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Show By ELMO SCOTT WATSON fe, ' jss FEBKLARY 22 Amenca will be- I -p." I ,isnSer5ISpo6' gin a nationwide celebration hon- I ji'ti"' v i SSSS onng the memory of the gieatest 1 American. For Februaiy 22 is the f " ? ' 200th anniversary of the birth of f ?:'Cf ',U . - d which soon turned to enthusiasm. Washington George Washington and, as a re- t - r , accomplished, by the legend which so immedi- sult of plans w Inch have been in f ( ' ' - ! ately surrounded him, more than anyone else preparation for seeral years, the fc t ' fjSl ' 7 : bad done. By his personality he prepared the w-vy- observance of this bicentennial t ' ; extremists and the traditionalists to accept dem- will be the most extensive ever k';u r:,;tf vi'. sr-K - j ocratic ideas " held in this, country. But the ceremonies on L - "There was nothing of the revolutionary about February 22 are only the beginning of a senes t , ? - fL 1 i him." So it is all the more remarkable that this of patriotic pilgnmages pageants, programs STX 1 Virg.nia gentleman, this land holding aristocrat, dedication of memoitals and other forms of k should engage in a struggle In behalf of the celebration which will be held until Thanks- w.-a common 0 ,e m hlch he ha(J e thing t0 giving day, all having as their purpose a re- r By ELMO SCOTT WATSON FEBRUARY 22 Amenca will begin be-gin a nation-wide celebration honoring hon-oring the memory of the greatest American. For February 22 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington and, as a result re-sult of plans which have been in preparation for several years, the viv observance of this bicentennial will be the most extensive ever held in this, country. But the ceremonies on February 22 are only the beginning of a series of patriotic pilgrimages pageants, programs, dedication of memorials and other forms of celebration which will be held until Thanksgiving Thanks-giving day, all having as their purpose a "reawakening "re-awakening in the hearts of all Americans of an appreciation for the character and the life of America's greatest citizen." In addition to these celebrations, the name of George Washington will be kept daily before his countrymen in other ways. Every time they mall a letter or a parcel they will see his face, for a series of 12 commemorative postage stamps, ranging in denomination from one-half cent to ten cents have been Issued, each one bearing a likeness of Washington. In their pockets will Jingle a new 25-cent silver coin which will bear the face of Washington on the obverse. This new quarter is not a "special Issue" Is-sue" merely to mark the Washington bicentennial bicenten-nial but It will replace the 25-cent piece now in general circulation. The year is certain to bring forth also new books about Washington in which new attempts will be made to interpret Washington in his various roles as a soldier, as a business leader, as a statesman, as a President and as a man. In view of this fact, it is pertinent to raise the question, "Considering the amount that has already been written about Washington, is there anything new that can be said about him?" Offhand, Off-hand, the answer would probably be "Xo !" Yet the fact remains that something new has been said about him and that in a recently published pub-lished biography. It is "George Washington, Republican Aristocrat," written by Bernard Fay and published by the Houghton Mifflin company, and this book is Important, not only because of the Interpretation of Washington as a "Republican "Repub-lican aristocrat" but because his interpreter Is not a fellow-countryman but a foreigner, a Frenchman, therefore a man whose judgments are less likely to be obscured by partisanship one way or the other. It is doubtful if there has yet been written such an adequate and understanding summary of the greatuess of George Washington with-put with-put indulging In extravagant language as the 1 Portrait painted by W. Williams in Philadelphia Phila-delphia in 1794 for the Masonic lodge at Alexandria, Alex-andria, Va. This portrait will be on the new nine-cent stamp. 2 Portrait by Charles Wilson Peale which will be on the new three-cent stamp. 3 Miniature portrait by Charles Wilson Peale which was presented by Washington to his niece, Harriet. This portrait will be on the new one-half one-half cent stamp. A Another portrait by Charles Wilson Peale made In 1795. It will be reproduced on the new five-cent stamp. 5 Photographic reproduction of the famous Houdon bust of Washington which has been chosen as the official portrait for the Washington Washing-ton bicentennial. 