The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-02-21
WHY HE WASTRULY GREAT
INCIDENTS WHICH THROW LIGHT ON
THE GREAT MANS CHARACTER.

A noble feature of Washington's char
acter was his adaptability to men and
events. While he sympathized with the
weaknesses of human nature, he was
not slow to admonish and reprove, or to
| extol the qualities of force, individuality
| and independence. Two or three Incl
dents may be quoted in illustration of
| this fact.
AS il well known To tho readers of his
tory, Washington habitually used liquor
himself and provided it for his guests
and laborers, yet he was one of the
bright examples of temperate eating
and drinking. The following curious
document is extant:
ARTICLES of agreement, made this
| 18th day of April, ammo porlini one
thousand seven hundred and eighty
seven, by and between George Washing
ton, ESQ.,, of the parish of Truro, in the
county of Fairfax, state of Virginia, on
| the one part, and Phillip Batter, garden
err on the other. Witness that the said
| Phillip Batter, for and in consideration
| of the covenants hereinafter mentioned,
doth promise and agree to serve the said
George Washington for the term of one
year as gardener, and that he will dur
| ing said time conduct himself soberly,
| diligently and honestly; that he will
faithfully and industriously perform all
| and every part of his duty as u gardener
| to the best of his knowlenge and abili-
ties, and that he will not at any time
suffer himself to be disguised with
no
after mentioned. In consideration of
these things being well and truly
performed OH the part of the said Phillip
Batter, the said George Washington doth
agree to allow him (the said Phillip the
same kind and quantity of provisions as
he has heretofore had; and likewise an
nually Il decent suit of clothes, befitting
q man in his stations; to consist of coat
vest and brooches; working jacket and
breeches of homespun besides; two white
shirts; three checked do; two linen
pocket handkerchiefs; two pair linen
overalls; as many pair of shoes as are
actually necessary for him; four dollars
at Christmas with which he may be
drunk four days and four nights; two
dollars ut Easter to effect the same pur-
pose; two dollars at Whitsuntide to be
drunk two days; dram in the morning
and drink of grog at noon."
The above is signed by the two con-
tracing parties and witnessed by George
A. Washington and Tobias Lee.
On another occasion Washington wrote
as follows to one Of his overseers: II
shall not close this letter without exhort-
ing you to refrain from spirituous liquors.
They will prove your ruin if you do not.
Consider how little drunken man diff
fers from beast. The latter is not en-
dowed with reason: the former deprives
himself of it; and when that is the case,
acts like II brute, annoying and disturbing
every one around him. Nor is this all;
nor, as respects himself, the worst of it.
By degrees it renders a person feeble and
not only unable to help others, but to
serve himself; and being an act of his
own, he falls from state of usefulness
into contempt and ut length suffers, if
not perishes, in penury and want Don't
let this be your case. Show yourself
more of man and a Christian than to
yield to so intolerable vice, which can
not, am certain Ito the greatest lover
of liquor, give more pleasure to sip in
the poison tor it is no better), than the
consequence of it in bad behaviour at
the moment, and the more serious evils
produced by it afterwards must give
pain.
Still another "reminiscences of the Fa-
ther of his Country, in this connection,
is interesting:
Towards the close of the revolutionary
war an officer of the American army had
occasion to transact some business with
Gen. Washington, and repaired to Phila-
delphia for that purpose. Before leaving
he received an invitation to dine with
the general, which was accepted. Upon
entering the room he found himself in
the company of large number of ladies
and gentlemen. AS they were mostly
rally modest disposition, he took seat
near the foot of the table and refrained
from taking an active part in the con-
versation. just before the dinner was
concluded Washington politely requested
him, by name, to join him in drinking
glass of wine.
"You will have the goodness to excuse
me, general" was the reply, "as have
made it rule not to take wine."
All eyes were instantly turned upon
the young officer, and murmur of con-
tempt and surprise ran round the room.
That person should be so unsocial, not
to say mean, as never to drink wine, was
really too bad; but that he should abstain
from it on an occasion like that, and even
when offered to him by Washington him
self, was really intolerable. Washington
noticed at once the feelings of his guests,
and promptly addressed them in his gra-
cious and winning way, saying:
Gentlemen, Mr.. - is right. / do
not wish any of my guests to partake of
anything against their inclination, and
l certainly do not wish them to violate
any established principle in their inter-
course with me. honor Mr.. - for |
his frankness, for his consistency in thus
adhering to an established rule which |
can never do him harm, and for the |
adoption of which / have no doubt he |
has good reasons"