New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-13
HIS BIOGRAPHfRS

Neither of his two latest biographcrs is I'm the
slightest degree disposed to extcnuatc his faults
they NAV even be said to keep a vigilant look
out for anything that savors Of litilcness. In
order TO give the opposition all the justice II
could claim but they leave the figure Of Wash
ingtor spotless as they found II: nay. they
leave IL only the more noble I'm describing II
without prejudice IT, favor Of It's nobility
When all 81 his short .omings have been added
together. when t. the frank cynclsm Of his
ond candldature for the House Of Burgcsses IL
added his fiery temper his haughtness. his
hearty enjoyment Of sports which to-day are
frowned upon. and his occasional freedom ~
speech. these defects are seen to constitute In
their aggregate nothing more than mOdlcum
Of human weakness In n character that was
unique in its human strength. We call IL hu-
man strength because theinP was nothing OF the
god about Washington. and the sooner rcali-
cation Of this fact is created among Amrri
cans the better II Will he FOR their true appre-
citation Of his merits. The careful student Of
Professor Wilson and Mr. Ford. two OF the
sancst and most sympathetic writer's who
have touched the subject. Will find that
whatever was ornate ambiguous In Wash
ington's character WAS simply the expression Of
a ceremonious time that In the crucial facts
Of his career he very marvel of sim
plicty, imprcssing upon every he met
conviction that he would do the right thing. the
wise thing simply because II right and
wise. and he had the clearness of intellect
joined to the inflexiblity Of will. which made II
possible for him to do what was wise and
right.
We get no spectacular portrait from these
volumes; no Napoleonic glamour. We their
hero doing his duty without pretence sharing
in nd nd No n no
mortal. carrying himself like a gentleman. In
his concluding chapter Professor Wilson states
that Washington had written sweet Nelly
Gusts careful letter Of advice upon love mat
tiers. half-grave. half-playfu in the midst OF
his Presidency. when the troubles with Eng
land were beginning to darken." This Is the
Washington who will justly he longest remem-
bered the man OF genius who was also an ex-
empar of enduring loyalty and inexhaustible
kindness Of heart TOO much praise cannot be
bestowed upon his present historians. They
have done their work well-Mr. Ford with i'm
pressive industry and system. Professor Wilson
with rare insight and picturesqueness. One
point though a trifing one. should be glad
to see corrected in the work Of the latter The
form Twas" is in itself harmless. but when
il occurs with maddening iteration through
volume otherwise innocent of manperisms, 1t
invites the blue pencil lmperatiNely. In later
editions Professor Wilson ought to say. 1T
was bravely and spare us his sole rhetorical
blemsh. This. however. repeat. is but
trihe The broad value Of his book. like that Of
Mr. Fords, will only be more firmly established
They have been needed. When the literature
of Washington is carefully surveyed ii Is seen
that In the whole unwieldy mass. from Jared
Sparks down. there is not single popular
Life" which IL the whole quite what 1t
should be- Professor Wilson and Mr. Ford
both popular historians, and they fulfil the re-
quirements Of their Office moreover. without any
sacrifice OF the dignity OF history. They are
anecdotic without nippancy. they serious
without obscurity and If there Is any romance
in the history Of Washington they leave II to
make itself manifest without the aid Of any
timental surmses. They have both treated with
perfect taste the earlier love affair with Mary
Phpse and have told a straightforward tale in
dealing with Washington's marriage. Mr.. Ford
Is particularly tactful In his relation OF Wash
ington's attitude toward his mother. show
ing that 1t never justified any Of the
adverse comment which has been passed upon
it. On the contrary Washington bore with
uncommon resignation "a peevishness which
would have goaded many other men to far more
arbitrary measures than he ever cared to take
1t is in the unmpassoned nature OF their work
that our historians promise to secure result
for which their readers will feet profoundly
grateful. Their avoidance OF anything like mys-
terry herophantic eulogy. leaving their por-
traits Of Washington simple almost to the point