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Show H George Washington. B Tomorrow will bo the one hundred and sevonty- H sixth anniversary of the birth of Washington. H Among the ancient Greeks It was a custom, H after a mighty captain died, to apotheosize his H memory, and ever after hall his name as that of H a god. H So, Mother Church, when a century has passed H after the death of one who on earth was re- H nowned as a priest, a marvelous scholar and as H one who in his greatness walked humbly and close- H ly In the footsteps of the Master, leaving behind H him a memory of exalted excellence, by solemn H rites the church canonizes that memory, andevor H after, numbers him with the saints. With Amoii- H cans the memory .of George Washington is well H nigh apotheosized; the impression he left was that B of a soldier who so bore himself in camp and in H battle, that all other men seemed subordinate to H him, and to those who read and re-read what he did H for native land, the impression is such as to the H devout Catholic 1b the memory of one who, for H righteousness sake, stands on the rolls of the H church a saint. H The deep wilderness of a now world was to be H redeemed and Its soil consecrated to liberty. A now H hope was to be born to mankind; a continent H was to be fitted up upon which all men wore to H be free; free to do any legitimate thing; whore H the humblest was to have a part in tho gov- H ernment, was to speak, to write, to vote, and his H conscience and best judgment were to be his H guide, and where in the exorcise of those privil- H egos he was to be untrammeled. H But before this could bo gained tho mightiest H power on earth was to be overthrown in war and H driven away. H So, in anticipation of this docree of fate, some H stalwart souls had to bo provided. God was watch- H Ing, and approving that decree. When tho hour H came tho deathless ones were presont and ready H to tako up the tremoL ious work. H Among those was ono unlike all tho rest. Many H were his superiors in scholarship in statesman- H ship, in generalship, but every one leaned upon H this one man for his wisdom was higher- than H theirs, tho even-polse of his brain controlled tho H others, and so he lived and when ha died, tho H world, looking on, stood with doffed hats and H bowed heads around his bior. He has been hushed H in his last sleep for more than a century, but H more and more splendor attaches to his memory every year, and the American who does not cherish that memory and seek in a little way to emulate his patriotism, is a counterfeit American. |