Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-26

ter was not developed In an instant, as
a comet leaps into existence and then
disappears. But his character growth
can aptly be compared TO the sunrise.
which grows brighter and brighter and
sheds forth a more refulgent light until
at last that light sinks awny into the
twilight after the glowing sunset has
covered the clouds with garments Of
gold.
Goodness. Not BriIinnce. Needed.
What the world most needs today Is
not brilliant men, but good men; not
men with the scintillattng genius Of
Aaron Burr, but men with the good
ness Of Father Washington. The
world does not need an orator who can
make a brilliant speech and then with
dissolute private life repudiate all
the noble sentiments he enunciated in
that speech. But the world does need
good men-men who are honorable in
their homes, men who are honorable in
their business dealings mon who are
conscientiously faithful in every duty
Of life which confronts them. When
the tidings of Bunker Hill were carried
to Washington. he anxiously asked the
courier this question: did the militia
fight well?" When told that they did,
he replied "Then the liberties Of the
country are safe" That principle is
our ground Of hope today. On this ma
tional birthday we re-echo Washing
tons words and declare that 1.-The lib
critics of the country are safe" when
it's citizens. from the humblest to the
greatest, are good men doing their re-
spectivc duties well. 1t was in Wash
ington's genius OF character that we
find his greatest element Of strength.
George Washington was well round
ed man. That means in ordinary, cv-
cryday language he was a good man
wherever you study him.
George Washington was ready to sac
rifice his II for American liberty. I do
not suppose he was any more willing
to sacrifice his all than thousands and
tens of thousands of other men. But
the simple fact was that George Wash
ington had more to sacrifice than al
most any other man of his day. First.
he was home body. He had TO give up
all the endcarmcnts of his Virginia
plantation life. The glory of war and
the pride of craftsmanship never APP
pcalcd to him. as they often do to the
selfish ambition of the modern poll
tician. "How pitiful," he once wrote to
Il friend, "in this age of reason and re-
lSion, is that false ambition which
dcsolates the world with fire and sword
for the purpose of conquest and fame.
| hope to spend the remainder of my
life in cultivating the affections of good
men and in the practice of domestic
virtues" Put though George Wash
ington was essentially a home man,
and loved his own tircside above all
throncrOoms, yet at the call of duty
he sacrificed his life's desire and drew
his sword as the commander Of the
American armies.
Wnshinxton's Great SACRIFICES.
The sacrifice of his ease and comfort
was not the only sacrifice he was will
ing to make. When he became COM
mander Of the American armies, he
placed his head and life in jeopardy in
more ways than one. When the Dec
laration of Independence was being
signed in Independence hall, Benjamin
Franklin, l think it was, turned to
some of his colleagues and said, eve
must all hang together now OF else we
shall all hang separately That was Il
af cnnooh that MT In Vp
been true of every signcr of the Dec
laration, but it would certainly have
been true of the man who was rightly
regarded as the head and front of the
revolt. If the Revolution Of 1I16 had
failed. whatsoever escaped, George
WASHINGTON. as the leader of the
American armies, would have been
shot or hung or dccapitated. AS the
greatest leader Of that time, he would
have had to lay down his life as a
warning 10 ali future consplrators.
Washington not only ran the risk of
eXecutioncr's Ak.
George Washington placed his prop
erty also in jeopardy. His wife was
not only rich in her own right, but
Washington himself was considered
one of the wealthiest men in all Amer
lea. | have seen it stated that he was
worth at the time of his death over
$150,OO0. That, of course, was fabu'
lous fortune IN his day. Yet Wash
ington was ready TO sacrifice all he
owned as we'll as his peace of mind and
his head upon the altar OF principle II
America could only be free.
When a great crisis comes. are you
and | similarly ready to make sacri
flee for principles sake? When we see
might triumph over right and injustice
over justice, are we ready to say: Here
is my life. Here is my property. Here
Is the property of my loved ones.
stake everything in the struggle which
! wage to make all men Free Have
we the same faith in Divine Irovi
dcnce as George Washington had? Arc
we as true to principle as he, rs ready
as he to put liberty, property and life
itself in peril for the sake Of right? DC
we feel it is better to die right than &c
live wrong?
George Washington was also stead
fast, though he had to battle against
and overcome the Acknowledgement OF
the American statesmen and the jeal
ousics of his own generals. Some peo
pie think that the only battles Wash
ington had TO fight were those agains
the English and the Hcssian soldiers