San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-24
WAS

In writing an essay on Washington
one can hardly hope to furnish even q
new nhrase. much less new material
on a subject that has been so near
the hearts of our people. Still our
friends faces . also become old and
very familiar, yet we do not tire Of
them. We love them so, q new bit of
ribbon or any fresh adoInments, we
instantly notice and 1t adds to our
pleasure, 60 my words today car be
She bright bit of ribbon that joins
they but renew interest in old friends
and give but passing pleasure their
mission Is we'll done, for "a Carlyle
says, "If the worship even of q star
had some meaning In 1T, how much
more might that of q hero? 1t is to
this hour and at all hours the vivify-
ing influence in mans life. Hero
worship, heartfelt, PROSTATE admirs-
ton, submission, burning, bourdless
for a noble msn-society Is founded
on it.n II we think differently with
Carlysle we will find his words very
true, and this is one Of the thoughts
that must have brought forth the so.
ciety of today-"The Daughters of the
Revolution" Somewhere I have
read' "Whatever elevates or inspires
a soul is useful to that SOUL" There
is lofty inspiration and something
akin in spirit when we select a hero
for our guide; there is this spirit in
man, and If IL is not put forth in hero
worship and love of country, 1t will be
put forth In gold worship or scornful
skepticism of all that is beautiful and
good With such a figure as Wash
ington standing right at the begin
ming of our history can we degenerate
to gold worship, or loose our patriot
lem by scorn and scepticism ? No, we
will tell the old stories with such love
and reverence that each generation
will think them all their own, and
from the ranks will come men and
women who have studied this grand
life until il has become the grandest
part of them. From our school his
tories we learn that George Washing
ton was torn in Westmoreland coun.
ty, Virginia, on the 22nd day of Feb
ruary, 1882, and then we read on
these facts which are worthy ofspecial
attention and which are SO widely &C
knowledged n yet SO widely scorned
viz: herltary traits. "He sprung from
an ancient family whose original
name was Wes-syng-ton. Several
OF his ancestors were prominent at
different periods of English history
and his great grand father who emil
grated to America In 1867 had led
the forces Of Virginia. against the In
dams. His father died when he was
eleven years old, but his mother be-
ing a woman of extraordinary power,
to her wise direction we are indebted
for all the moral excellence of 'Our
hero" and much of the intellectual
We are all so familiar with his school
days and his first campaign with
Braddock, we will not repeat the
story. His reputation was now
established. He retired from this
service with the rank of Col. arc
was then elected burgess and senator
of the COLONY. He married Mrs.
Martha Gust sJsnuary 9Th, 1859 For
tine next sixteen years Washin gton
lived quietly at Mt. Vernon. When
the ~difnculties between England and
her American co'olies assumed a
threatening aspect in IVA he was sent
to thu Continental congress as % Of
the Virginia delegates. The next
year Washington was elected by con.
gress commander in chief Of the
American forces. Great men are al
ways modest, and he declared that
day: II do not think myself equal TO
the command / am bonored with"
and added Is to pay: II accept only
expenses. At the close of the war 1t
was found he had advanced SIS 900
from his own private funds.
Washington took command under
the old elm at Cambridge, and after
riding throughout the camp he used
these words: "Many were sadly in
want of clothing and many were
strongly imbued with the spirit of in
subor dination, which they mistook
for independence" But of this
mass he trained and dis
clplined an efficient military force.
This Is the American year
among Chatauqua students, so from
the October number we have tn 9
synopsis: son aud for nearly eight
years did he and the noble armies
under him push forward, much of
the time in want of the necessities of
life, over mountains and rivers,
through marshes and forests and
valleys. In hunger and thirst, heat
and cold, enduring all that the brav-
est ever encountered in war, until
Liberty's glorious banner of the stars
and stripes f1oated over every portion
of our native land and every sea and
ocean on the whole globe" Thus W,
see our hero as a magnificent star, q
soldier beyond our comprehension In
these days of peace. Here he has our
admiration, our worship, but when
we look over his first speech in con-
gress, we lose our awe. u our hero