Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-01-15
If there was anything in which w,sb;n.

If there was anything in which Washippto,
scrnpuloHsly Conscientious it was in the eva was
Of the dominating poser; scrutnizine the s .'se
of candidates; their comparative claims on ess
of public services and sacrifices and with reosra
the eqnable distribution of Offices among the st.o
in all which he governed himself solely by cona:s
erat'ons for the public good. He was especisTs
scrupulous where his own friends and couneca ny
were concerned $50 far as know nv own ,n;nas
would he say, II would not be in the remotest !, .
gree influenced in making nominations bv mot; vt
arising from the ties Of family or blood Lr;"Sss
Lye Of WdshMgton .Ye4f -s4g-. S'
The example thus presented by the father Of L..
country, would if it had been faithfully obser,oa
have materially contributed to prevent the abnss'
and eorrnptiohs which have become part of Amor
lean politics. And eyen in the South under II.
new order Of things, this example seems to have
been partially lost sight Of LIN many instance.
persons are appointed to office who are incompeton.
to perform the duties assigned them; and We c,n
trace the motive which led to their appointment r.
no other source than that Of partzan preference
the ''ties Of family or blood" As general ru,o
both in Confederate appointments and in auno;n.
met,ts in this Stats, one is considered WORTH.
who did not prefer to dissolve the Union Or wh'
did not if he entertained no such preference t,.N
upon and assail those with whom he acted in en-.
deavor'ng to avert the revolution Such was mt
the policy Of Washington. He was too candid -
profess one thng. and practice another. Tn oro,,
izing the government he called to his aid sucb man
as Jefferson and fainilton-the former the founder
of the so-called States rights and the l,ter IL,
founder Of the so-called federal school. and !, a.
pointing others'to Office he did not stop to ipoure
whether they were for independence in 1755 or IN
1776, when the declaration was made. He rewarded
all as loyal and worthy who had either fousbt far
liberty, or paid their taxes and suffered to achieve
it, or who had even wished we'll to the cause r.
which he had dedicated the latter and grander nor
ton Of his life. Tories he detested and punished
and rebellion and sedtion he put down himself with
the strong hand when he was President: but he
was never known to place himself in the situation
of suspecting the whole body of his countrymen
because few were dsioyal, or of devsing "test
oaths as means of uniting the people in their
resistance to tyranny. Indeed Washington himself,
though he hailed the declaration of independence
with JOY, was not so forward as Henry and Others,
who possessed dispositions more ardent and more
excitable than his; but he weighed every step in
the great march of deliverance from oppression in
the scales of reason and common sense, and on no
occasion surrendered himself to the promptings Of
passion. He was slow in tearing down, and slow,
cautious, and patient in building up He did not
prefer to dissolve the connection between England
and the Colonies, but accepted and advocated dsso-
luton in the last resort, when indispensable to the
maintenance of liberty. He was neither thought
less enthusiast nor laggard in the struggle, by
which old forms were abolished and new ones estab.
lished in their stead And yet he never thought
that those who were more or less forward than he
was We're less true to the cause of liberty nor did
he ever profess in one breath to know no difference
between those who had embarked their all in tie
cause of independence and in another, by his prac-
tice, cut portion of them off nom all appoint
ments, civil and military. But the maxims and
conduct of Washington are alike questionable in
these latter times.
"Nature made but such man,
And broke the die in moulding" WASHINGTON.