OCR Text |
Show The Father Of His Country NEXT Thursday will come again the anniversary anni-versary of the birth of George Washington. As the years advance and recede the memories mem-ories of men generally fade, and while the names of some linger on the lips of men, most of them cease to awaken any thrill when they are spoken. But some men seem -to be raised up for a special purpose, to these a special interest' clings, and the abrasions of time merely burnish them brighter year by year. Again, now and then a maji by his marvelous genius secures for himself him-self a fame that nothing can dim. George Washington had no special genius, but that he was raised up for a special purpose only a total unbeliever would doubt. His early life was not different from those of the young men around him, except that he was the foremost horseman of them all, and he un-dei un-dei stood woodcraft like an Indian. Then at the first opportunity he became a soldier and swiftly gravitated as by natural selection se-lection to the first place. General Braddock was sent to the colonies to head an expedition against the French and Indians In-dians in the country which includes the headwaters head-waters of the Ohio. Braddock was an old-time British soldier of the same school as Clinton, Howe, Burgoyne and Cornwallis, of that unfortunate unfor-tunate class of which, accomplished in such schools as England provided in that day, had reached that point of British exclusivonesB, bwoll-headedness and obliviousness that the idea that there was anything more for them to learn was ridiculous, and to accept a suggestion from a subordinate, would be disgraceful. So when Braddock led his command into the wilderness and Washington, not liking some indications indi-cations which he thought he understood, cautioned cau-tioned Braddock to go slow lest he be ambuscaded, that officer only crowded on his command with increasing recklessness, until suddenly the cataclysm cata-clysm was upon him. Then the soul of Washington blazed out. In trying to save the remnant of the command, he, with an utter recklessness of courage, rode over that field until he reduced the chaos to order and drew out begffin,addock's body with him. H That was the firstsign that he was raised up for H some special purpose. H After the fight, one sachem, describing Wash-t ington, declared that with a fair aim and at a H short distance only he fired at him five times and that he was never to be killed by a bullet. What he did in the Revolutionary war is M familiar history to the world. He led the shabby M armies of the colonies to final victory, and while fighting the armies before him, he had to beat M back want and danger and hardships unparal- leled, for seven years. Then the greatest test M of all came. What form of government should be evolved? His countrymen would gladly have M made him king. The high place had not one M alurement for him. The thought that struggled M up until it took form in his mind and in the M minds of that august am,y of men around him, M was, though it never found specific expression M that it must be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. H And so the structure that was upreared was H a new style of governmental architecture, which, H when completed, the world looked with awe and H wonder upon, and the amazement increases rather H than decreases every year. Washington did not H plan that, but his unerring judgment steadied H and reinforced it until its foundations were H secure and his judgment, his courage and ex- H altcd patriotism were its bulwark until he was H no longer needed. And when at last his work H was finished and he folded his arms for the final H sleep his countrymen and the world fully realized H that among all the children of men his was the H first place. H |