The silver star., 1899-02-16

mas SAID this OF Washington: II
look upon Washington among great
and good men, as one peculiarly
good and great. He has been to me
for more than forty years a light
upon the path of life." 1t means
that great hearts arc greater than
national bolnds-that he who lives
right, he who lives unselfishly, he
whose words speak out grand as
pirations belongs not to a nation
but to humanity. In which respect
Washington has no advantage oyer
the humblest of us who have open
hearts for noble impulses.
IT SEEMS ALM-ST a coincidence
Ithat our thoughts should have
been directed last week towards
Lincoln and his actions in relation
to the slave conditions of the United
States. If we call him the emanci-
pator, Washington should be called
the great pre-visionary. In 1850
he wrote: "It is among my first
wishes to see some plan adopted by
which slavery in this country may
be abolished. Again in 1907 he
wrote: ~ wish from my soul that
the Legislature of this State could
see the policy of a gradual abolition
of slavery. It might prevent much
future mischief Alas, the mis-
chief did come, the wine-press of a
nations blood was trodden in right
ing wrong, and the abolition came
when even those who benefited by
it were agonized and dazed at the
light of liberty around them.
Washington's great dream and COM
paratively modest bequest was for
an anti-sectional national univers-
ity. This would have brought a
better understanding where there
SHOULD have been no misunder-
standing. The dream is not toe
late for fullfillment, and supreme
efforts for carrying out Washing
toms ideas to the full should be
made during this centennial year OF
his death,
IA /AsHINeroN's SWORD was
Wv mighty = his pen was
mightier. His sword wore out the
enemy more often by leading it on
fruitless chasings and bewildered
flounderings than by pitched battles
and decisive combats. But his pen
las I have said on a previous oc-
casion--his pen and those Of the
group of men around him force us
to marvel at the foresight which
laid the foundations of western
empire so admirably that unexam-
pied expansion has not rent asunder
work cemented with blood, with
lives and with sacred honor. You
impressionable youths whose brows
already glow with the dawn of q
new century, compare Washington
as he finally sheathed his sword in
March, 1884, with the laccfrilled
fop, the English George, who in ths
same month of the same year. Al.
tained his majority and celsEated
it with pomp. Clothes. and title
have their glamcuri But glamour
passes. The quiet~. ynobstrusive
man whose sword was clean and
heart also, is already. more to the
world than all the four Georges to.
gcther. Our leader did not have q
cometic career Of splendid wicked
ness. His was a gray life beside
Esuch one. Yet his told, tells, and
will forever tell the value Of moder.
alton in all things and q devotion to
an ideal. In this is a moral for us
all. OF his end he said, years ir
advance: whether tonight ol
twenty years hence makes no differ
cncc. know I am in the hands o.
n Good Providence" And wher
the struggles of death were upor
him, he said: Doctor, die hard
but am not afraid to die" A lC
Of nonsense khis for those who think
life, goodness, all farce; but sense
unutterablc and indescribablc (,