"And has not great Washington offered again,
To lead and to march in support of our nation
Then Americans, rouse! to the field and the main,

And crush every wretch that opposes your station.
Let your cannon and sword, all protection afford,
Show your firmness, your courage, so famed, so adored,

Swear, ne'er shall Columbia be robbed of a right,

While the sun rules the day or the moon rules the night.”

On the 4th of July, 1799, the choir of Mount Vernon celebrated in song the anniversary of American Independence, and after singing Hail Columbia, the New York, Boston and Philadelphia patriotic songs, the latter two to the air "To Anacreon in Heaven," the American flag of '77, the flag of Washington and the fathers of the Republic, floating in all its pride and glory over the heads of the choir, was thus addressed by Scomberry, the sage of Dogue Run— "King George, de king o' Britain, and all de army o' red-coats what Washington and de fathers ob dis nation flogged from de Quebec to de Floridas, 'magined in his dreams o' bliss dat yon flag never gwine to float ober dis mountain. He 'magined also dat he gwine to raise de mos 'normous flock o' tarkeys on dis continent, 'ticlarly round about de town o' Bostin whar de pilgrims fust sot foot on de shores ob de new world, and what promised to 'come a mos 'digious roostin' place, where he fully 'spected to find de mos 'stoundin' nest ob eggs ebery season, 'sides good shootin' in de fall ob de year. Dis hab bin de practice o' tyrants eber sense de sabages burnt de hard-books at Alexandria in de kingdom ob de 'Gyptians, and Nero sot fire to de city o' Rome. He 'magined he gwine to send de huntsmen wid hounds and ole muskets to de colony o' Bostin right in de season, rob de nests and kill de ole tarkeys jes when he mine to, and make 'em smoke on de table o' parlyment o' Britain. But jes 'fore many seasons rolled round, or 'fore many moons riz and sot in de horizontal o' Boston, de ole tarkeys 'gan to 'come tired o' loosin' all dar eggs and ob de tax on dar corn widout de 'quivalent for stainin' life and feedin' de young ones; so de ole gobblers 'bout de town o' Bostin, seein' all dar corn and some 'normous baskets ob eggs and bags o' feathers gwine ober de 'Lantic, 'gan to stick up dar feathers jes like the quills ob de huge porkinpine, and go gobble! gobble! gobble! jes like dey gwine to fight; but de king

acted jes like he gwine to pay no attention to dis under no probomfocation whatsomebber, and at las' sont a big ship 'cross de 'Lantic loaded wid boxes o' tea wid de most 'normous long tax bills wid de boxes you eber seed sense 'Curgus spounded law in de Greece. De ole gobblers soon 'gan to stride round de town o' Bostin wid de longest kind o' strides, and said we not gwine to eat dat tea no how you gwine to fix it; we wants corn, and we wants to send an ole gobbler ober de 'Lantic to gobble for us in de parlyment o' Britain. De king said no, I'se 'posed to dat, genblemen, you's my humblesarvant gobblers; I wants no continental gobblers in dis rustycratic parlyment o' mine. I'se gwine to tax you widout representation. De ole tarkeys now ran right off to de tree o' Liberty, and sot up dat flag, some runnin' and some flyin,' and some bofe, and jes sot right down in de shade and 'gan to gobble like a grabe council o' 'liberators, and you neber seed de likes 'fore nor sense de 'treat ob de glorious ten thousand from the probince o' Babylon. Nex de ole tarkeys bounced right up, painted their snouts jes like Injuns, jumped right into de king's ship, and upsot de boxes o' tea right into de harbor o' Bostin! and you nebber seed de likes sense de Romans fit Gen. Hannibal in Africa. De king soon got riled at dis kind o' 'ceedins', and sont a big army ob red-coats to shoot all de ole gobblers in de city o' Bostin Soon as de tarkeys 'gan to hear ob dis army ob red-coats wid ole muskets and rusty ram-rods 'trudin' outen de muzzle, de mos 'normous gang o' 'furiated gobblers you eber seed, 'gan to 'semble round de town, spread dar tails, stick up dar heads, and dare de king's red-coats to pull de trigger One night, howsomeber, when de ole king and all de parlyment lay sound a snorin' in dar feather beds picked from de tarkey roosts in America, de army o' red coats marched right outen Bostin, sot fire to Charlestown, sprised de tarkey roost at Lexington and Concord, sayin', "Sperse ye rebels! come down from dat roost and 'sperse, I says, and, pullin de trigger, killed and crippled more'n a dozen young gobblers. You nebber seed de likes o' dis sense Cæsar gobbled up Pompey at de battle o' Pharsalia. De thunders ob rebolution now shook de parlyment o' Britain, and de ole king George jumped up jes like a stuck pig, and found his tarkeys all done gone!

