The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-11-30
PRESENT DAY THOUGHTS
About the Father If His Country
TWO KEYNOTE ACTS.
BY "GRosvENoR." !"

BY "GRosvENoR."
Written For The commonwealth.
Washingtons Moral Courage-1n
less than two weeks the centennial Of
the death ofi George washington will
have been commemorated in bunndreda
OF communities throughout the land.
but more notably in the District of Col
umbia and At Mount Vernon. Much
doubtless will be said re- garding him
that would seem extravagaut if we
could come in personal contact With
this plain, unassuming leader of the
revolution. But the extravaganza OF
others need not deter us from adorn-
lag his memory with q few humble
wreaths of appreciation.
Two phases of bis character seem
almost contradictory. Where public
utterance was required, he was diffident
almost basbfui. Wien he r,sketl
his estates and offered his sword in the
service of bis country, he said emphat-
ically, II this do declare with the ut
most sincerity do not think myself
equal to the command that am hon
| ored WITH"
When he wrote hi. farewell message
he deferred to the Judgment OF others
a. to what 1t should contain. He
was quick to recognize his own limit
ations and to lean on others. But this
distrust OF self was not always his.
Two acts evince beyond all refuta-
ton the lion-like courage and self
po,se OF George Washington. With
whom bad there been eight years Of
wary England. From whom had
there been twenty years and more OF
abuse and all wrong? England. What
country had sent hlTsiine soldiery to
the highways and the cities of Ameri-
cat England. Yet when it came to
the point of settling a policy that
should exist-not between the mother
country and her colonies, but-between
one sovereign nation and another,
Washington dared; In the fdce Of ten
thousand threats, to approve the COM
mercial treaty that resulted from the
envoyshibp Of Chief Justice Jay. His
character was attacked with violence.
Even impeachment was suggested.
Hounds of defamation tried to drag
him down. There is but one straight
course-said he-and that 10 to seek
truth and pursue it steadily.
Again. What nation had given US
of its bleed and of Its own hated toe
France. She had done for us-oiten
insfectually-the best she could, and
throughout the country there was a
feeling of Intense gratitude towatds
her for she had given Lafayette, Ro-
ohambeau, and De Grasse. Yet it was
against France and with England that
Washington dared to stand during his
presidential occupancy. Even as there
had been ten thousand threats against
our treaty with England, there had
been an equally intense feeling in fav-
or of joining forces with France but
the anxious Washington, ever seeking
for the:good of his country-not the
Immediate good only, but tho present
and the future good-saw in the French
Revolution and its leaders something
| vervl different from the American
revolution, and he would not give sup
port to what under the name of revoiu-
ton was actually retrogression.
Without any others these two acts
are and will never fail as signal proofs
of the independence and far seeing
character of his judgment.
HE FOOLED THE SURGEONS.
All doctors told Renick Hamilton,
Of West Jefferson, O., after suffering
18 months from Rectal Ftstula, ne
| would die unless costly operat! On was
performed but he cured himself VIVID
Ave boxes OF Buckle'n Arnica Salve the
.nrast Pile cure on Earth, ana the best
o-,., 4, tho World. Is cents q box