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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1902)
! k if' r h I ' y l ' EOR Thought Always of Country's Welfare In a letter to Colonel Hamilton, n dolcgnto In Congress from tlio stato of Now York, Washington said: "My wish to rco tlio union of theso states established upon llboral nnd pormn ncnt principle, nnd Inclination to contrlbiitii my tnlto In pointing out tlia dofectn of tlio present constitution, nro caually groat. All my prlvnto IcttcrH liavo teemed with theso sentiments, nnd, whenever this topic has been the Biibject of conversation, I have endeav ored to dlffuso nnd enforce them; but how far nny further essay by mo might bo productlvo of the wlshcd-for end, or nppoar to nrrogato moro than belongs to mo, depends bo much upon popular opinion nnd the temper and disposi tions of the people that It Is not easy to decide. 1 shall be obliged to you, however, for tho thoughts which you liavo promised mo on this subject, and as noon as you can mako It convenient. No man in tho United 8tntes Is or can bo moro docply Impressed with tho necessity of n roform In our present confederation than myself. No man, perhaps, has felt the bad effects of it more sensibly; for to tho defects there of, nnd want of power In Congress, may Justly be ascribed thu prolonga tion of tko war, nnd consequently tho exponscn occasioned by It. Moro than half tho perplexities I have experi enced In tho course of my command, nnd almost tho whole of tho dinicultlcs nnd distress of the army, liavo had tholr origin hero. Hut still, tho preju dices of Eomo, tho designs of others, nnd tho mero machinery of the ma jority mnko address nnd management necessary to give wolght to opinions which nro to combat the doctrines of thoso different classes of men In tho field of politics." To Lafayctto ho wroto: "Wo nro now nn Independent people, nnd hnvo yet to lenrn political tactics. Wo aro, placed among tho nations of tho earth nnd liavo n character to establish; but how wo shall acquit ourselves tlmo must discover. Tho probability Is (nt least I fear It) that local or state poll tlcn will Interfere too much with tho more liberal nnd extenslvo plan of government which wisdom nnd fora nlght, freed from tho mist of prejudico, would dictate, nnd that wo nhall bo guilty of many blunders In trending this boundless theatre before wo shall have arrived at any perfection In this nrt; In n word, that the experience which Is purchased nt tho prlco of dif ficulties und distress will alono con vince us that tho honor, power and truo Interest of this country must bo measured by a continental scale, and thnt every departure therefrom weak ens tho Union, und may ultimately broak tho band which holds us tngeh er. To nvcrt these evils, to form a new constitution that will glvo con sistency, stability nnd dignity to tlio Union and sulllcient powors to the great council of tho nation for general purposes Is a duty Incumbent upon ovcry man who wishes well to his country, and will moot with my uld as far as It can bo rendered In tho prlvnto wnlkB of llfo." Wk. x. jfe I& Gratitude of Congress Shown When Washington returned to New burg, at the close of tho revolution, ho found a letter from tho president of Congress, asking his attendance on thnt assembly, then in session nt PrJncoton. Tho object of this request was to consult him on tho arrange ments for penco, nnd othor public con corns. While ho was making prepara tions to leavo camp Congress conferred on him now honors. It was voted unanimously that an equestrian statue of General Washington should bo erected nt tho placo where tho resi dence of Congress should bo estab lished, and that It should bo executed by tho beat artist In Europe, undor tho superintendence of the minister of tlio United States nt tho Court of Ver sailles. 3C 3C 3E 3C Incident Typica.1 of Washington's Life A story lllustrntlvo of tho firm and determined character of Washington Is told In tho following description of af fairs during tho frontier warfare: "Tho labors and dangers of tho field were not the only troubles with which Col. Washington nt this tlmo bad to contend. By an Ill-timed parsimony, the pay of the olllcers was reduced so low as to crcato murmurs and discon tent throughout tho camp. Complaints grew loud and vohetnont, accompanied with throats to resign nnd leavo tho army to Its fato. Under this pressure tho charnctor of Washington shono with tho same purity and lustre thnt often distinguished it afterwards on similar trying occasions. In his letters to the governor ho assumed a firm and manly tone, demanded for hlmsolf and Ills associates an allowance equal to that received by tho king's troops, and doprecatod tho Idea of being placed upon a tooting, which should Imply an Inferiority In rank, or In the valuo of their services. "While he took this high stand In defending tlio Just claims of the offi cers, ho endeavored,, to, calm, their, feel ings and reconcile the"1 to tno,r conr dltlon by appeals to tholr honor nnd tho obligations of duty. 