Smyrna times., 1897-04-21
Mr.. ELSON HEARD FROM.
EDITOR TINES.

a brief reply Mr.. Cooper takes ex-
ceptlOn to my statement that. in nv
judgment, our greatest presidents thus
tar are Lincoln, jackson and Wash
lngtOn, IN the order named. This 7
stated IN answer to a question from
the audience. ! also stated that it was
not a matter of any special Importance
and that ] had no desire to lead any
one to believe as ! did.
Now few words on the merits of
the question.
In the lecture in question | said that
| believed the Revolution could NOT
have succeeded without WASHINGTON
And here let me say that / believe he
did more for the American government
and people than any other man. Yet
he cannot be pronounced a statesman
OF the first order by anyone who studies
deeply into the subject None of our
learned historians place WASHINGTON
very high as a statesman. 1t is true
that for more than half a century after
! Washington death he was regarded
by the American people as a kind Of
deml-god, and 1t IS only through the
telescope of modern historical criticism
that the true Washington has been
discovered. Through this we find that
he was real man, living. breathing
human being with some of the foibles
and limitations Of other men. There
are some, however, POSSIBLY includ-
lh& M. Cooper not having kept pace
with modern historical thought. who
stlll regard Washington with that
same feeling that characterized the
middle Of the century.
Andrew jackson was not, in my
J "a tot. Al
/ and he had more faults than WASHING
lon' hut MS success as president is sur
! lllSlh2. In our foreign relations he
opened the West India trade and SET
| tied the French SpolatiOu claims. both
OF which had hatlied our statesmen foI.
! years. In our home affairs he crushed
Nullltication and destroyed the United
! States Bank and did manvoth thiuys
IN fact everything of Importance he
attempted-with a courage and yi,ror
that has not yet ceased to make people
wonder. Washington in his first iDarr-
ural address did not even suggest q mol
ley Tor the new government when such
thlng was so much needed, but left all
to congress. And it is we'll known that
uurlng his entire presidency he did
not decide on one important measure
until he had privately sought the ad.
wee OF his great Secretary of the Treas
ury, Hamilton; and it Is HamiltOn's
genus that stamps every great meas
ure of the administration
On the other hand jackson. n man
OF little education, not trained ia state
crait, was the sole leader of his party
durlng his presidency, shaped its !
poIlcy IN everything, had no real ad-
VlSers, and yet succeeded in every |
thing he undertook. | honor Wash |
lngton much more than Jackson. but |
as an honest student of history | ann |
forced to place Jackson above him i'm |
ability as president.
Ihe American people have placed |
washington far above jackson in their
love and homage, and it is right that
they should. Washington's ReyoIu-
uOnary services are immeasurablv
greater than anything rendered the
country by jackson. The world re-
members man for what hedoes rather
than for his native ability. Wasbino-
ton IS honored above BENJAMIN Frank
lin, but none will deny that the latter
was the greater genius. Oliver Evans
was a greater inventive renius than
Robert Fulton, but the world has for
gotten HIM, while the name of Fulton
mas found permanent place in the
record OF the famous. Let me relate
mere that about a year ago was ad-
ureSSlng large audience in Pennsv-
wanna on the merits of our presidents
etc, when this same question was
asked. / gave the same answer as at
smyrna, stating also that it was not a
matter OF Importance whom |. or any
one else, considered the greatest pres
'eHtS' mere was present one of the
most u prominent educators of the State.
ne alterWard sald to me, Il would !
make one change in your order of the
presidents, would put jackson alb
5olutely first. If he had been presi- .
lent IN 1861, he would doubtless bova
rushed Secession with the same vi@or I
With which he crushed Notification in ,
o32. What effect such a statement
rom such n source would have had ON l
VII. Fletcher E. Cooper, had he heard I
I, can only be surmiSed | did NOT
lenounce the learned doctor ms
false teacher, l simply informed him Y
with hecOurtesy due a gentleman tbat
could not agree with him. I
, Inc strangest thing of all in Mr. L
:ooper article Is that he takes occa-
ION to denOunce University Extension Z
s whole. This is almost facetious
las Mr.; Cooper ever attended a Uni
erslty Extension lecture course? II is
to argue with one who is not ac- r
ualnted with the subject in dispute "
Or prejudice and narrowness ore | g
arder to overcome than even facts and :
cures. Mr.. Cooper appeals TO pre. :
ldlca by referring to the English L
rlgln of University Extension. Yes s
ne movement had its origin in Enc.
md; so with most of our common law q
nd many Of our institutions; but thev e
re none the worse for that. The :,
mencan people are wise in choosing II
le best things from other countries al
ld rejecting the rest University Ex- N
'nslon promises to become per ~
ianent educational force in this AT
'untry as well as in England. Why tn
OF let 1t stand on its merits, whether
originated in America, England or
lie South Sea Islands? D.
HENRY W. ELsoN.
PhitddeL1hia, Pa, AprU II, 1897. Sa