The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-02-22
FEBRUARY 22d.
Musings on the First President
of the United States.

Everybody knows George Washington.
George Washington is dead, and as for
that matter SO is John Brown and
others Of his contemporaries. He died
not recently but formally, and IN the
good old way. In the Encyclopedia
Brittanica (and he must have been a
person OF some consequence to be thus
meutioned), the exegesis of the deriva-
ton of his name is given in full. For
merly and informally the neighbors
called him Wash ian appellation super
induced even in that age of innocence by
the astonishing purity of his chara ter
At an early age he became notorious,
and whenever he came to town the daily
papers noted his arrival This occurred
frequently, and the people read the item
Wash IN town" 80 often, that by the
operation of that law, which is univer-
sally recognized custom, they dubbed
him Washington, and he went by that
name until the day of his death, and
notwithstanding his decease, his remains
have gone by it ever since. 1t is related
of Washington that he formerly figured
as president OF the United States
and generally in an official ca
pacity. He believed in several
things that would utterly incapacitate
him for preferment at the present time.
Conspicuous among his articles of re-
ligion were honest government, private
and public integrity and an earnest de-
sire to do the greatest good to the
greatest number. Such things anthori-
tatively stated of the presidents Of this
day and generation would not even be
credited by his enemies, and the odds
are that their relations and immediate
adherents would be loath to believe it.
Another unpleasant thing told of Wash
ington, that shows his inferiority to the
late presidents, is that he never told a
lie, thing that is now essential to the
success Of all candidates and the safety,
honos and welfare of all public ser
wants, and prime factor in all callings
and occupations. Even the press, the
censors Of the public, are wont to lie,
when it serves the public good. 1t has
often surprised the writer that man of
Washington's ability should have fur
nished the model and the occasion for
that cherry tree story, and still more
wonderful that boy endowed with so
little astuteness should have attained to
presidential hOnors. Such an embryo
in political science, or rather natural
science Cfor lying has become IA natural
with the existence of an cleo
toral commission, would never have
been the chief executive. The lat
ter day presidents have all lost
their little hatchets. In this cnnnection
it may be of some benefit to state that
the cherry tree incident gave rise to the
expression that has become the motto
OF six-fifths of the country press, "Hew
to the line; let the chips fall where they
may" The presidential connection with
truth and the little Ratchet, departed
this life with Washington. When he
peace; they buried the hatchet:" and
the nearest yet attained by any of his
successors to truth Gas illustrated in the
Ratchet tale) is when they "aXe" for votes
and cut the voters. Another thing that
throws Washington in the shade AS au
incumbent of the White House and
hurts his historic prestige, is contained
in the damaging reflection that he
neither ran a tan yard nor did his
father. He did not gain executive hOnors
his the. @er9AtIatiqA. OF & II fraud, and the
mounted by the magic crest credit
nobllier" and "329," and it might ba
added to his injury by faithful
'hronlcler that he never was tnrned
,lt OF the custOm-house for stealing
v hat difference then and nowI Wash
ngton possessed none of these Necessary
ualIilcatlons AMI was president !
erlly, this is the age of progress |
nd the present generation are to
c congratulated on their advance
ient' on thls the anniversary of the
lrth-day Of the f ther of his country,
.lth the sol tary exception of Adam.
asnlngton. thou-h never a Mormon
IS the larsest family and the largest
ne OF t't cal descendants on record
@ Is the father Of the whole United
Included, although she
aS:anneY d after his removal from tenn
'rai sway and expectation to the land :
milk a"d honey. 1t is a mt ar of =
hgTratu alton to the writer and other
ombers of the f mily that the father Of :.
country did not prolong his life :,
al he lived till now it is probable that q
would have been assassi. ated by q
llteau, and his relatives subjected to II
horrors of Bliss, a post-mortem ex. Sc
II a wrangling trial, a cool "
5000 and $1,000 pension. wash 81
ton always paid his washerwoman nc
she, If not dead, Will be a Iiyin9 ha
ness to the truth of these statements Bl
in conclusion, was first in wi
&C. hrst III war and first in the hearts pc
us conntrymen. The latter day =
'idents are first In speculation, sec en-
IN nothing and always in the pock- nc
OF their conntrymen.s iol
IE,S,Eu1,n, The