The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-02-20
HE HAD His FAULTS.
ONE OF THE GREATEST OF MEN,
WASHINGTON WAS QUITE HUMAN.

and Snowy Pinnsc!es-IIis Strong VIII,
E:s Energy and His Perseverance,.
copyright, 1895, by American Press Associa.
toni
Tho tendency which promoted great
leaders to the Lonors Of the godhc;sd did
not altogether cease with tho ,nythmak-
ing period. Carlyle emphasizes hero
worship as the salt which caves poor
human nature from dry rot In other
words, 1t upholds concrete ideals as ob-
ject lessons to fire the Imagination, sing
ing the chant:
On one clear harp Of many tones
That men may rise on stepping stones
CT their dead selves to higher things.
1t is moro than an open question
whether this instin It Is not easily car
ried TO excess vitiating it's own purpose.
The i;loelizatiou OF tho hero, il it petri-
fies its object and lifts him above the
blood warmth Of the human atmosphere,
makes the pattern man less vir!la ard
vital. Such until recent period Was
tho tone of historic discussion dealing
with George Washington. Chief Justice
Marshall, then Jared Sparks, then Wash
ingt0n Irving, who wrote the standard
lives Of our pater patrise, followed this
method Ct conception and planted q
marble colossus high up Oh a pedestal in
the freezing cold. 1t was an impcccab!s
deity, before which humanity should
bow 0wn and burn perpetual incense,
half ssiliins itself in tho fumes.
The more recent tendencies Of historic
study, what we may term the realistic
school, take Washington down from his
arctic perch, and without lessening bis
genuine greatness make him vastly more
loyable. He is presented to US in flesh
and blood and not in stone We find
that he was man of very human faults
as we'll as Of virtues; that he could give
way to fits of fiery wrath and could
swear terribly in such moods; that he
was very sensitive alike to applause
and criticism; that he was often hasty,
even harsh, il his judgments, ami that
he loved dearly to have his own way
and could enforce it with al in.perioIs
will.
Washington's lack Of schooling was
quite as complete as that Of Abraham
Lincoln. 10 never knew much abont
that magic wand, the pedagoguo's birch.
His learning was the fruit of attrit:on.
contact with men and affairs, aud ho
was plunged into q very whirlpool Of it
when scarcely more than lad. lie was
only % when he eGvea the beaten rcsa
nant Of Dr;.ddock's forces, and this was
" 20 ,neais his first trust Of i1nIor-
tance WIS, tho bluest blood Of the col
onies running in his veins, lie was nat
rrally al aristocrat in the conventional
as we'll as the noblcr sense of tho word,
Noblosse oblige, to live up to tho flEest
there was in him, was law of life as
natural as breathing. Probably none
but an aristocrat, one forced by social
position from mere boyhood Into great
number OF public responsibilities, would
have had the chanco to have SO prevod
his sterling value. This stamp Gu tho
coin made him by general choice tho
| picked man Of men to lead the A1neri-
cans in the field when the thundcrclcutl
of the Revolution burst. All the tradi-
tious Of his family and training nodded
him into conservative. By instinct and
preference he was royalist. Dut when
he reluctantly felt himself lifted on the
tide Of public sentiment, swelling
through all tho colonies, he gave him
self heart and soul to the work. It may
be too nico a point of speculation. but
one is tempted to believe that had Wash
ington been one whit moro Of the dema-
gogue, one whit less of the aristocrat,
he would have failed to have welded
that permanent adherence Of men of
blood, family and social prestige to the
Revolutionary cause ON which success
so much depended.
Judged by all the laws Of military
probability the American Revolution
should have been q failure. 1t was q
house divided against itself. There were
almost as many Tories as patriots. The
enemy was tho greatest power then ex'
listing by land and sea. Among the chief
causes which finally assured tie tri.
umph Of the colonies, the personal fac
tor, tho leadership Of George Washing
ton, was not the least important. As 6
military genius he does not rank among
the first 10, scarcely perhaps among
the worlds second 20 great soldiers.
Yet critics of tho art Of war, if they
find few magnificent coups, can scarce
" point to mistake III his military
plans. In the talents Of the statesmen he
was not great-scarccly even common
place as orator and writer. flo was es
scntially the man Of affairs. not the NAL
Of words. 1t was lis profound and i'm
perturbable sagacity, lighthouse shin
ing serenely above the beat and roar o.
tho waves, that made him a master Of
men. It was common sense raised to Its
superlative and become genius. Tenn
perament and character entered into Il
eorally with mind. The final produc
was enc Of those personalities so sym
metrical and balanced as 70 stand $50
lated among the worlds leaders. Per
haps nowhere else In history do we fine
great nau with whom the absolute
touchstono CT right and wrong was the
golden test, cne In whom the perception
Of right and wrong was so luminous ant
direct All GLASSES, plebeian and gentle
poor and rich, felt that here was tow
er Of safety, rock bostomed in integrity
and strength,
| Four square to every wind that blew.
So Washington has continued to TIM