The record-union., 1896-02-22

n1and1ng part in AFFAIRS OF war, TecelV-
ing the appointment Of Adjutant-Gen-
eral with the rank of Major, when but
IS, and that of Chief of
all the forces raised in Virginia at the
age of 23.
His clear conception Of duty, as well
as his marked modesty were made man.
ifest before he received his appoint
ment, in the answer given his mother,
who implored him not to risk himself in
the Indian wars IF il is in my power, .
he said, ito avoid going to the Ohio
again, l shall; but if the command is
pressed upon me by the general voice OF
the country and offered upon such
terms as cannot be objected against, it
would reflect dishorior upon me to re-
fuse it, and that, am sure. must and
ought to give you greater uneasiness
than my going to an honorable COM
mand Upon no other terms will / ac-
cept it.
We hastily pass over the years spent
by Washington in rural retreat, where
ne enjoyed the most peaceful and most
contented period of his eventful life.
At the age Of 43, in his very prime, we
find him appointed COMMANDMENTS
Chief of the Continental Army posi-
tlCn to which he was called by the
unanimous voice of the colonies, and
which he reluctantly accepted, saying
with utmost frankness and sincerity
that he did not feel himself equal to
the task nor qualified for the high po-
sition
From the hour that he accepted his
I commission as Commander-in-Ch Chief at
the hands of the President of the Amer
Jean Congress, he found himself the
center Of all American eyes and soon
thereafter the center OF the worlds at
tention.
From that hour began the develop
ment of a character whose latent quail
ties were unknown even to himself. He
realized only too soon the gravity of his
responsibility; faced by the most power
ful of civilized nations, whose army of
1vell-trained naval and military veter-
ans were under the control of gallant
and highly efficient officers, he was
disappointed to find himself not in COM
nland of an army, but rather the leader
Of a promiscuous gathering of rustics,
irsubordinate, without discipline, with
out military training, with little or no
knowledge Of the arts of war.
We find him adroit as a strategist;
/ iudicious in retreat; bold and fearless
in attack, inspiring his army with un-
bounded courage by fearlessly leading
his men and exposing his own person
| to the enemy.
His work as a soldier being over, we
find Washington, however, once more a
retiring and unobtrusiye citizen until
again called forth from the quiet of his
freside by the unanimous voice of his
countrymen to take the helm and guide
the ship of State through the storms
and casualties of its early history.
Here new phases of his character We're
| brought forth and we find him pos
sessing that rare combination of quail
tiles which made him an able states
man. as well as a successful military
| commander.
What do the life and character of
Washington teach? They teach that
above love of self, above love of fam
ily, of home of country, of life itself,
should stand the love of right.
Much as Washington loved his cause,
much as he loved his country, he loved
right living and right acting still more.
1t was this high and exacting sense
of honor, this spotless purity, this love
OF rectitude in the character of Wash
ington which makes it of such Infinite
value as a guide to American youth.
Washington was great as a soldier,
great as statesman, but greatest as a
man.
His life and character teach that
the highest aim in life should be true
manliness. If true manliness shall
bring with it wealth and power and
fame and station, well and good. Let
us not despise all these. But let our
aim be, first of all, for manliness, pure
and simple, for uprightness of charac-
ter. Let all the rest come if it will, but
let it not come at the sacrifice of manly
character.
Let US live and act in this spirit; in
fhe spirit in which the illustrious Wash
iligton lived and acted, and however
humble our sphere, however obscure we
may live or die, the world will have
! been made better for our having lived
ii it.
While few, if any, can hope to win
the fame, the honor, or the exalted
station enjoyed by Washington, there
! is none so humble who cannot, like him,
love the right and hate the wrong.
Like him, we may everyone of us, if
sge but so will it, command the respect
OF cur fellow beings by faithfully per-
.orming out duties to our families,
our neighbors, our country and our
God.