"De sarcumstances I has to deal wid to-day 'pells me to pass ober de days when Nimrod, de mighty grand-daddy o' fox hunters,

cleaned dis ball ob all varmints 'noxious to dis human race; when Job writ wid de iron pen in de 'tarnal 'glyphics; when de Greeks rode rite into de city o' Troy on wooden horses widout saddles and bridles, and ran out de prince wid de gods upon his back; when Solon writ laws in de Greece wid a 'normous long goose quill; when king Ptolemy Pharaoh sot on de 'Gyptian throne, and when Gen. Antony sot out to spark de queen; when Cyrus flogged de king o' Babylon at de supper table for drinking wine to de wicked gods; when Job 'tended a farm in de land ob Uz; and de king o' Bucknazzar eat grass like de oxen; when 'Sandy, de great, licked de Parsians on de banks o' Granicus; when de philosopher whose name I can't say, sot siden de road in a washin-tub; when de ghos met Brutus at Phillippi; when Zeno sot up school on de porch; and when de king o' Parsia chucked a log-chain in de sea o' Hellespont.

"I passes ober all de written treasures ob de ole antiquity dat outlibed the wreck ob mighty empires; ob de palaces ob princes and de temples ob de gods. I closes and passes ober de hard-books whar wisdom speaks in thunder; ober de sublime genius ob de poet what waters the thirsty mind from age to age; and de matchless orations what roused de nations to arms, and chained de senates to de chariot-wheels of speech and sot 'em gwine, and drug de kings ob de earth behind. On de wheels ob mind I drives ober de billows ob old oshun, and shakes de wolcano at my feet; and now I sets de foot o' mighty genius on de rock o' pilgrims, the plains o' Lexington, Concord, Monmouth, and de Yorktown, and stops at Mount Vernon, de classic eye o' Columbia, and feels prouder under dat flag dan he what drug Neighbor-Bucknazzar from his throne !

"Dat flag am de mornin' star o' glorious banners. It was fust histed in de day-break ob 'Merican freedom, and is hailed in ebery land, on ebery sea, and in ebery clime under de spangled canopy ob de heaven, dat sports in de dazzlin' sun-light o' cibilization. O flag, let us neber surrender thee while the silent waters ob dat mighty riber rolls down to de tarnal ocean at its mouf. Dat flag am consecrated in ebery American bosom what glows wid de signs o' life and toats de embers of hope. It am de type and de emblem ob all what am noble, troofful and mighty. It am glorious, heroic, free, and sublime in de history ob dis 'lightened generation. Millions ob hearts hab quibbered wid delight 'neaf its beauteous folds. Dyin'

You seed de sufferins'

eyes hab growed bright as de las gaze 'pinged agin its colors. By de light flamin' froo de 'mosphere ob death, in de dark hours ob dis country's history, it has nerved de arm what was 'bout to falter, and 'spired hope in de mountains ob despair. From its stars, brightness has flashed twart de horizontal ob dis mighty ball, kindled de council-fires ob freedom, and sot de chunks a blazin'. It am de flag o' Washington and de conscript fathers ob liberty. Great flag! how I loves you. Come to de 'braces ob my arms. at Walley Forge. Mos awful tyrant-tamer! you scourges traitors! O flag! I lifts my hand and 'treats you in de name o' freedom to sing, shine, and lib foreber. When I thinks ob you, de thoughts ob former years crawl ober my soul like de speckled snake ober de sleeper. Mighty flag! you skeers the world, and puts de fierce Philistine to flight. Kings take to dar heels at de dawn ob your star-light; de swift footed ghos ob treason cuts and runs, and de departed red-coat wanderin' here and dar, split for de grabe yard. O flag! you's a baby yet, but you's able to flog Samson. O stars and stripes! you was only born in '77; you's not ob age, hardly, but 'fore de morn o' 'dependence riz, dat sarcumpolar orb what 'cumgyrates round de axletree ob de world, you gib de signal for de night march, and 'pealed to heben for jestice and got de answer. Marblous flag! de impostles ob liberty cut up dar shirts to make you, and den rocked de cradle o' liberty siden you. Oflag! you shall wave from de ribbers to de eend ob de world. I axes you what dis mean? You hesitates-you doubts-1 'spounds de meanin'. It shall be fus planted on de rocky shore ob dis mighty roarin' 'Tomac ribber, den two 'normous eagles wid eyes like fire, and E. Pluribus Union in dar claws, shall fly bofe ways, one to de arctic and tudder to de 'tartic pole, den wid one ob de mos 'normous screams, fly up, and up, and up, and histe dat noble banner on bofe de norf and souf poles, den out will peep dat genbleman in de moon, 'mazed at de awful sight-and I tells you dat kings and prophets, lawyers and hypocrites will desire to see de sight what he sees but neber can!"

With Scomberry's great speech we bid adieu to the year '99, and to Mount Vernon for the present. Palestine had her sacred mountains whose history thrills the nations of the world; she has her sacred caves, where the dust of her warriors, patriarchs, and holy prophets,

has reposed for ages; and to this day the cave of Machpelah, and the sepulchre of Arimathea, are pointed out to the dust-covered pilgrim of all nations and in this year of '99, the last year of the century, Mount Vernon becomes a sacred Mount, and, like Mach pelah, the repository of the dust of the "Father of the Faithful," it becomes the depository of the dust of the "Father of his Country." From this year, as ages roll on, and unborn generations occupy and perish from the world, Mount Vernon will become dearer and dearer to every American heart. The year of '99, bequeaths the name of Washington as a national property where all sympathies throughout one widely extended and diversified republic, will forever meet in unison. From this year, in all dissensions and amid all the storms of party, his precepts will more powerfully speak from the grave with a paternal appeal and his name, revered by all, will form a stronger and more universal tie of brotherhood.