The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-30
"Gen. Washington is Known
to Us, and President Washing
ton. Bat George Washington
Is an Unknown Man. ri
John Bach McMaster.
ARTICLE NO. 10.

the other-a feat which has never since
been surpassed. He, part euIarly delie hted
IN breaking IN the most unrulys horses
and II is told of one whose heart he
proke at the same time, by causing it to
break a blood-vessel in the violence of its
eXertlons. In wrestling and pitching
quoIts he surpassedn his .comra11ions, and
ne carved his name high tip on the rock
at the natural bridge 1t fsIsaid also that
ne couId-and frequently IfdAlift a cask
OF cider by the chimes Eand drink out OF
the puhg mole. These and like stories
are hgments' of Mr. Weems' fmagina-
tion Irving, in his life of Washington
courteously designates Weems as the
reverend hfstoriographer," but whose
stories ne StudiOuSlyA ignores
Inc next offender in hiding the human
side of Washington was DR.. Jared
sparks, once president of Harvard col
!eSe lie edited and published the writ
MSS OF "aShlhgton-who left a vast
quantlty-and wrote his b;ogranbv 49,
whole filing twelve volumes C,,a,, ~
however, had so little sense OF raenonei
ollty that he deliberately amended sol,
Ietters Of Washingtons as he tbon@h+
not good enough for perfect man ara
III 80 doing changed their meaning ana
Inus destroyed their value. But # maf7e
w ashihStoh from his youth to his Iast
DAY perfect man. Nor were NT.rsl.~II
Everett Give volumes). less re111c+sn+ Gu ~
keep their hero on the pedestaI to prEiot,
He hao oeen elevated. They did not Of
course relate the silly stories Of Weo,Sc
~ Chey did not see any innerfeot,o,,
~ Washlngton's acts and character. ana
~ large degree the dedication which
writer's ~ illn ny the early
IN this age of the iconoc1as+ +boro -,
a revolt
soIlarie and unscientific method IF 80
ing the story Of one who vac +bo 90
IuGst man OF his day. but NOT = 60
- DacH McMaSter In his .historS oe
! .he emitted States, said: General w. ~
1ngton is known to us, and Pres,de,it
1I,1il5o Ton; but George Washington is
This was the kew note owl
mas been an unwindng of.the v,ra,,1 49,,
VI wholesale eulOgy, which has 49,.
cOlcedIeo the man g. and NO &c.
CUT his human side His -
est plographers, Henry cabot odao
Two vols), Edward Everett Taie
ana Paul Leicester Ford: have o-
ueaVoFed to do this, and in a meas1,r,
So 80 c0 S31eo IN revealing the home
sac CT Washington And in ca a.
tney have shown his real oTeat TUdss
w nat man can accomplish HYnito5 Is.
the ln1lrmities of human nafi1re is e Dy
greater example to his oo1intrvma, 80 h,'a
II he possessed no such infirmitias ar1d
BIRTH t'ol+' even from
The literature devoted to Washington
IS greater than that enjoyed by anv other
L,n In addition to history or
biographies mentioned above are those
OF Paulding G voIs.) Edn1ondg u yo1s%
schroeder q vols.), Upham q yoIsl ana
single volumes by Bancroft. Abbott
Everett Habberton, Ramsey admired bv
Lincoln when he was a bow. Hea61eT
Scudder, Henley. Townsend. IreJan. Cec,i
and Stoddard. OF books devoted 70 tha
washington family Losing has written
no less than three. The magazines and
newspaper articles would doubtless fiji
hundreds of volumes. As a man of let
ters, Washington's own writings annaar
IN 'Maxims,' published in 1898, and in
transcripts Of Revolutionary Cora
spondence," appearing in 1S94-7.
washington, great general and master.
Iul politician that he was, could boast
OF only ordinary qualifications as a man
OF peaceful pursuits; he was, after all
parsonage Of excellent character upon
whom fortune had. smiled, and who was
wise enough to make the most of men
and circumstances.