The Monticellonian., 1902-02-21
WASHINGTON THE UNIFIER,
the Pathway to National Life The Ideal American

It seems no wonder at all that, after six years of terrible political distress, under the articles of con federation, Washington should be called to preside at the constitution al convention in Philadelphia. Char acteristically, Washington, when sum- moned, was in western Virginia seek ing how he might open up his lines of communication and natural high ways by which the east and the west could be bound together, and the way made clear for that great procession westward of our advancing race which he foresa#. He was the great balance-Wheel of the Philadelphia as- semhlY of 1787, when sectional inter- ests threatened disruption. He was the aneher of the ship of state when storms arose.
 Made president, says the Sunday School Times, he, under God, showed us the true pathway of national life. It is difficult to realize the division, the weakness, the lack of coherence, in the country and the government, over century ago. We were "b "bacllwoods nation" between the mountains and the sea. The states were jealous of the each other and of the central government. Parties, such as they were, had inherited all the viciousneSs of the old organiza- tions in Great Britain The people were not welded together. One set wanted to be pro-Freneh and the other pro-British.
 When Citizen Genet" came over to get men, ships, and money. and also to play, for selfish purposes, upon the gratitude which our fathers felt for French aid in the revolution. Washington took the right stand of neutrality. He showed that we were not 10 be hyphenated Americans as the manner of some is. even in this day, He taught that the true patriot should be. not Irish or Dutch or It.1ian or Franco or British-Amer- jeans, but Americans without adjec- tives or politicians or printers ex- pedients. To Patrick Henry. Wash ington wrote: .I want an American character. that the powers of Europe may be convinced that we act for ourselves, and not for others" He wrote again: My ardent desire is to keep the United States free from political connection with every other country, to see them Independent of all, and under the influence of none."
 No wonder that Washington left money to establish national univer- sity. for he wrote: Tt has always been a source of regret to me to see the youth of these United States sent to foreign countries for the purposes of education, often before their minds are formed"
 Thus this wise and great man, who foresaw our national future. gave Gs. under God. the true principles of unity. Our fathers listened to his voice, pondered, took "sober second thought" and decided aright and happily for themselves and us. In- stead of scattering and degenerating, our country began to cosolidate and grow. The nation, obeying the true instinct of development. began to ex- pand toward the west A great atream of population moved over the ALeghenies and to the Pacific Now we look farther, yet let us remem- ber
 It is good to notice, in the latest and scholarly Washington the Sol dicr," by Gen. Henry B. Darlington, of the United States regular army, that the baseless legend of the com mander in chier's profanity at Mon- mouth is etfectually disproved. We may be ever grateful to God for the leader He gave us. Greater even than Washington the engineer. soldier, statesman, or sage, was Washington the American, the unifier.