The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-02-24
THE GREAT WASHINGTON
GREATER AS THE CENTURY
CLOSES.
THE LIVING AGAIN OF THE
DEAD.
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY "NEMO."
Some Rambling Thoughts.
copyrighted by Dave & Tabor.)


copyrighted by Dave & Tabor.)
As to Washington :-Speaking with
certain amount of reserve, it Is gen.
orally true that our understanding of
an event in it's relation to other events
is increased by distance. For instance,
let me suggest that we understand the
voyage of the "Mayfower," the settle
ment OF Massachusetts,, the expulsion
of Roger Williams, the migrations
westward from Virginia and New Eng
land-ail these things, In their rela-
tlons to other events and in their ef-
fects, much better than did the actual
participants. So also of men: In the
case of really great ones 1t needs
century almost to measure their works
and to strip them OF any false glamour
OF praise or gloom of blame. AS with
general in the hands of his valet,
those In constant association with the
great feel too often that clothes and
chance make the hero; or if they do
see greatness in their admired one,
they fail to see any detractlons from
his loftiness, for both love and friend
ship are blind-(many of us can thank
Fortune for that, or else we had been
reckoned as naught long ago).
~.
By reason Of the Investigations of
the later students of Washington, we
are now ready to concede that many OF
the violent assaults upon his character
and purpose-made during his lifetime
and shortly thereafter-were ungener-
Gus and unfounded. Thanks also to
can now see further that he was by no
means demi-god striding along on
lofty mountain tops, but a humble.
unassuming, ordinary citizen, whose
devotion to his cause made up full
often tor the scamperlng, runaway
fighting that he was obliged to resort
to. We see that few of the startling
victories OF the Revolution were gained
by him. We also see that his Fabian
policy ; here one day and away the
next; but scarcely ever venturlng on
pitched battle, wore out the enemy by
ignominious flounderings rather than
by armed resistance. His greatness
was more in his noble courage in cling
Ing to an endangered cause, in the face
of the mutterings and dlscontent OF
many of the influential people, who,
like the loyalists of Cuba at the present
moment, were most serious influence
to combat.
Washington, the Reconstructsr, is
far greater to the mind of man OF
peace like myself, than Washington,
the Revolutionist. Then his calm
mind, freed from the blood and hustle
of the battle field, rose to Its highest.
Made commander of men by the
trumpet-call of patriotic duty he re-
manned commander of men after the
turmoil was over. His genius was In
the selection Of advisers, in the judicial
cast of mind that weighed the pro and
con most carefully, in the power
shared by many of his compeers-of
seeing into the future, so that We who
are now almost ready to turn the corner
of another century, are forced to marvel
at the foresight of a group OF men, who
so admirably laid the foundations of a
Western Empire that the strain OF un-
exampled expansion has never yet
succeeded in rending asunder the work
they cemented with their wounds, their
lives, and their sacred honor.
rs
More glorious than war are the VIC
tories of peace. The sweeping out or
wearing out of enemies, remarkable
though 1t appears when we look back
at the miserable equipments and the
inner dissensions to be contended with ;
these would have avalled us no more
than successful revolution seems to
avail Central American republic, had
the garnerlng OF the fruits of victory
been left unattended to. These pa
triotic statesmen planted our glorious
tree of freedom. It was planted once
and once only (please God, never to be
uprooted y but Its fruits are perennial
and are still ours to gather. We are