Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-02-28

+ s: o,s.s IL Mt isaIi Qk HE re.S
:ss.I,,t "a. z IIourll nor pressing rapidly
away. ms ain ieft its slime behind i
from which is from tils mud of the s. !,
lcIare of DcucAlions dioss forms
&c deprayity arise. s,
There ii ono point Of view IN
which The cllaraeter of Washington
appears to me peculiarly interesting.
/ ne who approaches 20 IFS exa''siI';l-
ton, his mind filled with the shining,
characteristics Of llfroisn, and ex-
peeling to ind each dazzling quaii-
| IL Of other great men riyaiiea or
| surpassed in WashiDstcr, will feel
perhaps something Of the hesilas'o'I
&c disapt,oistment: He will not per-
ceive that daring and untrama.elled
spirit which led Alexander amer
lane or Napoleon 10 constant war;
/ He will rot find that aspiring soHf
which urged Maiaomot e perpetuats'
his faa,e In the foundation oil re-
lisioB and an empire. which have
brayed Tie assaults Of eleven hua-
ared years. He will rejoice that
Washington tnraing his parraepidaaI
arms against his country, was not
the Founder ola dynasty OF imperial
Ceasars, and he wilt sigh that be
could not like Lycurgus give to the
constitution Of his country, the sfabi-
Iity ofhis own venerafed name. But
The information Of the age. and the
sober morality Of the reformation
which the 6rst Christian emigraDls
brought with them and iranspianiedS
| in America, required AN example dif-l
ferent from all who had gone before
him. No master passian, however
brilliant, could hide over or make
atenemenf for the want OF other VIZ. !.
tues. Man now examines The spetks
on the face Of the mid day sun. dis
character was to come in aid Of that
christian doctrine whiph teaches that
the powers as well as the virtues OF
man are limited. TWAS not there
fore the lofty pre.enIinenre Of one
but the union and harmony OF ma
ny virtues whichcomposed itsbean'y.
Each in its proper place and in due
proportion filled up the part allotted
to it, and blended and mingled like
the ceIcrs Of Claude produced a soft.
perfect, and enchanting effect. His
virtues were great, bur human. Ir
war, he was bold and skilful: hui
victory was net chained TO his car
She deserted him but he remained
tranquil and undismayrd and calmly
prepared the means to WOO bei
back. In peace. he expected nst to
make his country at once smiling
Arcadia; but he knew that vie
laws and an Independent judieiar,
produced u. der aud security. and fol
loving 10 their train industry and
peace would scatter blessings Ger
The land. In private life The various
duties Of the citizen. che man. and
the christian & Of allihe relations in
which he stood connected with so
eiety were honestly and cheeriully
perfarmed. Here indeed is. the
greatness OF W. shiagton Here i
the practical lesson TO be drawn from
his example. No hero 70 be coldly
honored with affairs and a fabulous
Translation to the skies but the pa
tern of man to be loved and homer
cd and inflated whose maxims
+ should be written in letters Of gold,
whose principles contain the palladi-
um Of our liberties. and whose ex.
ample should be held out to future
generations. He was not to trace
a meteor csurse through the air,
leaving /" the upturned eyes oimor-
taIs' gazing in stupid " onder. He
was to be a pillar Of tire leading ia
the desart-yisib!e oall, guiding the
exalted aad the humble, and pointing
the way TO the land Of contentmenl.
abundance ard peace.
Nevertheless the lofty spirit Of
Washington rising with the occasion
sometimes lowered with a beldness
scarcely surpassed. He did not af-
feet that imperious will which bends
every thing before il. such as mark
49,