Show washington given unlimited powers was virtually dictator of nation as commander of armed forces one hundred wid fifty y years ars ngo tills this notion nation lind had its airet and only die tutor in the fateful winter vinter of 1777 the outlook tor for the lie Ainer american lenn colonists colonist 8 was d burls arlt and forbidding despondency was general throughout tile the young nation it was then lien that congress sitting at ill philadelphia bladel und realizing that something drastic must inest be done turned to a virtual dictatorship it established n dictator who was the first and latt last in the annals of the country george washington the one hundredth ninety sixth anniversary of whose birth Is celebrated tills this year was then in the forty fifth year of his life to ills his hands ns commander in chief of the american forces was in trusted this vast authority vor for six months the man who canie came to be the father of ills country was riven given unlimited powers ue he was authorized zed to get whatever he fie needed for the use of his army on tills this lie he might fix his own price ile ie was invested with of lite life and death in carrying out hla his orders never abused power until that time the lie american army had met inet with many in dealing with the even from those sul supporting porting the revolution it had been given little help the die tutorship ship was expected to end these difficulties dIfficult les to a very great degree it did dictator in fact as well us in name did not abuse ills his great powers its ells conservatism patience anil and wisdom carried the young a nation atlon through this darkest period of american can history ile he was wag not for nil that he was waa americas dictator thinking in terms of nt a dictatorship whether in defeat or in victory ho he went along dealing nemly but considerately with his countrymen ue lie was slowly whether he fully realized it or not paving the sure way for the establishment of a republic in which no dictator can have a place put aside crown five years idler general proved ills his real greatness when h he e put aside the suggestion that tie be crowned as the first ruler of the new lisit tuition lon the virus of military and die interial Int oriol orial power was not in tits his blood nor should it bo be forgotten that he refused to accept compensation tor for hla his services and went his way back to private life and his virginia esto estates t es modern biographers have tried to show that tie he wa a i man a a n c of f fl flesh e sh an and d blood their methods however have done little more than emphasize the essential greatness of a great amerl can nothing that has been written about washington will change the characterizations of him by such men us as jolin john richard green and sir archibald allson alison green declared no nobler figure ever stood in the lie forefront of a nations life allson alison wrote Alo modern dern history tins hns not a more spotless character to commemorate there was nothing of the Mus mussolini in washington aristocrat that tie he was in many ways tie he kept his falth faith in democracy lie ile was a general of the first rank and a statesman with will commanding qualities whatever his units faults lie he had the wisdom to surrender the powers of a dictator E ehla at the first opportunity and to renounce a kingship in favor of what tin has become the greatest democracy in the long annals of the world |