The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-14

IA the best that could be obtained at this
time and the adoption OF 1t, under the
present circumstances of the Union,
is, in my opinion, desirable From
the day when he afhxed MS sig
nature TO the proposed Federal organic
law until he secured It's adoption by the
Virginia Convention, he never ceased to
labor for what he believed TO be the only
safeguard against the disruption OF inc
Union. Had not the weight Of his person
atty been thrown into the scale, the Con-
stitution would have been rejected In his
native State, and II Virginia had stood
aloof. the experiment proposed at Phila-
delphia would never have been tried. In
that event, the whole history OF this con-
tinent would have been different, and, In
all likelihood we should have seen verified
the words which tradition ascribes to
WASHINGTON Should the States reject
this excellent Constitution, the probability
ia that opportunity will never be offered to
cancel another In peace; the next will DO
drawn In blood"
The Constitution was adopted, but the
polity which It created existed only upon
paper. Who was to start the machinery OF
government? In order to measure the
extent OF the last service rendered by
WASHINGTON. let US suppose that he had
died before the first President was chosen.
Does any one familiar with the political
conditions Of the time believe that In that
event the new Federal system could have
been launched successfully Had the COM
mander OF the newly built ship OF State
been a Hamiltonian Federalist, there
would have been mutiny on board; had
he been an Anti-Federalist. like PATRICK
HENRY, he might have steered the vessel
on rock. Even with WASHINGTON at the
helm, there was an instruction In Penn
sylvania; under any other Chief Magistrate
the disaifection would have been wide
spread. and, probably, fatal.
The Constitution could not have been put
in operation by party man, yet 1t Is GER
tain that II WASHINGTON had refused the
Presidency party lines would have been
drawn forthwith, and the first Chief Magis-
tratc would have been partisan. WASH
IYoToN himself could not prevent the devel-
opment OF parties, which became sharply
antaeonized in his second term. Yet
throughout his eight years OF Office no
chung to the belief that the President ought
to be above and beyond party, and tho rep
resentative OF the whole people. The con-
victon in his case was justified, for he was
twice the unanimous choice OF the Presiden-
! tial Electors. Even when. in his second term,
| he found that he could not govern without
tho assistance Of q party, he still refused
| 10 declare himself the head OF the
Federalists, thorough as was his sympathy
with most OF their principles and aims. He
declined to be a candidate for third term,
because he knew that he would then have to
come forward, not as a patriot, but as a
! partisan, and would he rancorously opposed
by tho Jcffersonian Republicans in his own
| State OF Virginia. Toward the close OF
ADAMs's term, WASHINGTON was again urged
! to come forward as nominee for the Presi-
! dency, and thus save the country from tho
apprehended disaster OF JErFERsoS's cleo
/ ton. Again he refused and. in letter
| written to Governor TRuMBuLL Of Con-
nectlcut, less than six months before his
| death, he gives his reasons, the gist being
! that, party lines being even more vigorously
drawn than they had been In 1890, he would.
| necessarily, figure as the candidate OF a
party, and that he could never consent
| to be.
As one looks back over WASHINGTON
| career, one Is particularly struck with his
capacity OF growth. Nature made him an
expansionist. His early education was de-
fective, but, with him, the process OF self
J teaching through intercourse with books
| and men went on to the last day OF his life.
In humanity and n philanthropy. he con-
tinually advanced, rs Ia shown by the
change in his attitude toward the Indians
and toward negro slaves. His conceptions
| OF statecraft were not narrow and rigid,
but elastic, and adjustable TO new condi-
! tions. He had fought the British Govern
ment for eight years, nevertheless, In 1894,
he approved OF the Jay Treaty. notwith-
standing its large concessions to Grea'
Britain, because he deemed 1t OF vital
moment to the United States to secure
| the Western posts, and access to the
West Indian ports. During tho Revo-
lutionary War no had been strenuous
advocate OF the alliance with France, and
had fcrvently expressed his thanks for the
aid given to us by that country. Never
theless, in his second term, he recognized
that, for an infant republic. the law OF self
preservation outranked the duty OF graft.
tude, and he refused the reciprocal assist
ance which our former benefactor asked
for. It was France. In truth, and no other
country that WASHINGTON had in mind
when he put forth tho memorable warning
against "entangling alliances" which has
been so often and so strangely miscon.
strued and misapplied. AS his own acts
demonstrate. he was the last man to assume
that an iron rule could be laid down before.
hand for the guidance OF a nations policy
under circumstances unforeseen.
OF late years, a reaction has set in against
the process OF canonzation to which
WASHINGTON was subjected after his death
Every Granny OF his private and public life
from careless boyhood to old age, has been
exposed to piercing and ruthless scrutiny
The outcome OF the inquisltion is but this
that the man to whom under Providence
we are mainly indebted for our indepen.
dcnce and our Constitution, was, after all
human being. Would that the womb OF