6 The Washington bicentennial medal. . & admirable essay which forms the Introduction to M. Fay's book. Those who believe in the hand of God in the affairs of man will indorse the idea set forth In this introduction that George Washington came on the stage of history at the precise moment he was most needed. It was the Eighteenth Eight-eenth century when all looked forward with joy to the arrival of an "enlightened despot." "He was a gentleman. He was rich. lie was a soldier. There was nothing of the revolutionary revolution-ary about him. And, for the first time, in more than fifteen centuries, he exemplified the type of hero who declined supreme power and wished to command only to serve. The world did not expect this; and it surprised the upper classes more than any other attitude would have done. And throughout the entire world the conservative con-servative classes, the middle classes, the enlightened enlight-ened nobility, and the people who, even though most cautious, were desirous of change, beheld the serene, great man with an astonishment which soon turned to enthusiasm. Washington accomplished, by the legend which so immediately immedi-ately surrounded him, more than anyone else had done. By his personality he prepared the extremists and the traditionalists to accept democratic dem-ocratic ideas." "There was nothing of the revolutionary about him." So it is all the more remarkable that this Virginia gentleman, this land-holding aristocrat, should engage in a struggle in behalf of the common people in which he had everything to lose and but little to gain. If he could have foreseen that he would have to carry on that struggle almost single-handed and then after it was won that he would be reviled by those whom he had served so well and for whom he had suffered so much, one wonders if he would have engaged In it. For like all great men even more so than most-he was a lonely man a lonely man, both in private life and in public office. Throughout his life he carried on his heart the burden of an unrequited love, his love for Sally Cary, who married his best friend and neighbor, George Fairfax. Even when he married "the Widow Custis" he was still a lonely man. While he was busy building up the estate at Mount Vernon, according to M. Fay, "He noted in his diary sometimes during a whole week that he had remained re-mained at home alone although Martha Washington Wash-ington was living under the same roof and Id the same house." But this was as nothing to the loneliness that was to come to him during the dark hours of the Revolution when he was trying to keep together the wretched little army which congress con-gress had given him for winning the Independence Independ-ence of the new nation and then gave him nothing noth-ing more, certainly not enough supplies or even moral support for carrying on his almost Insuperable In-superable task. Even when he had been successful, success-ful, w-hen the new nation had rewarded him with the highest honor In its power by making him Its first President, he was also the first to discover what every President since then has learned that the Presidency Is a lonely Job, wherein the occupant of that position never knows whom to trust. For no sooner was he made President than he found himself traveling travel-ing a lonely path betw-een two opposing political politi-cal Ideals the raonarchial tendencies of the Federalists and the democratic theories of th( Republicans. So he followed his lonely course to the end ( by Western Newspaper Union.) ter he was killed by Indians, not In battle, but by stealth, when he was laboring to open a farm in the forest. "His ancestors, who were Quakers, went to Virginia from Berks county, Pennsylvania. An effort to Identify them with the New England family of the same name, ended in nothing more definite than a similarity of Christian names of both families, such as Enoch, Levi, Mordecai, Solomon, Abraham and the like. "My father, at the death of his father, fa-ther, was but six years of age and he grew up literally without education. He removed from Kentucky to what Is now Spencer county, Indiana, In my eighth year. "At twenty-one I came to Illinois and passed the first year In Illinois Macon county. Then I got to New Salem, Sa-lem, where I remained a year as o sort of clerk in the store. Then came the Black Hawk war and I was elected a captain of volunteers, a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since. I went into the campaign, was elected, ran for the legislature leg-islature the same year (1832) and was beaten. Only time I have ever been beaten by the people. The next three succeeding biennial elections I was elected to the legislature. "During this legislation period I had studied law and removed to Springfield Spring-field to practice it. In 1841 I was elected to the lower house of congress. From 1S49 to 1854 I practiced law more assiduously than ever before always a Whig In politics, and generally gen-erally on the Whig electoral tickets, making active canvasses. "If any personal description of roe Is thought desirable, It may be said, I am 6 feet 4 Inches In height, lean In flesh, weighing on an average 180 pounds; dark complexion, with coarse hair and gray eyes no marks or brands recollected." I ET every man remember that to Tic-late Tic-late the law is to trample on the blood of his fathers, and to tear the charter of his own and his children's liberty. Abra- ham Lincoln. |