'I have com municated your sentiments to tho oth GEl er ofllcera,' said he to the governor, 'nnd, as far as I could put on tho hypo crite, set forth tho ndvnutnges that mny nceruo, and advised them to ac cept tho terms, ns n refusal might ro lled dishonor upon their character, leaving It to tho world to assign what reason It pleases for their quitting the service.' And again, 'I considered tho pernicious consequences that would at tend n disunion and was therefore too much nttaeljed to my country's Inter ests to suffer It to ripen.' In this way ho concealed his uneasiness, nnd tran qulllzcd the minds of bin ofllcers, al though ho felt tho wrongs they suf fered, nnd approved tho spirit that would not tamoly submit to them. "As to himself, It was not so much tho smallncss of the pny, that gavo him concern, ns tho Indignity and In justice of having his services estimated at a lower rate, than In the Diltlsh establishment, when In reality no ser vice could bo more scvero und hazard ous, or less promising of glory, than the ono in which ho was engaged. 'Now if wo could bo fortunate enough,' said he, 'to drive the French from .tho Ohio, ns far ns your honor would please to have them sent, In any short time, our pay will not bo sulllcient to discharge our II rut expenses. I would not have you Imagine from this, that I havo said all theso things to havo our pay wiT'nr.wmj, Jflc&viinfij CQ.& mfihatorb '&t v.' 'a.nuruffcn. iLX tT"'- cfaht $ fnf 'rrfiJt . . o. v$v 'O-A, C - $7i JZy'X 2f e?&rJ! 77& Increased, but to Justify myself, nnd to show you that our complaints nro not frivolous, but founded on strict renson. For my own part, It Is a mnt ter almost Indifferent, whether I servo for full pay, or as u genorous volun teer. Indeed, did my circumstances correspond with my Inclinations, 1 should not hesltnto u moment to pre fer tho lutter; for tho motives that havo led me hero lire pure and noble. I had no vlow of acquisition, but that of honor, by serving my king and country.' In this declaration, uttered In tho sincerity of his heart, wo pcr celvo tho principles, tho eminent vir tues, that dictated every net of hla public llfo." Washington Chosen Commander-in-Chief At tho outbreak of tho war of tho revolution, It should bo said, to the credit of tho New England delegates, that they were among tho foremost to propose, and tho most zealous to pro mote, tho nppolntment of Col. Wash ington to tho chief command. Ah the contest had b'jgun In Massachusetts, tho Inhabitants of which had been tho chief sufferers, and as the oxlstlng army wus mostly rnlwl there, it could not havo been thought an extravagant assumption hnd that colony nsplred to tho honor of furnishing n commander-in-chief. But, happily for America, the patriots of that day rose far above the sordid alms of selfishness nnd par ty rivnlships. Whllo tho discussions wore going on In Congress respecting military prep arations, Mr. John Adnms, ono of tho delegates from Massachusetts, moved that tho nrmy, then besieging tho Brit ish troops in Boston, should bo adopt ed by Congress as n Continental army; nnd. In the course of his observations enforcing this motion, ho said It was his intention to proposo for the office of commander-in-chief a gentleman from Virglnlu, who was at that tlmo a member of tholr own body. Ills re marks were so pointed thnt nil prebent perceived them to npply to Col. Wash ington, who, upon hearing this refer ence to himself, retired from his sent and withdrew. When tho day for tho appointment arrived, tho nomination was mndo by Mr. Thomns Johnson of Maryland. Tho choice was by ballot, and, on Inspecting tho votes, It was found that Col. Wushlngton was unan imously elected. As soon as tho re sult wns ascertained, tho House ad journed. On tho convening of Con gross tho next morning the president communlcntod to him officially the no tice of bis appointment, and ho roso In his place and slgnlfiod his nccept anco In a brief and appropriate reply, & Title of Monarch Sternly Put Aside When tho revolution enrtnri nnrt nnn ijwaa declnred', tho discontents of tho officers and soldiers, respecting the ar rearages of their pay, Increased, and, thero bolng now a prospect that tho army would ultimately bo disbanded SHINGTON without an ndequato provision by Con gress for meeting tho claims of the troops, theso discontents manifested themselves In audible murmurs and complnlnts, which foreboded serious consequences. But a spirit still moro to bo dreaded was secretly at work. In reflecting on the limited powers of Congress, and on tho backwardness of the states to comply with tho most essential requisition, oven in support of their own Interests, many of the ofllccrH were led to look for the cause In tho form of government, nnd to distrust tho stability of republican In stitutions. So far