panaceas some of the simplest practices laid down by the forefathers in the Mayflower, again in 1776, and finally in the Con stitution of 1787. That the forefa thers, with Washington and Jefferson and Lee in the lead in the construc tive period of the Revolution, proved to be practical men, as well as ideal ists believing in certain great princi ples that lie at the base of human freedom, anil established human liber ty under conditions that protected each from the other, obliterating class distinctions, is not the least thing to their credit. As pulpit and platform draw the lessons from what the past affords in the way of men and principles as ex emplars for all time, it will be the part of wisdom if the simple, undisputed facts as to what this great experiment did set out to do and has accom plished be brought home to all. For after all, it is the overwhelming ac tualities of a free government main tained by a free people that gives the luster to the name of Washington as the father and founder and justifies all that the most extravagant eulogy may pronounce as to his claims to an affectionate immortality. McDonough, Georgia, Friday, February is, 1921. % !JL/ GEORGE WASHINGTON “First in war and first in peace"— With love we speak of him again Whose praises with the years increase “And first in the hearts of his countrymen.” His Fondness for Children. While Washington had no children of his own, he was blessed with many nephews and nieces, who, looking up to him as the head of the family, re ceived many favors from his hand. His sister Betty, Mrs. Fielding Lewis, had several boys, Washington, when nineteen, standing godfather to the eldest. Two of her boys, Howell and Lawrence, made their home with their famous uncle at Mount Vernon at dif ferent times. Another nephew, Bush rod, a son of Washington’s brother, John Augustine, was an especial fa vorite. His career as a lawyer was helped by Washington, who followed it with the greatest pride and interest, and frequently consulted him on legal matters. The Mount Vernon mansion, its library and private papers and 4,000 acres were left to this nephew. . . Of his brother Samuel’s chil dren Washington helped educate the tnree boys, and gave their sister Har riet a home under his own roof foi nine years.—H. A. Ogden in St. Nich olas. ,i • H I, .- 1 i ; V £Bss= J Washington Monument in the City of Richmond, Virginia. Washington Type of Highest Citizenship In the formal observance of the an niversary of the birth of George Wash ington, it is well to pause to reflect upon the character of the man tc whom the American people owe the utmost debt of gratitude. His serv ices were rendered in the supreme hour of trial and in the dark days of national birth. As soldier and as statesman Washington stood supreme ly the leader of the people. Putting aside all speculation as to what Washington would have done in this or in that specific situation of modem days, it can and should always be borne in mind that he would as suredly have been for a strong gov ernment, for the highest type of citi zenship, for a devotion to a single al legiance, and for the broadest possible spread of education. He could not have favored or fostered a spirit of revolt against the established institu tions, save by the legal and definitely appointed means. He had rebelled against the tyranny of British rule. He had led the American colonists in to a victorious independence. But he could never have sustained a move ment of mere dissent, conducted out side the pale of law or employing the weapons of sedition. George Washington was a the truest sense, true to his convic tions, true to the institutions that had been set up here in substitution for the colonial administration which of fended the sense of justice even of Britons of that day. He guided the new government capably, without a chart, finding the way carefully and sagaciously. He felt that though this new government had been set up in revolt, it must be conducted in a spirit of universal acceptance by the people of the principles that had been adopt ed as its foundation. There is no support for the radicals of today in the fact that George Wash ington was a rebel against the rule of King George. His example will never serve to justify sedition or intrigue or selfish class alignments seeking to overturn that which has been reared through nearly a century and a half of painstaking, consistent develop •ment based upon the principle of the general welfare and the co-operation of all the people. 52.00 A YEAR ' " . • * '* . Bm '* . &•>•* o^l Washington Resigning Command of the Army December 23, 1783, George Washington resigned his commission as commander In chief of the army, ahd retired to pri vate life. During the five years follow ing the close of his military career he found sufficient occupation In attending to the affairs of his homestead and prop erty and. in fostering the progress of his native state. He greatly helped, by his correspondence, to bring the leading men of the country to a determination to form a more perfect union. He was president of (he Philadelphia, convention of 1787, which framed the Constitution of the Uni ted States. Washington was unanimously chosen the first President of the United States, and on April 30, 1789, took the oath of office In New York, where con gress was then sitting. At the close of his term of office he was re-elected unan imously, and on March 4, 1793, took the oath of office for the second time. WASHINGTON IN PRIVATE LIFE Gladly Gave Up High Estate for the More Tranquil Pleasures of Mount Vernon. Returning t.<> Mount Vernon after the surrender of Cornwall is, George Washington wrote to Lafayette. “I have become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac in the shadow of my own vine and my own fig tree, fret* from the bustle o t* camp, and the busy scenes of public life. lam solacing myself with those tranquil enjoyments, of which the sol dier, who is ever in pursuit of fame— the statesman, whose watchful days and sleepless nights are spent In devis ing schemes to promote the welfare of his own, perhaps the ruin of other countries, as if the globe was Insuffi cient for us all, and the courtier, who is always watching the countenance of his prince in the hopes of catching a gracious smile —ran have very little conception. I have not only retired from all public employment, but am retiring within myself, and shall be able to view the solitary walk, and tread the paths of private life, with heartfelt satisfaction. Envious of none. I am determined to be pleased with all, and this, my dear friend, be ing the order of my march, I will move gently down the stream of life.”
