The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-02-09
NUMBER 35
JeHersOn's Sketch OF George wash
fnEtOn,

From Jefferson's Letter 10 W. b. GIIesl
His mind was great and powerful,
without being of the very first order
his penetration strong, though not SO
acute as that of Newton, Bacon, Locke,
and as far as he saw, T. igment was
ever sounder. 1t was n operation
being little aided by inN, "a or imagin-
alton, but sound in conclusion. Hence
the common remark of lis officers, Of the
advantages he derived from councils Of
war. where, hearing all suggestions, he
selected whatever was best, and certainly
no general ever planned his battles more
judiciously. But if deranged during the
course of the action, if any member of his
plan was dislocated by sudden circum-
stances, he was slow in readjudgnent.
The consequences was, that he often failed
in the field, and rarely sgainst an enemy
in station, as at Boston and York he
was incapable of fear, meeting personal
dangers with the calmest unconcern.
Perhaps the stronger feature in his char
acter was prudence, never acting till eve
ry circumstance, every consideration was
maturely weighed; refrained if he saw a
doubt, but when once decided, going
through with his purpose, whatever OBJ
stacles opposed.
His integrity was most pure, his jus
tice the most in1exible have ever known,
no motives Of consanguinity, of friend
ship, or hatred, being able to bias his de-
cision. He was, indeed, IN every sense
of the word, q wise, a good and great
man. His temper was naturally irrita-
BILE and high toned but reflection and
resolution had obtained firm and ha-
bitual ascende1cy over it. If ever, how
ever, it broke its bounds, he was most
tremendous in his wrath, In his expen-
ses he was honorable, but exact liberal
in contributions to whatever promised
utility, but frowning and unyielding on
all visionary projects, and all unworthy
calls on his charity. His heart was not
warm in its affections, but he exactly
calculated every mans value, and gave
him solid esteem proportioned to it.
His person, you know, was fine; his stat
ure exactly what one would wish his de-
pertinent easy, erect, and noble, the best
horseman of his age and the most grace
full figure that could be seen on horse
back. Although in the circle of his
friends, where he might be unreserved
with safety, he took a free share in con-
versation; his colloquial talents were not
above mediocrity, possessing neither cop
iousness Of ideas or fuency of words. In
public, when called on for sudden opin-
ION, he was unready, short and embarrass-
ed. Yet he wrote readily, rather diffuse-
ly, in an easy and correct style. This he
had acquired by conversation with the
world, for his education was merely read
ing, writing and common arithmetic, TO
which he added surveying at later day.
His time was employed in action chiefly
reading little, and that only in agricul-
ture and English history.
His correspondence became necessarily
extensive, and, with jeurnalizing his ag-
rieultural proceedings, occupied most of
his leisure hours within doors. On the
whole, his character was, in its mass, per-
feet, in nothing bad, in 8 few points in
different and it may truly be said, that
never did nature and fortune combine
more perfectly to make q man great, and
to place him in the same constellation
with whatever WORTHLESS have merited
from man an everlasting remembrance.
For his was the singular destiny and
merit of leading the armies of his coun-
try successfully through an arduous war,
Tor the establishment Of its independence
or conducting its councils through the
birth of a government. new in its form
and principles, until 1t had settled down
into quiet and orderly train; and OF
scrupulously obeying the laws through
the whole of his career, civil and military,
of which the history of the world inruish-
es no other example.