The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-25
TO PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES
REV. ALLAN ID. PHILPUTT ON ''THE
GENIUS OF WASHINGTON"
Sons of the Revolution and Repre-
sentatives of Other Societies at
the Church.


crowded yesterday morning at the service
held in commemoration of Washington
birthday, with Representatives of the Sons
of the Revolution and kindred patriotic
societies as guests Rev. Allan b. Phil
putt, the pastor and chaplain OF the lndl-
ana Society of the Sons, delivered an ad-
dress upon the Genius of Washington"
The pastor prefaced his address with
some remarks upon the aims of such or
CARNATIONS as those represented, saying
that their object was not to cultivate pride
of ancestry or pose as having monopoly
of patriotism or the keeping of revolution
airy and colonial history and tradition In
their hands. These things are the heritage
Of all the people and there are thousands
whose ancestors fought in the revolution
not identified with these organizations.
Continuing. ne said:
'But it is our duty to help keep alive
an interest in the story of the great strug-
gle for liberty-to encourage young people
to study the history of their own country
and the heroism of its founder, and TO give
hearty support to the best citizenship and
the highest national ideals. There is in
creasing need that emphasis should be laid
on these things"
Mr. Philputt's text was: 1--WE have heard
with our ears, o God. our fathers have told
us what work thou didst in their days,
in the times of old" Psalm xiv, l.
He said: Washington is the great figure
of American history. The revolution was
the work of the people. but he so embodied
it's spirit that it seems to have been the
work of one man. on the very eve of the
struggle John Adams said: We have not
men tit for the times. We are deficient in
genius, in education, in travel, in fortune,
in everything Events develop men, and
the period Is studded with a galaxy of
stars, but Washington was above them ALL
He was man of poise. Others were more
gifted, more brilliant, but 10 him must be
given the credit of carrying the mighty
burden, Atlas like, upon his shoulders.
Had he fallen in battle or been captured
luton would not have succeeded DO we
not fail to appreciate the greatness, the
genius of Washington?
CALLED A GOOD MAN.
He is spoken of as a good man and his
character generally disappears in cloud
of commonplace. He was man of moral
firmness, they say. but no genius. There
are times when moral greatness is genius.
1t was so with Washington and it was so
with Lincoln. We call a man genius who
performs some brilliant feat or makes
pyrotechnic display of his powers. Shall
we refuse it to him who does all things
well? Shall we honor the man who creates
an epic above him who creates a nation?
Shall we deny him greatness because there
was no baseness in his nature, no depths OF
degradation to form contrast with his
nobler powers? Europe has praised the
ChinOfn America
not 1t Is not cOntended that he made no,
mistakes in details of military strategy,
but was 1t not genius that turned back
such defeat at Monmouth, that sWooped
down upon Trenton and Princeton with
thousand men at the lowest ebb OF the
revolution, reviying the hopes OF an ex-
piring cause? Was it not genius that held
so many hotspurs and madcaps among his
generals In leash, that bore with serenity
so many intrigues of men ambitious for
place, aiming at the overthrow of the COM
mander-in-chief himself? Was il not
genius and tact of the highest order that
enabled him to accept and hold the CO.
operation of French fleets and armies,
commanded by soldiers of fortune gifted In
diers among whose gay uniforms
his own ragged and barefooted con-
tinentals looked like crows among
military science displayed in the arrange
ments of those combinations which pre-
ceded and led up to the surrender at York
Trenton campaign the most brilliant of the
century, and it was the century of himself
and Marlborough. CORVALLIS said it was
the most brilliant event Of the whole strug-
gle.
but to build a state was a greater task
| than to lead a revolution, and here again
| Washington is the master 81: Grit: He gave
| his voice for a powerful union while Others
| temporized with shifting prejudice and sec
| tional animosities. His great soul was 20
| his people as pillar of cloud by day and
,,fll 10 Of fro hxy. ,fohf 10 hoG n Ill
| this the critical period of American his
| tory. Isawlessness and license bid fair To
eclipse patriotism, but Washington's faith
and courage upheld the sinking hopes of
his countrymen. Others, like Adams and
| Henry, doubted. but he was sure. Wash
| ington presided over the constitutional con-
| ventisl. To one who distruSted the new
scheme of the Constitution Hamilton re-
| piled, Fear is folly since George Washing
| ton is to be President And so 1t was. To
| those who are inclined TO believe in a
| divine providence over nations there will
| be no lack OF sanction in these marvellous
events of our history If the high destiny
| of the Notwithstanding race could have
been thwarted by treason and intrigues on
| the field or by silly and pickering Con-
gress in the halls of legislation this free
the light. The old Quaker was right who
! placed his hope in God and George Wash
! ington. Hamilton has been called the head
| of the government, Jefferson the heart and
| Jay the conscience. but Washington the
| lambent flame in which these mighty pow
1 ers were fused.
| IN DIPLOMACY.
"In diplomacy he affirmed new principles
| which are now part of the law of nations
He steered the country through the period
of the French revolution and was almost
| the only statesman who kept clear head
| and a firm purpose in that vast upheaval
He changed mankind's ideas of political
| greatness. He was absolutely unselfsh
| His motives were spotless. He rejected
| partisanship and did not care that his IA
| yorites outyoted others. He brought Dig
| nifty of character TO the executive chair
unequaled by the splendor even of Euro
pean thrones. His maxins still govern our
statesmen except when they wish To en-
| bark on some doubtful experiment. Daniel
| Webster said of him In his address upon
the hundredth anniversary of his birth in
| 1892: We cannot wish better for our coun-
| try nor for the world than that the same
| spirit which influenced Washington may
| influence all who succeed him. His high
| principles will forever rebuke all sordid
| scramble for power and all misuse of high
prerogative for personal or party ends
| NO line written by him would posterity
erase. says George William Curtis, nc
| act annul no word spoken could they wish
| plotted out. On the eve of the organiza-
ton of the constitutional convention, wher
the despair of many was suggesting fata
| compromises, he uttered these memora BILE
words: IF to please the people We offer
| what we disapprove how shall we justify
| standard TO which the wise and honest car
| repair. The event is in the hands of God
Ii is safe yet for leaders to take their
| bearings from the fathers of the Republic