New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-23
THE HOLIDIY.

The anniversary of the birth of Washington, fall
ing this year upon Sunday, will be kept as a legal
holiday to-day The man continues to be greatly
honored. Whether we find in him some virtue which
the public characters of our own time do not pos
sess OF whether we reverence his name as a matter
of traditional habit. the memory of Washington il
still greatly honOred. HIS fame stands the test of
time Eighty -one years have passed since he died,
vet he is still as clearly remembered and as afiec-
tionately regarded "a ever.
Perhaps there never great man about whom
more nonsense has been written, in prose and verse
Tbereis n book which collectors are fond of picking
up" The Life Of George Washington. with Curious
Anecdotes, Equally Honorable to himself and Tx
emplary to his Young Countrymen BY N. i.
Weemso II is, perhaps. the absurdest production
ever given to the press 1t has quatrain upon the
title page, of which we may give the concluding
lines: Lisp! lisp! his name, We children yet I'M
born And with like deeds your own great names
adorn." 1t was in rhis way thar lie was writ
ten of half "A century ago those who write
of him now are equally in danger, with
poor old Wccms Of falling into bonibast and hyper
boie Here IS a musty old pamphlet-an Grafton by
one Daniel X. Whitaker, delivered in 1873. IN
/ Massachusetts, town. 1t is the droeSt folly but
valuable a, showing how even then the orators lost
! their heads when they declaimed of the Father OF
! bi, Country. He is declared to have been the
| greatest man who ever lived on earth. save Jesus
| Christ" and the enthusiastic speaker bursts into
exhoftaton as follows: Are not the lofty heavens
the solid earth. and the broad ocean sufficient to
| command orr attention. when they echo and re-
echo and echo again: Reverb revere! revere! the
memory of Washington of Washington I! of Wash
ington.!!I Thank God thank God the Saviour
Of Washington and Of all of us. they are-they are
| enouphw We are tempted to give another extract
| from the poor, musty. yellow little pamphlet.
Washington is spoken of the hero. the phil0so-
! pher the patriot the statesman. the sagethe man
who carried himself to place in the skies by his
sanctty bravery and talents; whose picture hangs
from the ceiling Of our halls whose Dust meets MS in
the great buildings which curiosity leads us to visit
whose life is praised by orators whose exploits are
| chanted by poets whose form is initiated by
! sculptors whose name is engraven on pillars OF
| marble aud on monuments of jasper" This is all
| dreadful bombast. No schOol-bov would venture to
| spout such fiery and foolish stuff now and yet
there must have been real reverence at the root of
| il.
The men who have spoken the most enthusiast
cally of Washington. 1t must be remembered. were
his contemporaries, who had been with him in the
halls of legislation, upon the field of battle, and in
the familiar intercourse of society. Their report Of
him is unanimous in its reverence. Hardly any
body speaks Of him with familiarity. His very
slandcrers saDdered him with prOylsos and reserya-
tons His military family loved him, but il was as
respectful sons love dignifed father. One OF two
witticIsms which are attributed TO him are told
with bated breath, as if there something bias
phemous III their repetition. Evidently the feeling
with which Washington is now regarded has in it
something of tradition. His apOtheOss came TO him
living.
The point of WashingtOns character which seems
70 have been absolutely and unanimously agreed
upon is that of his complete and entire integrity.
Men have ventured to say that he was not great
soldier other men have doubted his craftsmanship ;
but we have never seen or heard of any doubt of
his private or public integrity There are, indeed,
scandals about him which chiefly remarkable
for the perfect contempt with which they are
treated by mankind. Ii is not thought worth while
to waste n moment in the inquiry whether they are
true or false. Ii the perfection of personal char
acter 10 be thus elevated above gossip and whisper
ings and small detractiOns. Doubtless such great
men exercise constantly an mperceptible influence
over the conclusions and conduct of mankind This.
however Is general. We wish that we could feel
that the example of which so much has been and
will be said, were more constantly in the view of
those to whom our public affairs are committed.