Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1894 — Festival of the States. [ARTICLE]

Festival of the States.

Notwithstanding all the attention paid the 22d of February, it is not the holiday of the nation, but the festival of the States. In 1845, urged on by Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis, Massachu otts led the way in making it a legal holiday throughout her borders by legislative enactment, and since that time all the Stalev of the Union except six have followed this example, the District of Columbia being included by Congress as late as 1880. With an obvious propriety this day is marked all over the world by our legations and often by foreign governments. Thus in 1882 the United States of Colombia took notice of the 150th anniversary of Washington’s birth in words which may fitly close this account of the spontaneous honors paid our great hero. After testifying to its “reverent respect and profound admiration,” the resjlution “recommends to K Colombians the singular example of eminent virtues which characterizes in history the prominent figure of ( the founder of the first of the republics of the new continent.”