The Morris County chronicle., 1901-02-22

OAA1
and purpose are liable.
He was above narrow sectionalism.
For instance he loved Virginia, but
he was an American first and Vir
ginian afterwards. He was a Ma
tionalist, he thought continentally.
No man of his time looked more often
across the Alleghenies, or planned
more spaciously for roads and canals
that should be cords to bind together
the far spread sections of the new
nation.
We can hardly form an idea in
these days of the rabid particularism
which in Washington time threaten
ed to make the creation of an Ameri-
can nation impossible. He could al
most say that he had seen the day,
which Webster prayed that he might
never see, when the sun shone upon
the broken and dishonored fragments
of once glorious Union, upon States
discovered, discordant. belligerent,
upon land rent with civil feuds and
drenched in fraternal blood.
He knew we'll what perils lay in the
question which John Adams was COM
PEELED to answer in London after the
peace of 1888. "Whether America
was one nation or thirteen nations?'
He had seen the feeble fabric of the
national government established
under the articles of confederation,
crumbling into ruins. His acquies-
ence and support did more, perhaps,
than all the eloquence of Hamilton
and all the reasoning of Madison to
secure the ratification of the Constitu
tion of 1887.
He was nation builder.
We can not doubt that his deepest
convictions spoke in the stately and
somewhat stilted language of the
Farewell Address - "Citizens by
birth and choice Of common coun-
try, that country has a right to con-
oentrate our affections. The name
of American, which belongs to you
in your national capacity, must al
ways exalt the just pride of patriotism
more than any appellation derived
from local determinations.
Then he. pleads for union as the
source of the peoples safety, as the
fortress of the peoples freedom.
"These people considerations speak a
persuasive language. and exhibit the
continuance of,the Union as primary
object of patriotic desire. "
1t is hardly too much to say that
we owe our nationality to Washing
ton. He would have rejoiced to see
this day, when the word State sover-
eighty has been erased forever from
our political dictionary, when the
truth has been established, though at
cost of wealth and blood that is be-
yond computation, that there is but
one sovereign in this nation, the
People of the United States. and when
splendid new sense of national
unity, of common destiny and duty,
bind together all the sections of our
land.
He was above petty partisanship.
shall not deny that Washington was
partisan. I doubt if it is possible
for any wise man to be long active
in public life without discovering
that he mnst belong to one of the two
great parties into which human nature
divides mankind.
Washington was by nature FEEDER
alist He believed in law. he believed
in order, he believed in a strong
government, and in government by
the best. If he had spoken his mind
freely, he would have said, think,
that no gentleman would be Demo-
crat. He did say unless he is misre-
presented, "You would as soon scrub
a black-a-moor white as change the
principles of professed Democrat, he
will leave nothing uninterrupted to
overSurn the governments of this
country
Washington was fearlessly loyal to
political principles that formed the
platform of a party. 1t was because
he was recognized as the foremost
representative, and most powerful
EN- bodiment of this platform of prin-
ciples that he was compelled to en-
dure the reproach and contumely
which were heaped upon him by
members of the party whose policy he
arrested and baffled.
We are familiar with the apotheosiE
of Washington, are we equally famil-
lar with his crucifxion?. Is it not
hard for us to believe that Americans
could have said and written of Wash
ington while he lived, that he was q
British sympathizer, that he was
ayaricious, corrupt, coward, that he
was without skill as soldier that
his glory had already dissolved into
mist, that the day on which he re-
tired from the Presidency should be
observed as a jubilee throughout the
United States?
Washington himself said of the
language applied to him, "such exag-
gerated and indecent terms would
scarcely be applied to Nero, a ma
tions defaulter or a common pick
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