The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-12-10
RAYENNA. THURSDAY, DEC. 10, 1857.
Portrait of washing.

The subjoined sketch of the life, churac.
ter and services of General Washington, is
from the pen Of MIR. Jefferson, ard is to be
found in q letter of his to Doctor Wsiter
Jones, dated at Monticello, January I'd,
1914. 1t is powerfully drawn picture,
and being entirely free from fulsome pane.
gyric, or attempt at exaggeration, we con.
mend it to the careful attention of our read.
ers, as embodying in short space all that
need be said of that great and good man.
1t is written in the concise aud vigorous
style for which its illustrious lulhor was SO
remarkable, and is worthy Of being treasur
ed in the memory Of every admirer Of the
"Father of his County," and OF the immor-
tai writer aud sigher of the Declaration of
independence: 49,
| think knew General Washington in.
timately and thoroughly, and were | called
on to delneate his character, it should be in
terms like these:
His mind was great and pow Ill with.
out being Of the very first order; his peno.
trntion strong, though not SO acute cs that
of Newton, B con, or Locke; und US far es
he saw, no judgment wus ever sounder. 1t
was SLOW in operation, beng l.tlle aided by
invention or imas sinatiuD, but sure in con
clusion. .-.. ...-.l.t
Hence the common remark Of his officers
of The advantage he derived from counelS
of wtr, where, hearing all Suggestions. he
selected whatever was best, aud eertsinly
no General ever planned his battles more
judciousiy. But if derangca dor az the
course Of The actioh, If any member of his
plan was distracted by sudden circumstan.
ces, he was slow in re- adjustment. The
consequence was'lhat he o'ten failed in the
field, and rarely aguinst an enemy in sta.
ton, as ut Boston and York. He was inca.
pabe of fear, meeting personal dangers
with the calmest unconcefh.
Perhaps the strongest feathre in his char,
acter was prudence, ne'ver setting Gntl eve.
ry circumstance, every consideration, was
maturely Weighed; relraihing he saw Il
doubt, but, when once decided, going
through with his purpose, whatever obsta
Gle opposed. His integrity was most pure,
his Justice the most inGexibIe have ever
known; no motives OF interest or consa =
guinity, Of friendship or hatred being able to
bias his decision He WIS, Indeed, in eve.
Try sense Of the words, u wise, COED, and a
great man.
His temper was naturally irritable and
htgh.toned; bet reflection and resolution
had obtained firm and habitual ascendancy
over it. II ever, however, it broke its
bounds, he was most tremendous in his
wrath. ...
In his expenses he was honorable, but
exact; liberal in contributions to whatever
promised utility, but irowDing and unyield.
ing Oh ail visionary projects, aud all unwor
thy calls on his charity. His heart was no,
warm in its affections, but he exactly calcu.
lated every mans value, and gave him I
solid esteem proportioned to it. His per
son, you know, was fine; his stature exact
ly what one would wish; his department ca
sy, erect and noble; the best horseman o
his age, and the most graceful figure tha
could be seen on horseback. Although il
the circle Of his friends, where be might B,
unreserved with safety, lie toSk free share
in conversation. his colloqui talents wer,
not above mediocrity, possessing neither CO
pionsness of dens nor fuency Of words.
I'm public, when called on for sudder
opinion, he was unready, short, and embar.
rassed. Yet he wrote readily, rather diff
fused, in an easy and correct style. Thi.
he had acquired by conversation with the
world, for his education was merely read
lug, writing, and common arithmetic, te
which he added surveying at later day.
His time was employed in action chiefly
reading little, and that only in agriculture
and English history. His CORRESPONDENCE
became necessarily extensive, and, will
liournalising his tsrcultura4 proceedings
occupied most of his leisure hours within
doors. On the whole, his character was, II
its mass, perfect-in nothing bad, in few
points Indifferent; and il may truE be said
that never did nature and fortune combin.
more perfectly to make man great, and Il
place hifh in the rare constellation of wor
thes who have mcriled from mon an ever
lasting remembrance, for his was the sin
gular destiny and merit OF leading the ar
mics Of his country through an arduoul
war, for the establishment OF it's indepen
dence, of conducting its councils through
the birth of Governthent, new in its form
and principles, until it had settled down in
to quiet and orderly train; and of scrupu
fously obeying the laws through the who'll
of his career, civil and military, of whicI
the history Of the world furnishes no othe
example. felt on his death with M
Z countrymen, that "verily great man hat
this day fallen in Israeli" = f'af a3' 9
09-A good story is told Of Michiga
! fsrmer who recently went down into Ind
, ana to buy drove Of horses. He was at
sent longer Than he intended to be-. and b
failed to meet business, en- ngagement o
being reproached for not Being home, b
| mada dina RnnlnSrp.. az tell unn how IL. Il