Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-02-20

| IN mouern uistofy. He nas p~eu wv
idol of poets. philosophers and Statesmen
In all the continents. Byron summed 10
up In the concluding stanxA Of the lode
70 Napoleon BonApartei
Where can the weary eye rvposs
when gazing on the great.
| where neither guilty Glory slovs
| Nor dsspicsbls stati
Yes. one-,hs nrs,. the last. the t>st-
The Cineinnatus of the west.
| Be2usatLed the mans of wsahinston.
To make msn blush. thsw ~as but one.
But Washington was real. Like other
men. he had bodily and personal life.
lie possessed peculiar mental faculties
and remarkable character. AL OF tbcss
may bs weighed and estimated. not In
the spirit Of the myth. but In actual de-
lineation.
In person tho man Washington was
strongly individual. Once seen. he was
never forgotten. lie WAS 80 shaped As 10
10 distinguished from the common type.
lie was tall. even 10 majesty. His stat
urc. however. was attributable to great
length Of body and not. ~ In the case of
Lincoln. 90 long limbs. Iincoln's body
was hardly beyond the average In length,
but his leg. were extraordinary. These
features werr reversed In Washington.
His limbs were not greatly beyond the
usual measure. but his body was very
long. 90 that when he eat he lowered
aboye his cabinet. When hs aross his
height WAS still conspicuous. but not 40
strikingly shown ~ when he was sitting.
In hi. boyhooi and youth Washington
hal extraordinary strength. Wcstmorc-
land county and the old Potomac towns
still preserve traditions of the young
mans fea,s. lie was the greatest jump
er in all the countryside. His strength
of arm when In his vigor was trrinen.
dous. lie IL said 20 have thrown u stone
across the Potomac opposite George.
town. hut the story may well b- doubt
ed. lie was the b-st rider among all the
young men In his part u Virginia. Hs
mastered the hor>e with . skill and
strength unmatched In his times. Even
after the Revolution. on q CERTAIN occa-
sion he took FROM his groom refractory
and eayoriing horse that hal thrown
him, ,eirei the animal. mastered him.
mounted him aud rode him. laughing
immcisra,ely at the discontinue Of the
groom. His great strength was fire.
quently e,hibited when be ~ youth
was Surveying ON the upper Potomac,
and particularly when be- was sent by
Dinwiddie 20 Fort L. B1uf. lie hal
great endurance In early life. Nothing
could fatigue or exhaust him.
/ washington's bodily ,igor remained
with him until the Revolution. lie was
~ years old when he was appointed
commander In chief. lie was past ~
when relieved of responsibility. !, was
In this epoch that his constitution was
shaken and undermined. II IL probable
that the responsibility u his situation
prvycd heavily upon him-at least he
was broken by 10. lie became prcina-
tur-iy gray aud partially bald. Ill. elias
ticity " step and manner disappear-d.
He lost his teeth. The lines In his face
were Away. deeply drawn. but during
the Revolution they were furrowed still
deeI-r. a. N plowed into cutters with
the share OF sorrow. There was often q
Painful expression on his face. pariicu'
iArly abou, the mouth. This feature was
intensified by the bungling attempt OF q
dentist 10 fit him with set u artificial
teeth. The work was not successful.
and the dignified Washington was an
noyed through the rcst of his life with
the deformity of his features.
In mind the young Washington. as
well as the aged hero. was ss-ia,e and
severe. II appears from diary which
be kept when boy that he never was q
boy In instinct or manners. lie was
born q man. While still In his teens he
was as sober aud saturnine NJ most men
are at 81. Only on occasion did he show
some sign Of humor. lie never did OF
said humorous things himself. IL might
he difficult to discover q single joke that
he ever peryetrated. but he was capable
of appreciating o humorous situation
and Of laughing at it. The CLEAN. how
ever. was only momentary; then the
somber hue returned and settled on his
visage and manner.
On the whole Washington was not .
smart man. In his boyhood. though as
siduous. he was not quick 10 learn. His
intellect was rather strong. but at the
same time somewhat sluggish and inert.
This led him 10 be nearly always little
behind his countrymen In opinion and
even In policy. This was particularly
true In his relation with the democratic
patriots by whom he Was surrounded.
These were nearly always vexed with his
slowness and want Of enthusiasm.
washington's Attainments were never
vast or varied. They were not even
large. His limited education was not
re-enforced. as In the case Of Lincoln.
with intensive study. He was capable
OF serious thought and careful analysis,
but the subject matter Of his thinking
was men and afairs-particularly al.
fairs. lie was able to judge and to meas
ure. but not highly capable OF learning.
OF history and literature-even OF poli.
tics-he knew but little. His mind did
not, as did Napoleon's and Frederick's,
sweep around great Landscapes and rise
to mountain heights. II did not Dash
with vivid CLEAN into the obscurities OF
unsolved things. but chose rather TO
brood patiently over commonplace and
present aspects, deducing therefrom their
meaning and value.
washington's information also wss al.
ways limited and was supplied mostly
by the agency Of others. He rolled upon
others rather than ON his own diligence
In gaining Q knowledge Of facts. such
was the nature Of the man that he drew
20 him the most efficient help OF many
industrious and capable workers. They
gathered around him with extreme hdel.
ity and served him with affection and
confidence. Some Of these were Older
than himself In years. Not few con-
sidered themselves more brilliant. Soms
thought themselves more ardent patriots.
But such was the situation and such the
personality Of the leader that hs CON-
msnded great and faithful following
among the ablest Of his countrymen. In
such cases 10 appears that socisty seekl
and finds some average intsllsct capable
ofcarrying out its mandates. and having
found Il fiies thereto with al complaints
and troubles and griefs. confident OF OBJ
i tanning the needed solution and rescue.
\ Il was not the washingtonian mind
that u, the intellectual ability-of th<
a. Al l.~-.l =