were they carried by their fears nnd speculations that they meditated tho establishment of a new nnd more energetic system. A colonel In tho army, of a highly re spectable chaineter nnd somewhat nd vuncod In life, was made tho organ for communicating tholr sentiments to tho commander-in-chief. In a letter elaborately and skilfully written, after describing tho gloomy state of affairs, tho flnnnclal difficulties, and tho In numerable embarrassments In which tho country had been Involved during the war, on account of Its defective political organization, the writer adds: "This must have shown to nil, nnd to military men In particular, the weakness of republics, and tho exer tions tho nrmy havo been able to make by being under a proper head. There fore I little doubt -that, when tho ben efits of a mixed government aro point ed out nnd duly considered such will bo reudlly adopted. In this case It will, I believe, be uncontrovertcd, that the samo abilities, which havo led us through dlfllcultlcH, apparently Insur mountable by human power, to victory and glory, those qualities that havo merited and obtained the universal es teem and veneration of an army, would bo most likely to conduct nnd direct us In tho smoother paths of peace. Some people havo so connected the Ideas of tyranny and monarchy as to llnd It very dlfllcult to separato them. It may therefore be requisite to give tho head of such a constitution ns I proposo some title apparently more moderate; but, If till other things were onco adjusted, I believe strong argu ments might bo produced for admitting tho title of King, which I conceive would be attended with some material advantages." To this communication, as unexpect ed as it was extraordinary In Its con tents, Washington replied ns follows1 "Newburg. L2 May, 1781. "Sir With a mixture of great sur prise nnd astonishment I havo read with attention tlio sentiments you have submitted to my perusal. Bo assured, sir, no occurrence in tho eourso of tho war has given mo moro painful ponsa tlons than your Information of there being such Ideas existing In the army, as you have expressed, and I must view with ubhorrence and reprehend with severity. For the present, the com munication of them will vest In my own bosom, unless some further agi tation of tho mutter shall mnko a dis closure necessary. "I am much at a loss to concelvo what part of my conduct could have given encouragement to nn address, which to mo seems big with tho great est mischiefs that can befall my coun try. If I am not deceived in the knowl edge of myself. ou could not buvo found a person to whom your schemes nro more disagreeable. At the same tlmo. In Justice to my own feelings, I must add that no man possesses a more slnrero wish to seo nmplo Justlco done to the nrmy than I do, and as far as my powers nnd Influence, In a constitutional way extend, they shall bo employed to the utmost of my abil ities to effect It should there bo any occasion. Let mo conjure you, then, If you havo any regard for your coun try, concern for yourself or posterity, or respect for me, to banish these thoughts from your mind, and never communicate, ns from yourself or any one else, n sentiment of tho like na ture. I am, sir, etc. "George Washington." Such was the language of Washing ton, when, at the head of his army ami at tho height of his power and popu larity, it was proposed to him to be come a king. After this Indignant re ply nnd stem rebuko, It Is not prob ablo that any further advances wore made to him on tho subject. E SE JK 3E "1 Die Hard, but I Am Not Afraid" After Washington's retirement from tho Presidency, his henlth was remark nbly good; and, although nge had not como without Its Infirmities, yet ho wns nblo to endure fntlguo nnd make exertions of tho body und mind with senrcoly less case and activity than ho had done In the prlmo of his strength. On tho 12th of December, 1790, ho spent several hours on horsebnek, rid ing to his farms, and giving direc tions to his managers. Ho returned late In tho afternoon, wet and chilled with tho rain and sleet, to which bo had been exposed whllo riding homo. Tho water had penetrated to his neck, nnd snow was lodgod In tho locks of his hair. A heavy fall of snow tho next day proventcd his going abroad, except for a short time near his house A sore throat and hoarsoncss convinced him t,h,at Jio had taken cold, but he seemed to apprehend no dan gor from it. Ho passed tho evening with tho family, rend tho newspapers, and conversed cheerfully till his usual hour for going to rest. ujr In tho nlsht he hnd nn nguo, and be foio dawn of the day tho next morn ing, which was Saturday, tlio 14th, tho soreness In his throat had becomo so severe that he breathed and spoke with difficulty. At his request ho was bled by one of his overseers, nnd in the meant lino a. messenger went for Dr. Cralk, who lived nine miles off, at Alexandria. As no relief was obtained by bleeding nnd