The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-23
The Greatness of Washington

In its editorial en- Washington the
New York Journal yesterday gave the
Father of His Country perhaps the most
thorough commendation he ever had since
the first transports with which he was
greeted after the close of the Revolu-
tionary war 1t says:
..Pericles was great, but he failed. With
thirty years Of supreme influence at Athens he
did not succeed in establishing the position Of
his country upon secure foundation. and he
fore his death he saw Athens involved in an adj
venture that brought her to ruin.
Alexander great, hut he iaiied. he could
not control his own passions; lac died with his
work only begun, and left bis Emnire 10 fall 10
pieces
Hannibal was great, In, he failed He
was perhaps the most brilliant general that ever
lived, and he had craftsmanship, too. but he was
little too good TO trample his domestic enc
mics under his feet as Napoleon did. and not
quite good enough to overawe the spirit of fac
ton bv the subimity Of his character. as Wash
ington did. So his splendid struggle. lacking
the support it should have had from united
people home came 10 nothing.
Caesar great, but he failed. He could
not rise from the position Of chief of party
to that of chief of a nation, and he was cut on,
leaving system of government that could last
Cromwell was great but he failed. The
Commonwealth he founded lasted just one year.
eight months and 1--WE days after his death
FREDERICK was great but he failed. He bullt
up a prosperous, military state, out when ms
hand was withdrawn the life went OUT OF ms
system. The PrgIsssn monarchy was shattered
on the field Of Jena. and had 10 be re-created by
and new methods
Napoleon was great. but he failed. His selfish
ambition overresched itself and destroyed him
and his work together.
Bismarck great but he Jailed. He butt
the splendid fabric of united Germany, hut he
created for il nj the same time enemies that
compelled il 20 live continually in srTnoT. The
policy that won local niue- century vic
tory contained the seeds 81 = Worldwide TWEEN
tierh century defeat
Washington succeeded.
y In short. not another country is left
with rag of credit for it's own partitu-
lar hero This establishment really does
not seem necessary. There have been
great men in history since Washington.
and there we're seine before him; and
perhaps they wcald not all like TO he
grouped around his pedestal in this way.
Students OF history usually discover.
before they have gone very far in the in
vestIgation of human events and the
forces which shape character. that until
about the close Of the eighteenth century
there was no chance that a Republic,
formed like the American Demo, racy,
could endure The lime @as 20; ripe for
it The ancient Republics were not HISs
ours. nor were their people onr people.
Washington had fresh and untried mate
rial TO work @i;h and tAis while it con
duced 10 his peculiar success since il
gave hiIa such opportunities as Crom-
well Frederick. and Caesar never had,
also made his greatness TIE more impress
sive. since it takes Titanic force of
character and sublime courage to car
ry on an enterprise the like OF which has
not been seen before. Washington had
this great constructive force. II was
perfectly suited TO his task. 1t would
not have been suited 30 The work of
Cromwell. or Of Caesar. or of Napoleon,
or OF Bismarcn. - - any other man except
this man: nor would it have been i f'iia'
effective in any other circumstance ex-
cept those in which it worked.
The greatness OF Washington is unique
1t needs no artificial setting IL fact.
this setting is the one thing which has
helped to make the first President an un-
real and visionary figure. and to endan-
ger the results of his labor at the pres
Niit TINT Az MN 40
superhuman. the creator of the Republic, |
the public is apt TO overlook the fact that |
the work is not all done yet. There are |
men Of today whose sway is almost, If 4
not quite, as impressive as that of Wash |
ington was in 1881 In it's progress from |
the time of Pericles to modern times, the |
journal" stopped with Bismarck But |
Int
of the work of the great men of today?