The Osceola times., 1881-07-02
Place, OF Principle :

sue it steadily" " Though prize,
as / ought, the good opinion Of my
fellow citizens, yet, If | know my
self, | would not seek popularity at
the expense of one social duty or
moral virtue" The above sentences
contain the sentiments ofone whose
name has become a synonym for
every great and heroic virtue, in
the nature of man; one whose fame
has been increasing from age to age,
pervading all lands, and which bids
fair to last as long as letters and
language shall endure among the
children Of men. They were the
deliberate uttcrances Of George
Washington. He was not man Of
brilliant or dazzling intellect. In
his military and civic positions, he
was surrounded by men superior to
him in genius, learning, and in q
knowledge Of the art of war, how
to set squadron in the field; and
yet did those who stood nearest to
him, look up 10 and reverence the
PLAIN Virginia planter, even in
greater degree, than those at a dis
tance, who only know hlm as the
main-stay Of American Indepen-
dence, and the Father Of his Coun-
try. What think you was the
cause of his marvellous hold upon
his contemporaries; IN what con.
sisted the strength of mind which
enabled him TO reduce to order, and
to harmonic lhe discordant inter-
csts Of the thirteen colonies, lacking
everything ncedful, but patriotism
and faith in him, their leader; what
was it that enabled him TO hold
them together amid disasters and
defeat, shiyering in the SHOWS OF
Valley Forge, made more bleak by
nakcdncss and famine, or leading
them on the march where they lett
their tracks OF blood in the snow
and ice, to give battle to the most
overbearing military power on
earth? And mark you, he was
plain man, simple IN manners, mod
est and unpretendlng. OF gentle,
benign aspect, his blue eyes mild
and serene, beaming with bonevo-
loncc, not flashing with the light.
ming of born son of thunder. Con
trast the unadorned, common sense
mind Of Washington with the bril-
liant, irradiaung genius OF liamil-
ton, frightened, beautiiied and en-
nobled by tho congenial study OF
the classic models, and then tell us
why Hamilton and n heroic host Of
kindred spirits who have been con
sccratcd to an immortality Of glory,
were to Washington, the plain Nir
gina planter, what satellites are to
the central luminary which keeps
them fixed and steady in their
places I why, from the hour that he
was a silent, listening child at the
knee of his mother down TO the
moment that on his quiot bed of
death, he spoke his last words, "ris
WE'LL" he had soqght truth, oadpwsacd
1t stood.y, From lisplng childhood,
through all the trials Of life, down
TO the hour when a new born nation
of freemen wopt for their loss as
children weep in the pangs Of or
phanage, and British flags were
lowered at half.ma8,, and Bona
parto had ordered that blacl. Grape
should be suspended from all the
standards and flags Of France for
ten days, he had dared 10 DO righh
and The nations OF earth bore tcsti-
mony to the fact and by lowered
flags and the thundyr of cannon,
announced that a hero had depart
cd from earth TO JOIN the " Band Of
the lmmortals, Celestial Body
guard of the Empire of Mankind"
lie priced the good opinion Of ms
fellow citizens but in the grand de-
vclopment Of his mission and life
purpose, did he ever seek populari-
ty at the expense Of right? No, he
" would not seek popularity at the
expense OF one social duty or moral
virtuo." For a century, Washing
ton has been the model for young
Americans in the formation of char
actcr. By an inncxible adherence
to daty, we see what it ultimately
led to, and the place it has given
him among men. All cannot be
Washingtons, but all can have the
principles of Washington, the fruits
of which is sellrespect, the respect