tho symptoms were such as to nlnrm the fumlly, unothor messenger wns dispatched for Dr. Brown, who resided nenrcr Mount Ver non. Theso physicians arrived in tho morning, nnd Dr. Dick in the courso of the dny. All tho remedies which their united counsel could devise were used without effect. His suffering was ncuto nnd unnbnt ed during tho dny, but he bore It with perfect eomnosure nnd resigna tion. Towards evening ho said to Dr. Cralk: "I dlo hard, but I am not afraid to die. I believed from my first at tack that I should not survive It. My breath cannot Inst long." Ftom that tlmo ho said little, except to thank tho physlclnns for their kindness, and request thnt they give themselves no more trouble, but let him dlo quietly. Nothing further was done, and ho sank gradually till between ten and cloven o'clock nt night, when ho expired, In tho sixty-eighth year of his nge .and in tho full possession of his mentnl faculties; exhibiting In this short nnd painful Illness, and In his death, tho samo sample of patience, fortitude and submission to the Divine will, which ho hud shown In all the oefs of his life. On Wednesday, tho lSth of De cember, his remains wore deposited In tho family tomb at Mount Vernon. Congress wns at this time In session af Philadelphia; and. when the news of tho melancholy event arrived at tho scat of government, both houses Im mediately adjourned for the remainder of the day. The next morning, as soon as tho Houso of Representatives had convened, Mr. Marshall, afterwards chief Justice, lose In his placo and ad dressed tho speaker In nn eloquent nnd pathetic speech, briefly recounting tho public nets of Washington. "Let us, then," said be at tho conclusion, "pay the last tribute of respect and nffoctlon to our departed friend. Let the Grand Council of the nation display those sentiments which tho nation feels." Ho then offered three resolutions, pre viously prepared by General Henry Lee, which were accepted. By theso it was proposed, that tho Houso should In a body wait on tho President to ex press their condolence; that the speak er's chair should be shrouded In black, nnd tho members nnd officers of tho Houso be dressed In blnck, during tho session; and that n commlttco, in con junction with a commlttco from tho Sennte. should be appointed "to con sider on tho most suitable manner of paying honor to the memory of tho man, first in war, first In pence, and first in tho heart:; of his fellow citi zens." The Semite testified their respect and sorrow by similar proceedings. A Joint committeo of tho two houses was appointed, who reported resolutions recommending that a marblo monu ment should be erected to commemo rate tho great events In the military and political llfo of Washington; that nn oration, suited to the occasion, should bo pronounced In tho prcsenco of both houses of Congress; that tho peoplo of the United States should wear crape on tho loft nrm thirty days as n badgo of mourning; and thnt tho President, In the name of Congress, should be requested to write a letter of condolence to Mrs. Washington. Theso resolutions wero unanimously adopted. Book Once Owned by Washington Secretary Hay has a copy of Oliver Goldsmith's "Llfo of Shakespeare," an early and rare edition, but it has a greater valuo than Its literary rarity, in having come from tho library of George Washington. Washington's personal bookplnto, tho familiar arms of his family, on which tho American flag was modeled, adorns the inside of tho cover, and tho signature of tho first President appears on tho tltlo page, as clearly as If It had boen written yes terday, Instead of moro than a bun- VvHI & &eB7jleyVVBH. I drcd years ago. Designed the Meteor Gay In a dress of fresh paint, Its hull moulded Into form, Emperor William's yacht, the Meteor, Is ready for the water at Shooter's Island. To tho lny ob&ervor tho yacht seems n completed vessel stripped of Its rigging. Tho painter's brush al ready has marked tho water lino on Its aides, nnd tho Inst rivet has been fastened In Its plates. Nearly all the portholes hnvo been cut. With tho completion of the deck flooring nnd tho deckhouse, which will be dono In A. fury Smith. (Designer of tho Meteor.) a duy or so more, all that remains tr bo dono will be tho fitting up of tho inteilor nnd rigging. Tho 100 tons of lead ballast already has been stowed away in the hold. Tho Meteor will bo almost comnloted When It Is launched. Slrnnlnir tho masts, upholstering the Interior, hnd finishing some of the detnll work In tho compartments Is all that will rc mnln to bo done. The yacht mny bo ready to sail within two weeks ufter 'ho launching. MuRnlllrriit Telrpliunr. Last year tho ofllclnlts of the denart- ment of communications decided to make n present of a specially made set or telephone apparatus to his Im perial highness, the ciown nrinco. In honor of his wedding. But, us there was not tlmo enough to manufacture It. in accordance with tho