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Show " . GEORGE WASHINGTON . In a month replete with notablebirthdays notable notablebirthda notablebirthdays birthdays birthda s and anniversaries anniversarie < ; , February February22 22 stands out in the minds of Ameri Ameri- Americans Americans Americans - signifi signifi- significance significance significance - cans as tlie the date of greatest cance , , the birthday of George Wash Wash- Washington Washington . - ington ingtonAs As a national holiday it Is p perhapssecond rhaps rhapssecond rhapssecond second only to the Fourth of July Julywhile , while as a matter of fact it is probably probablyan import Import- Importance importance importance - an anniversary annnersary annrrersary of even high ance , , because without \Vashmgton Vashmgton aVashmgton Washington a ' \ Washingtonthe Vashmgtonthe the struggling colonies might not ha\ ha hae hate hamade hatemade ha\emade ha emade \ e made effective the Declaration of Independenceeffective Independenceeffective Independence Independenceeffective haI I effectiveAlthough Although much that is legendary has hasbeen hasbeen I Ibeen been associated associ1.ted associ1ted ! . with the life Ilfe of Wash Wash- Washington wash-I wash I Washington - washIington of ofParson ofParson ofParson ington , due principally pnnclpaIly to the zeal Parson Wcems Weems , , his earl early earl ) blographel biographer biographei.the biographeithe . , I the main facts of his inestimable ser- ser service service ser service - vice stand unimpeached , , and Ills Ilis Iris fametakes fame fametakes fametakes takes on added luster \ with ith the yearsLeading years yearsLeading I Leading Leadmg a 3 . poorly trained , ill-equip ill equip ill-equip- illequipped illequipped illequipped - - ped and sometimes sometIme : ; mutinous mutmous army armyWashington , Washington Kept xept aflame aftame the tl'e tle ' tires fues fires of ofpatriotISm ofpatriotism ofpatriotism patriotISm when a less capable com- com commander commander com commander - m In despair de- de despair de-'spair de 'spair spair - ' mander might have given gnen up spair While aid from France finally finallyI finallyturned finallyturned finallyturned I turned the scale in favor fa\or fa or \ of the col- col colonies colonies col colonies - onies , without Washington's Washingtons ' genius geniusand geniusand geniusand and heroic perislstence pcrisistence perisistence the Contmentalarmy Contment.al Contmental Contment.alarmy Continentalarmy . army would ha has have " e been crushed into intoI intosubn intosubmission intosubmission I | aid arri\ arri arrived arried arched \ ed . subn submission ss10n before that It is well that we should honor his hisI hismemory hismemory hismemory I memory on his rus birthday and on all allother allother allother other days , , but nothing we may say sayor sayor sayor or do can add to or subtract from the thepnceless thepriceless thepriceless pnceless priceless heritage hent.age hentage . epitomized m in thedeathless the thedeathless thedeathless deathless iiame name of ofv f Washington \v v ' \ Vashlngton gton |