Oh, Washington! thou hero, patriot sage,
Friend of all climes, and pride of every age!

Oh, Washington! thou hero, patriot sage,
Friend of all climes, and pride of every age!

Where may the wearied eye repose,
When gazing on the Great;
Where neither guilty glory glows,
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Where may the wearied eye repose,
When gazing on the Great;
Where neither guilty glory glows,
Nor despicable state?
Yes--one the first, the last, the best,
The Cincinnatus of the West
Whom envy dared not hate,
Bequeathed the name of Washington
To make man blush; there was but one.

The defender of his country--the founder of liberty,
The friend of man,
History and tradition are explored read more

The defender of his country--the founder of liberty,
The friend of man,
History and tradition are explored in vain
For a parallel to his character.
In the annals of modern greatness
He stands alone;
And the noblest names of antiquity
Lose their lustre in his presence.
Born the benefactor of mankind,
He united all the greatness necessary
To an illustrious career.
Nature made him great,
He made himself virtuous.

America has furnished to the world the character of Washington!
And if our American institutions had done nothing else, read more

America has furnished to the world the character of Washington!
And if our American institutions had done nothing else, that
alone would have entitled them to the respect of mankind.

There's a star in the West that shall never go down
Till the records of Valour decay,
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There's a star in the West that shall never go down
Till the records of Valour decay,
We must worship its light though it is not our own,
For liberty burst in its ray.
Shall the name of a Washington ever be heard
By a freeman, and thrill not his breast?
Is there one out of bondage that hails not the word,
As a Bethlehem Star of the West?

That name was a power to rally a nation in the hour of
thick-thronging public disasters and calamities; that read more

That name was a power to rally a nation in the hour of
thick-thronging public disasters and calamities; that name shone
amid the storm of war, a beacon light to cheer and guide the
country's friends; it flamed too like a meteor to repel her foes.

While Washington hath left
His awful memory,
A light for after times.

While Washington hath left
His awful memory,
A light for after times.

Our common Father and Deliverer, to whose prudence, wisdom and
valour we owe our Peace, Liberty and Safety, now read more

Our common Father and Deliverer, to whose prudence, wisdom and
valour we owe our Peace, Liberty and Safety, now leads and
directs in the great councils of the nation . . . and now we
celebrate an independent Government--an original Constitution!
an independent Legislature, at the head of which we this day
celebrate, The Father of his Country--We celebrate Washington!
We celebrate an independent Empire!

O Washington! thrice glorious name,
What due rewards can man decree--
Empires are far below thy aim,
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O Washington! thrice glorious name,
What due rewards can man decree--
Empires are far below thy aim,
And scepters have no charms for thee;
Virtue alone has your regards,
And she must be your great reward.