New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-29
THE TRADITIONAL WAAHIyG TON
rl.om rhe Mnnn-lnc of Amerfcnn Ni.tarn

From The Maga=,ne Of AmerfcSn Hist,ru
With regard to The personal hab Is ofWashngtoB
we may give The following description, published IA
the Oracle" in 1901
{" He is very regular. temperate and industrious:
rises IN winter and summer at The dawn o. DAY;
generally reads or writes some time before break
| fast; breakfasts about 7 o'clock on three small
| Indian hoe cakes, ana as macy dishes
of tea and often rides immediately to bis
different farms. and remains with his labOrers until
| little after o'clock. then returns and dresses
At 3 he Dimes commonly single dish, and drinks
| from hnlf pint to pint of Madeira wine. This
| with small glass OF punch, draught Of beer
| and two dishes of tea (Which he takes half an
hour before the setting OF the sum, constitutes
| his whole sustenance until the next day. But bis
| table is always furnished with elegance and exl-
| berancc and whether be has company or not he
remains Mt the table nour in familiar c0nyerss-
ton then everyone Is called upon 20 give some ab-
sent friend a toast. After he has diLed. he
applies himself 10 business, and abOn rciTes 10
rest but when lie has company be attends politely
upon them ill they wish to withdraw" %. ISL
But of interest to observe the impression WASH
iugton made upon another class. For thIs purpose
let US take the description of one who evidently
knew him well. and understood exactly how he
ranked IN the estimation OF those b 50 qualed 10
Judge of his character and worth. This description
perhaps cOntsins one statement that may strike
some as new, yet more tnan one prominent dog
rapher has prepared us for II in saying tnat IN hn
youth Washington had the smallpox. Upon The
whole 1t will not appear much newer than the tact
brought out upon the last 22d OF February As yey
new namely, that throughout the Revolution be
served his country without paw. an Astounding sc
IN the eyes of office holders and politicians The
writer in The Philadelphia Monthly OF june, l7ss
speaks as follows:
General Washington is q tall, wel-made man.
rather large bOned. and has q tOierabiy gente,l
address. Ills features are manly and bold. his eyes
of IA blush east aud very lively; his halr dee,
brown bis face rather long and marked with the
small pox his complexion sunbunt ami without
much cOior, and his conntenance sensible. composed
and thOughiul; there Is remarkable ar OF dignity
about him, with IA rlking degree OF gnceiuDess.
Il. ha. an I
quickneSs ~ strictly just, vigllant and generous;
an aiicctioDate husband, faithful friend, father
to The deserving; gentle IN his manners III temper
rather reserved; total stranger 10 religious pielu
dices; . III MS morals iITeDrOachabic; he vas
never known 10 exceed I'll, bounds Of the riosi
rgid temperancc-ln word, AL his friends ana ac-
uualntances univ eTsally allow that no man ever
united in his own person more pei feet alliance Of
the virtues OF phIlosophr with tho talents o.
statesman and General CdndOr, slnccrity, ,D.
ltY and simplicity seem 10 u the STIRLING IehthiesO
his Character
Ii woud, perhaps, be difficult in the entire ranse
OF Mashngtonlaua to find III so limited slafs
description that, upon TIE wh0,e. aLJs
~ admirable representation Of tie maa:
1t is prs-Raphaelito picture. u Is indeed one
the class OF pictures over which species OF
club-men yawn. But club-mcn often Nawn IIs
picture lacks tie attraction, one might say Tue vf
tue Of vice. There Is not the slightest DOUBT tsi
very many persons now tired of IN picture WIN
at once become exceedingly interested II ni>t-eisss
scandal could be brought ont ana H a5
with Washngton's name. After the iasn.
ion Of dogs, rs described by Carlyle, ther
reserve their highest relish for nierrt
things, and when vulgar curiosity Is Clsappohtei'
60 their way; yet this perfect alliance 81 me W.
tues of "a philosopher with the talents OF saus
man is what secured to Washing on the hlgl pi''e
which he now holds.
In opening the old msg zine In which the iore-
going sketch is preserved, the reader iees wen ns
like one who comes upon some forgotten aioHh' a.
finds the photograph Oi an old aud lanlilaI lren"
Washington here appears not III "A cloud o. lhoenS'
not rs n demi-gOd, ana yet not a. common u~i
Here we bave, in fact: very nearly the tiauI.iDnS
OF, il might be said. the " Immortal Nashihg'opp.
of the average appreciatIye American. ne VIM
cation of Washington. therefore, would oohs"'
simply in presenting the man a. he was ,.,.
Ihe brief sketch quoted furnishes many 1Pys
upon which it would he pleasant To dwell isD
statement that Washington was stranger 70 81, 10
Hgious prejudlceS, for instance. reca!is Ms 'rg
TO the address of the Roman Catholics, VINO om
gage their lives and fortunes 10 achieve Amen 90
Independence as well as that the Jews AZ 20
same time the religious opinions OF Was I,nn Il
were not coorless. lie was bred III the sSs'oni a.
the Church of England, Il obtained III 'iiss aSs
where the system tolerant, as some hs
thought, lax. Yet, whatever may have oee a,u ~
tendencies there during the last ee ,u ~
t tS y 's and Washington ea1' was in syn
pathy with the established order, observing an M,
forms In the earlier portion of his lie, oeioe
time became otherwise absorbed, he was an s'' ,hs
vestryman. He was also an attendant upyna. hs
communion. In the French and Indian "" iis
would oticiate in the absence of the chaRsani ~,
read the burial service at the funeral oil Drauuh
and Lee Massey. whose dscourses preached u
hearing of Washington, are carefully pfesSen,ch.
said that no never knew 80 constant onusSssh
man as he saying also that his behavior al enut
was deeply reyerential. and produced the hsppcI
effects upon the congregation. In so'I sSra-
age he may not have attended tne .,s We
munion In public, as formerly, but OF ths alS
have no proof. The proof, however, - Gs
wanting that he actually did MAINTAIN hch
ali eyes were liked upon lis movements, yOiSlis X.
appear as though his natural reserve mod1I1vm ars
customs in general, and that be retre"tsa true
wS s p w his sfsp HaIss
naming true member of tho brotherhoo9 he seJT s
visited the lodges to take part in their aiats
and was in his place on Sunday morning WIN g y.
failing regularity. When travelling, as ~ pls.
stance in New England, after attending . nS
copal Church In the morning. he would Xxx alter
noon, showing what Is cal led his freedom ham
gious prejudices, while his last words y h''