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

same comprehensive diligence. de was
man of judgment, not genius. In all
important matters, he required every
Cabinet officer 10 write out complete
report in the case which was presented
to him, and to tell what measures he
| thought ought to be adopted then stud
dying all these carefully, he made up
his mind, after thorough knowledge of
| the facts, and getting the opinion of three
or four able men.
But the superiority of Washington was
not in intellect. He was always surroun-
ded by men who were greatly his supe-
rors IN mental force. His excellence
ance of the moral powers which is to vr-
tue what good sense Is TO intellect. One
of the mos, cautious of men, he was not
morally enthusiastic or transcendental.-
There was no moonshine in his moral
more than in his military character His
virtue ~as net
-"Too fair and good
For human natures daily food"
HIS natural temptations. | think, did
not incline him much to the vices of pas
sion IN his you,h, for he was of that stern
and auStere make that leads to ascetism
rather than to ind ulgence. He wrote in
his copy book at the age of thirteen,
" Labor 10 keep alive in your hearts, that
spark Of celestial fire, called conscience"
In few hearts did it ever burn with stead
ier or more constant fame. Yet he was
a man, not an ,,sceiic He has a nice
love of order, quick instinct for deco
rum. This appears in his note books, IN
the accuracy of his diagrams as a sur
veyor, IN the clear, round hand, and hard
lucid style of his writings, lii the regular
ity Of his habits, in the stately deportmen,
that marked him in the camp, in the
crowd, and in the Senate of the nation
Yet, if you look carefully, you find more
order In things and less order in thought.
He was accurate ii his accounts, punctual
in regard TO time, orderly in all things.
He had great power of wrath. In
herring the high, quick temper of his
mother, in youth, he was "suoden and
quick in QUARREL" in middle life his
wrath was tremendous, sometimes getting
vent In words, sometimes III blows. He
never overcame this.
By nature and education he had strong
love of appreciation he was greedy of
applause. Proof of that you will fad In
all his life but yet, in all his manly pub
lie life, as Legislator, General, Presi-
dent, you can not find a single instance
in which he courted popularity. An of
flee always sought him, be never it, In
no instance did he ever stoop his proud
lead to shun abuse, or to pick up favor
out of the mIre where the mob and poll
tlcians tread with unclean feet. Admi-
rers were about hlm-he could not help
that; but there was no place for a fat
terer; and IN all his public addresses, in
his official letters, in his journals, in his
writings, IN his familiar talk, there is
no evidence that he ever referred to him
self, or alluded to any great or good deed
be ever did, After 1890 the eyes of
the nation, yes, the eyes of the world,
were on the noblest man in it. His eye
was on the nation and on Gods eternal
right; it was not on George Washington
or his great deeds. Popularity it is the
boys bonfire in the street; Merritt is
The heavenly light of sun, moon, and
stars, which never sets, and asks 40 ia
vor of any man.
Washington was courageous. He had
that animal courage which laughs AT dan
ger and despises fear. This was tenn
pered with caution; II was a discreet
valor, that did not waste It's Strength
But he had that high moral courage
which dares confront perils worse than |
whistling bullets, uphold righteous
cause, though ever SO unpopular, and |
fears nothing so much as to do wrong
When defeated, he still bore up, l." batting |
no lot of heart or hope, and wrote home,
Oar cause is SO good, God will not per-
mi, it to fall"
The highest moral quality is integrity,
faithfulnes to conviction and delegated |
trust. That is the crownlng virtue, and |
Washington had it in the hIgest degree. |
Here | know not who is his SUPERIOR
La the whole range of American history |
find no superior. / can not pul my fla |
ger upon a single act of his public or
private life which would detract from |
this high praise. He did get angry
Let him do SO he kept his integrity, and |
if be did wrong in his wrath, he asked |
the mans forgiveness when the WRATH
was over. He had no subtlety. no cum
ming, no duplicity. He hated liars-it
was a great merit.
There was nothing little, nothing mean
in him. There was nothing selfish in
his ambition. He rises above the most
of men above him, IN the camp, In The
cabinet, as the tall pine tree above the
little bushes at its foot. Some of the Off
GERS in the army. aided by monarchial
men In the States, wanted to make Wash
ington King, bat he pushed the crown
awav from him with Conscientious her-
ror. In all the history of mankind, where
do you find such an example of forbear-
ance triumphant soldier refusing pow
er, preferring to go back and TIL his
ground
" His means were honest IS his ends
In June, IVA, he was chairman of
the committee Ihat drafted the alrfax
4 Il i 4 q hat ncl l1xrn<