suggestion af Dr. Fumlchl, aislBtant secretary of that department, they pret-ented only tho drawlnirs. Since then numbers rr workmen have been engaged In its manufacture. Tho telephone Itself Is nothluc but an ordinnrv iiiHtrnmnnt - --, except that It possesses excellent sen sitiveness. Ail the outside docor.i tlons nro of Ivorv. with cold inlaid Tho Imperial crest of chrysanthemums and cranes, at the corners of tho snuare part, nro made of cold. Tim telephone stand Is Incquered work with imam motner-ot-pearl. - Ai American Beauty Miss Nance O'Neill, tho American actress who has been engaged for n season nt tho Lyceum theutcr, Lon don, during which she will appear In tragic roles, Is at present enjoying a popular success In South Afilca, de- splto tho war. Miss O'Neill Is one of tho most beautiful women whom California has contributed to tho Amerlcau and tho British stage. Sho was born at Haywards, near Oakland, und although a Protestant, sho has been a warm filcnd of Itev. Father Lally, a well-known Roman Catholic pastor ,nt Haywards, who has watched closely her career. She mado her debut In London two years ago. Howry Her Own Weight. A Gorman paper reports a singular freak of paternal liberality In the mat ter of a dowry nt a wedding recently. Tho marriage took placo at Konlg gratz. On the betrothal of his daughtor Hcrr Duclmtschek had announced that ho would give her, as a marrlago por tion, her weight In silver currency. Accordingly, on tho wedding day, tho bride was formally weighed In tho drawing room, In presence of tho as sembled guests, before proceeding to ..j..H....H..r.fr.r i CONSUMPTION ". I NAXCE O'NEILL, I &? " t0 3, 433 6,67 C3 1,X3 Figures show percentage per Inhabitant church. The lady turning tho scales at C2 kilogrammes, a suck was at onco filled with sliver crowns to tho samo weight, with half a kilogramme over for tho weight of tho bag, as Herr Duchatschok playfully explained. Tho exact number of crowns wns 13,500. (Mil KnglUh lMrMh Clrrk. Henry Arnold, of Bradford Abbey, Dorset, tho doyen of English parish clorks, wns born In tho spring of 1807, nnd nlthough In his ninety-fourth year and well able to romembor Waterloo and tho peaco rejoicings, still attends to his duties nt two services every Sunday nnd enn wnlk five or six miles at a stretch. Ho first entered upon his duties In Septcmbor, 1833, and by ncccptlug tho offlco of clerk disqualified himself for taking his placo among tho fluto and violin plnycrs In tho gallery, although an expert performer on both Instruments. Afurrlnce i:ncoiimc"'l- It Is doubtful whether nny Induce ment to marrlago was more remarka ble than that' recently put forward by a well-known Austrlnn nobleman who was anxolus to encourago matrimony among tlio peasants of his estate. Ho undertook to provide each bride groom with tobacco supplies for llfo and each brldo with four pairs of gloves per annum. The generous offer acted like a chnrm, and very soon thero wii3 scarco a single bachelor remain ing on tho nobleman's vast estate. 1 A Vnique "Where there's a will there's a way," according to tho proverb, though It may not havo meant lito kind of will shown In the accompanying Illustra tion. Tho picture tells almost tho wholo story. A fisherman in a New England town was fatally injured by a rock falling upon him as ho was walking at tho baso of a cliff. When found he was dead, but clutched in one hand was one of IiIb shoes, upon which he had wrlten: "To whom it may concern: All my estate, Includ ing my deposit In the bank, I leave to my grandnon, Walter Mahlon, provid ing ho does not mnrry before tho ago of twenty-flve; but In caso of his mar rlngo before thnt time, tho above men tioned to bo used for tho stato for charitable purposes." For the Purchase of rxleatlne. At the request of Influential Hebrews of New York a bill has been Intro duced In the stato legislature for the Incorporation of tho Federation of American Zionists. Tho purpose of this organization Is the purchase of Pales tine from tho Turkish government, so that It may bo open to such Jews as may desire to go thero from any part of tho world and mako It tholr home. It 1b stated that many rich inon aro interested In this measure, and that money can bo raised to any needed amount, provided tho Porte is willing to accept a proposition for a sale. Not a rrogreulve Country. Colombia, with only 4,000,000 Inhabi tants, Is twice tho slzo of Germany. It has only C05 kilometers of railway and apart from tho rivers nil communica tion with tho Interior is carried on with mules. Odd Street la London. In London thero aro six Paradise streets, ten New streots, eleven Duke streets, twelvo Church streets and twenty-threo High streots. - aood Iteer Drinker. Tho average consumption of beer by tho factory hand in Gormnny Is nearly a gallon a day, but in England It Is still larger. OF ALCOHOL J 10,1 !" tO.lt J0,J U ulftT A'.' - . . .tfi .in...' 1: fu Uu vri -Vl-. n 1" r