The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-02-22
The O1lCial Paper OF San Juan County.
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY Y, ~
GEORGE WASHINGTON.

The Anniversary of the birth OF
Washington grows in interest and I'M
portance with each passing year, as
the grand character and achievements
of the great patriot, soldier and states
man become better known and under
stood by the increasing millions OF the
people of the. great republic In the
establishment Of which he played the
foremost part. One hundred years
have elapsed since his death-a cen
tury of trials and tribulations, of strug-
giles and experiments, of enlightenment
and progress unparalleled Ill all his
tory, of great wars and great events in
the walks of peace; a century OF re-
search into and critical analysis of the
work and character of the great patri-
OTIS of the revolutionary period and
early years of constitutional govern
ment, but still the majestic figure OF
Washington illumines the pages Of his
country's history as does that OF no
other man, and as it is not likely that
that of any other ever will.
And yet there were many among his
contemporaries who were greatly his
superiors i'm education, legislative ex-
perience and apparent aptitude for civil
organization and administration. jeff
erson, Adams, Madison, Hamilton,
Jay, Franklin, Marshall, Randolph,
Patrick Henry, Carroll, Pinckney and
many others of the great galaxy of
patriots who helped to shape the des-
TIMES of the young republic, were schol-
arly men, manv of them graduates of
the best colonial colleges, but WASH
ington's education was little more than
elementary except in the mathematics
essential to his early occupation as a
surveyor. His half brother, Lawrence,
from whom he Inherited the Mount
Vernon estate, was n son-in-law of Lord
Fairfax, and his brothers. influence
secured him the appointment of sur
veyor of the Fairfax lands, which were
of immense extent, when he was only
sixteen years old When he was nine
teen he was appointed adjutant of the
Virginia militia, with the rank of
major. At tweaty-one he was made
commander of the northern military
district of Virginia, and at twenty
three he was commander in-chief of all
the Virginia forces in the French and
Indian war. When this conflict ended
he married the rich widow of John
Parke Gusts and for nearly a score of
years lived the peaceful life of rich
Virginia planter, personally managing
his great estate and that of his wife.
AT the outbreak of the war for indie
pendence he was unanimously chosen
comnander-in-chief of the army by
the continental congress, and he served
throughout all the long dark years of
that bitter struggle without receiving
any compensation in money beyond
the payment of his actual expenses, OF
which he rendered minute account.
He was president of the constitutional
convention of 1857 by the unanimous
vote of the delegates, and it was very
largely due to his personal influence
and the confidence felt i'm his sound
judgment by multitudes of voters,
especially in the northern states, whom
the arguments of the "Federalist" and
other similar publications would not
convince, that the ratification of the
constitution by all the colonies was
finally secured. That Washington him
self was not fully satisfied with it is
evident from his saying that "it was
the best constitution which could be
obtained at that epoch" and that "this
ora dissolution awaits our choice and is
the only alternative" When the time
came to elect president "there was nc
more hesitation than If the country
had been a theocracy." Washington
received the vote of all the electors and
he was unanimously reelected in l795
and would have been chosen for third
term but for his positive refusal to
serve.
Nevertheless he was not without
vindictive political enemies in the jeff:
erson school of politics, who founded
the old neutrality-suspicious. part.
in opposition to the Federalists in 1893
and whose malignant attacks embit
tered the closing years of his public
service. They We're argered by hi;
proclamation of neutrality between
France and Great Britain, aud wer,
furious over his support of the treaty
with Great Britain negotiated by Chic
Justice Jay. They accused him o
drawing more than his salary and ever
went so far as to publish forged letter,
purporting to show his desire to aban
don the revolutionary struggle. Bu
nothing that the most venomous of the
coterie of maleontents who were op
posed to his policy could say could
lessen the peoples love and respect fol
him, or shake their confidence i'm hi.
wisdom. his purity of character ant
lottiness Of purpose. Truly has it beer
said of him that he was ''first i'm wal
first in peace, and first in the hearts o
his countrymen." His life should b.
an inspiration to every American
young or old, as the years come and
90.
SPEAKING of the wool outlook fo
1900 the American Wool and Cotton