The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-22

or at Mount Vernon as q. citizen OF
Virginia, he was always a leader, al
ways looked up to. The American boy
can have no better education in the
duties of citizen and patriot than tc
study the life of Washington 1t viii
arouse all the heroism of his nature
make his love of country greater and
nobler than it would otherwise be. One
of the evils of the time is to disparage
great men, to tell that they were the
product of their times; that their times
nodded them rather than that they
shaped the course of events in theil
times It is a tendency to teach fatal
ism and the prosaic and commonplace
The boy or girl who studies the life OF
Washington will not be satisfied with
such a. mechanical view of great men
and their influence on history. And
the citizens and rulers of the nation
may study the works of Washington
to their great profit That famous
Farewell Address might well become
the wade mecum Of every lover of his
country. 1t points out the dangers tc
be avoided, and tells of the way tc
avoid them 1t should be to Ameri'
cans what The Prince has been fol
centuries to the rulers of Europe.
The idol of his countrymen, they
would have been glad to have con-
tinued him in the Office of president
an indefinite number of terms. He
had justified all their hopes, his con.
duct had given rise to no fears. But
he determined that he would decline
to be considered among the number OF
those out of whom a choice was TO be
made. And in what noble and pat.
riotic language he made his determin-
alton known:
The acceptance of, and continuance
hitherto in, the Office to which your
suffrages have twice called me. have
been a uniform sacrifice of inclination
to the opinion of duty, and to a defer
ence for what appeared to be your de.
sire. / constantly hoped that it would
have been much earlier in. my power
consistently with motives. which / was
not at liberty to disregard, to return tc
that retirement, from which | l1ao
been reluctantly drawn. The strength
of my inclination to do this, previous
to the last election, had even led to the
preparation of an address to declare
it to you; but mature reflection on the
then perpleXed and critical posture OF
our affairs with foreign nations, and
the unanimous advice of persons en-
titled to my confidence, impelled me ia
abandon the idea.
All is clear and unequivocal in this
no personal ambition there. If Wash
ington could retire from the office-ot
president at the expiration of two
terms with safety to his country at a
time when the government was i'm a
formative state, the country at nc
time since has stood in need of the
services of any president for a third
term.
But in nothing did Washington show
greater wisdom than in the4advice he
gave his countrymen in relation to for
eign affairs. There could be no filter
time for them to recall and ponder
we'll that advice than the present
when there is a spirit of unrest abroad
in the land, and many would have the
nation busy itself with the affairs OF
foreign countries:
Excessive partially for one foreign
nation and excessive dislike of an
other, cause those whom they actuate
to see danger only on one side, and
serve to veil and even second the
art of influence on the other Real
patriots, who may resist the intrigues
of the favorite, are liable to become
suspected and odious; while its tools
and dupes usurp the applause and con
fidence of the people. to surrender theil
interests.
The great rule of conduct for us, in
regard to foreign nations, is, in ex-
tending our commercial relations. tc
have with them as little Political con-
nection as possible. So far as we have
already formed engagements, let them
be fulfilled with perfect good faith
Here let us stop. Ills oul
true policy to steer clear Of perma,
nent alliances with any portion of the
foreign world-so far, I mean. as we
are now at liberty to do-for let me not
be understood as capable of patron
izing inf1delity to existing engagements
q hold the maxim no less applicable
to public than to private affairs, that
honesty is always the best policy. ]
repeat it therefore let those engage
mentS be observed in their general
sense. But in my opinion is is I'm.
necessary and would be unwise to ex-
tend them.
Wise words of one of the wisest Of
statesmen. May the country ever
profit by them.
As each year rolls round the birth.
day of Washington is more s2credly
kept. This observance reminds the PEG.
pie what true patriot he was, how
he saw into the future, how his exam
pie and teachings should be more and
more emulated and studied.