| Show Years but lout Add Luster vYV to W Name J me q of o f Washington W On the anniversary of the birth of Geor George Ceorge e Washington a national holiday boll boll- day and one that Inspires and Impels Im Impels pes a new consecration to the Ideals Ideas and Institutions of a free and Independent independent Inde Inde- pendent government go bought with the blood of patriots It Is fitting that a alev lev review re lew of the life and works of ot this great American be made mme in every ery home and before every group History pl presents us with few characters characters char char- so w worthy 01 thy of admiration and esteem It presents us us S I with few lives lives despite despite detractors who in the early da days s 's of the Nineteenth century published so called so-called called Intimate cameos that were manifestly fictitious fictitious so so worthy of ot emulation Outstanding amon among the errors and absurdities of so-called so biographers are those In the Life of G George orge Washington tou written by Rev nev Mason L. L and published the year after the death of or the Father of ot ills His Country No one not even en so great and powerful pow v erful a man as Washington toll could ent entirely rel In history the rep rep- lion of r a a g goody Ody prig with which the well-meaning well but over over of- of I clous clous Scottish divine smothered red him The cherry tree story story fiction fiction of ot the whole cloth has cloth has had but few rivals In publicity and has done the memory of this great man of ot red blood and unflagging courage more harm barm than good J The Real Washington Fortunately as the generations have bave come and gone the real Wash WashIngton Ington the Ington-the the Washington wh who was the leading figure of thought and ond judg jud rent ment in the Continental congress who led with spirit antl and masterful generalship the arm army of ot the tion who guided the building of the tenets of faith In a new governmental structure the structure the federal n- n who for two terms served as ns the first President of the United States States- Fortunately the real Washington has stood out stronger and greater grenter- as a t as an executive us as a t as a patriot us liS a aman aman amun man mun as a force In moral leadership as as the years have ha passed In generations yet unborn he will grow rn r rather her titan than shrink In InI Inu I u universal The mental gifts of Geor George e Wash WashIngton Washington In Ington ton were not of ot the dazzling daz g kind Ills His talents tale were cre not o brilliant And yet jet et his goo good 1 judgment founded UP upon an Inborn wisdom was forceful and appealing He was not an orator orator ora ora- tor like Patrick Henry who labored with him for a repeal of the Iniquitous tous us stamp act He was not as dash dash- 1 I tag Ing and as ns impulsive as either John Hancock or 01 Samuel A Adams ams And yet yel both of them during the Intense stress and the excitement of the proceedings proceedIngs proceedings proceed proceed- ings of the Continental congress turned to Washington ton for his thought thought- thoughtful ful advice and deliberate conclusions and Adams from the floor declared the quiet almost most silent leader the unerring son of Westmoreland George Washington having ing been born In Westmoreland count county on February 22 1732 Deserved Immortal Title This was In September 1774 All of the Colonies were represented at atthe atthe atthe the time except Georgia The people people peo peo- pie of that state were In deep sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy with the con congress but their royal rojal governor prevented the appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment of delegates Washington was a man of unusual power because his traits of character charac charac- ter were so finely proportioned and adjusted and so firmly controlled by bya a heroic will and fine moral faculty He lIe could withstand alike nUke disaster and obloquy He could reject the of ambition lie He was moved by but one aspiration to to pro promote promote promote mote the good government of ot his country and the happiness and prosperity prosperity pros pros- of the people lIe He well deserved deserved de de- served the noble title that will wl go Y-O with his name throughout the expanse expanse ex ex- ex of human history Just a wor word woid 1 about the ori origin in of ot Washington his personal life liCe and his career as a soldier a statesman and andas andas andas as an executive executive- He was the grandson of John Washington who ho emigrated rale In l in from En England land wh where re the family had been of high social and financial standing His grandfather acquired great land holdIngs hold Ings lags along the Potomac and high social social social so so- cial and public position The ancestral ancestral ances ances- home was inherited b by Au Augustine Washington who was the father Cather of George and five fi other children George Washington became Interested In sun sur surveying ej ing and while a mere lad Ind surveyed end the great Fairfax estates He lIe later surveyed the proposed canal route between St St. Mar Marys s 's Geor Georgia du via Ia St St. Marks Florida und nod to the thelI Mississippi lI is sippi river In time he Inherited the great gleat Mount Vernon estate from an au older brother He ne became active In Colonial military life and was WitS quick quickly lj ly promoted to colonel Won Important Point When 01 orders dels came carte fro from the Brit BritIsh BritIsh British Ish crown that any English field om eel should be lIe supt superior to n a Colonial officer en even n of higher rank Colonel Washington took tool the Issue sue direct to General Shirley the in commander chief and won I After his military career career as a Colonial officer he was elected to the house of burgesses of ot Virginia In 1755 5 he married Mrs Martha Cu Curtis the wealthiest widow In In Virginia Vir 11 ginia v and for several years lived quietly as ns u gr great at planter at his home overlooking o t tt ti Potomac and the marsh maish lands of ol Vie he great capital capi capi- capital tal city which now be- be bers rs his name In 1773 he Ice a again aln became active In public DubUc affairs as a member of ot the Williamsburg convention con which asserted asserted asserted as as- the right light of the Colonies to self government He lie then declared the cardinal principle that taxation and representation could not be Justly Just Just- ly separated Great In Military Leadership On June 15 1775 Colonel Washing Washing- Washington ton was elected by the Continental congress s the commander In of the A American forces He assume assumed 1 command with the declaration that he did lid not feel equal to the task but with a consecrated will to break the British yoke he went quietly Into the mobilization of his forces and Into Inlo the manner of their training and equipments The battle batUe of Bunker Hill had already al nl already ready taken talen place with much credit to the patriots but the military forces were without leadership or discipline He brought order out of chaos It Is unnecessary here to go Into the history of the war war the the great conflict con con- met between two master generals Washington and Cornwallis The odds were against General Washing Washing- ton He conquered and he be was con- con 1 He never flinched His sufferings sufferings suf- suf along with his men were In In- tense The story of Valley Forge will always R live In the s sympathetic hearts of Americans He lie finally won through generalship for even en British historians have declared declared de de- Washington the strongest and ablest wan warrior lor of his day and genera genera- tion He Ile was not a n meteor of war like Alexander or Napoleon but a military genius Masterly Farewell I After the smokes of the Revolution cleared with the victory of the patriots patri the convention met metIn metIn metin in and he be was chosen choen Its dent ent From Pram this came cume the federal Constitution which Gl Gladstone declared de der Glared to be the soundest code colle of organic organic or- or ganic laws e ever eser er framed In an any na nn tion He was unanimously elected tarl President of ot the newly created Union and he declared In acceptance that he did so with more ditt diffidence dence and reluctance relue tance than he heer ever er experienced be fore foie He was re elected re-elected In 1 1702 1712 in His farewell ell address to congress dolly dell Bred tl in 1700 three linG three yeas prior to hl his eI death will heath-will will live through the n ages fR as one of ot the greatest ablest an and 1 wisest I of or state documents |
