Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-03-15

at iiiS ii&IIliCNt. A4C Add llO gISdl TtdSOI
the philosophic power which loves uni
versal laws and scientific truths, resting
upon them for ends. He was not spec
ulative man; he did not turn his thought
to IDEAS. He had no tendency to science
did not look for causes, modes of opera
ton, general laws-only for facts. He
was concerned for measures, not with
principles. He had not much imagina-
ton, that poetic power which rests in
ideal beauty for its ends. There was
httle of the ideal element In him. He
took no notice of the handsome things In
nautre, art or literature. | remember
but one reference to any thing Of the
kind, and that is the .' Iowland beauty"
who sc charmed him in boyhood, where
the attraction, probably, was not purely
scientific.
He wrote much. 1t is not always easy
to ascertain what came from his own pen,
and what from his Secretary's Almost
all his great State papers were partly, if
not wholly, the work of other men. The
celebrated farewell address," must be
referred to Mr.. Madison, who made the
first draft III 1892, when Washington in
tended TO retire, and 10 Mr.. Hamilton
possibly yet abler man-who, in 1897,
wrote 1t over again. Washington wrote
it over anew with his own hand, and
made alterations still think the SUBJ
stance of the work came from Madison
and Hamilton.
Commonly his style is conventional.
tame, dull. 1t it refreshing TO find that
he sometimes departed from this lam
guage. He calls the British soldiers
"red-coats; General Putnam, "Old
Put )" talks of g kicking up some dust in
New Eng and g making rumpus
IN Massachusetts; complains that men
are nominated fot high places who are
not fit to be shoe -blacks;' speaks of the
rascally tories" and talks of 8" the
scoundrel from Marblehead )" but, in
general his style Is plain, business like,
without fancy or figure of speech, or even
OF wrath. 1t is not grass, that you pluck
by the handfuls growing in the fields,
but hay which you would pull down from
the NOV In the barn, ready for use.
Washington had not much Imagination.
He had great understanding. and un-
common common sense; that admira BILE
balance of faculties which we call good
judgment-the power OF seeing the most
expedent way of doing what must be
done; a quality | find more rare than
what we call genius. Yes his under
sanding was not of wide range, but linn
tied to a few principles that pertain to
practical affairs. Although thus gifted,
he was not a great originator. | think
he invented nothing, discovered nothing
In politics, war, or agriculture. He
was soldier al sixteen years. | do not
find that he advanced anything new in
military affairs. He sat in the Virginia
Assembly of Burghesses, in the Conti-
mental Congress, and la the Convention
TO frame the Constitution but | do not
find that be brought forward any new
idea, or even proposed a new meas slre
He ives eight years President, and left
behind him no more marks of originating
inventive talent.
But he was a good organizer natu-
rally systematic, industrious, regular, by
easily habit, he had the art to make things
take the orderly shape to serve the puc-
| pose he had in view. Thus, his large
farm was organized with mastery skill.
In the French and Indian wars, he took
the raw material and organized it irto
/ companies and regiments, making a snug
| little army. In the war of the Revoiu-
tlon he did the same thing, on a larger
scale and under greater difficulties than
before. He laid out the plan of ballle
with great good sense. | think there
was no originality IN his mode. He fol-
lowed the old schemes. and always look
abundant counsel. As President, he had
much of this organizing work to attend to,
| .,,l =, I'D bi l,,t ,ha
help of John Adams, Jefferson, Haml-
ton, Jay, and other great men. He had
a mastery talent for laying his hand on
great men and setting them to do their
proper work, and OF knowing when it
was well done. He did not invent, he
! found out who could invent, and knew
when he discovered the right thing
/ His great talent was tha, OF admlnIstra-
ton. He had that rare combination of
judgment, capacity and courage which
made him able to manage all things we'll.
He was fond of details; no little thing
was too minute for his delicate eye.
He administered his farm with nice
and rare economy. His day-books show
what all the men we're dong at home
each dav. With the same skill he ad-
minstered the affairs of the army in the
French and Indian war, and, on greater
scale. the affairs of the Revolutionary
war. The more you look at the fact, the
more you are astonshed at the difficulty
of his position, and the more you are
amazed at the consumate ski. with which
/ he administered his humble means, ma
terial and human, and al the grand re-
suits be brought to pass.
He was not a brilliant commander
He never fought a brilliant campaign.
and only one brilliant battle = that of
Trenton But do not think that Alex
ander or Cesar, that Napoleon, or even
Hannibal, had more administrative skill,
save oay in this = he lacked the power