Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1896-03-06
Rev. q. E. Bailey and Mecd the crown
dyee ca'lsa ESbi}ien, RSRe' ano crown, e

dyce called RGRe, ;i;e, anu era,,n. ~
i! & Shington had defeated
the armies 81 the enemy and won fo1
his country place among the no.
tions cf the earth, he quietly resigned
his commission and became plain
American citizea. He might, and he
might not have succeeded in retain
ing supreme power, the elimination
of human ambition; but he neither
sought nor desired it; it was enough
for him to have the consciousness OF
virtue and enjoy the gratitude OF his
eountrymen. He was an Alexander.
a Caesar and Bonaparte, all in
one, without the avarice, and pride
and pomp and ambition of tho east
era and oriental rulers.
, But Washington's service to his
country did not end with the Revo-
luton. 1t had merely begun. He
had only sheathed the sword to take
up the pen.
The colonies were united only in
name, mere compact. without ex-
perience in Republican forms of gov
ernment; without constitution sutfi-
ciently strong to bind the states to-
gether; without money to meet the
daily necessities of til government;
without foreign poll and practi-
cally without credit With dissension
IN the congress of Confederation,
from almost every state; with a heavy
war debt and foreign complications
already arising, the outlook was in
deed gloomy.
The Articles Of Confederation were
finally thrown aside; they had out
lived their usefulness; and the con-
stitution OF the United States was
adopted by the people.
The brilliant constellation Of states
men assembled at Philadelphia to
construct the fabric OF American Lib
critics have never been equalled on
the American continent. Washington
was chosen chairman of the constitu-
tional convention at Philadelphia,
He was not q great talker or great
writer, OF a pre-. eminently great polit;
ical genius. He was a general and
administrator rather than an original
constructive statesman whose work
involved a profound knowledge Of
law and history.
AS president of the convention.
his imposing dignity and the con
stant exercise of his eminent per
sonal influence stimulated its mem
bers to union and Cancellation.
There never was time before or
since that the nation had as many
great men from which to select a
president, but Washington was their
unanimous choice.
At the very outset Of his admins
tration, Washington's tact, prudence
political sagacity and unerring judg-
ment is seen in his difficult task ol
selecting cabinet. He did not So
lect a Federal nor an anti-federal
cabinet; he selected the right man
for the right place regardless of con
hicting ideas, and although this act
has been criticised as unwise, YET
more matured thought has sanction
ed his judgment. The champion Of
federalism and the champion OF state
,, rights called forth all the tact of the
president to avoid an open rupture
but this country has produced nc
administration comprising four great
or men than President Washington
who led the armies of the Republic
to victory; Woe President Adams, the
orator, who most eloquently defended
national rights; Jefferson, the diplo
matisb who managed foreign rela-
tions on the basis of perpetual peace
and Hamilton, the finaucier, who, in
the language Of another, "struok the
rock from which flowed the abund
ant streams of national credit"
In looking for the principles Of
Washington's administration, we
need not feel doubtful. They are te
be found in the constitution in the
great measures recommended and
approved by him in his state
papers and speeches to congress, anc
in that master piece of state papers
his farewell address to the people ol
the United States. The experience
of this republic for more than hund
red years is the highest proof of the
correctness of these principles.
His intentions were always right:
his motives were always pure. HI
sounded the keynote of his character
when he said to the warning elements
IN his administration that Honesty
is the best policy in national as wei
as individual life;" He was not sci
fish; he was the slave of no politica
faction; no part of his country was
large enough to absorb his patriotism
he acted only for the universal gooc
of his country and merited its uni
versal love. Born for his country
and for the world, he did not give
up to party what belonged to mankind
He acted honestly and patrioticallJ
and left the rest with God and the
people, and the results are, tha
while hundreds less honest, less dis
Greet, less patriotic have aspired t.
the highest gift of the American peo
pie, and again sunk into oblivion
Washington's fame is as durable az
his principles and will live on, ane
expire only with the Republic itself
His eight years of service as presi
dent were fraught with difficult ane
perplexing labors. He had no estab
lished precedent to guide him. Hi
administration was not dashingly
brilliant any more than his career a
a general, but he was beset with diff
culties and discouragements whicl
no man could have surmounted NOR
gloriously than he; and when hi
eight years of service had expired h
had the satisfaction to see that hi
country was at peace with all th'
world; that his policy of non-interfer
ence with European politics was ap