Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-02-27

the pride OF craftsmanship never up
pealcd 10 him. as they often do TO the
selfish ambition OF the modern poll
tician. "How pitiful," he once wrote to
friend. ''in this age OF reason and RI
liglon. is that false ambition which
desolates the world with fire and sword
for the purpose OF conquest and fame.
1 hope TO spend the remainder OF my
life IN cultivating the affections OF good
men and in the practice of domestic
virtues" But though George Wash.
ington was essentially home man,
and loved his own Preside above all
thronerooms, yet at the call of duty
he sacrificed his life's desire and drew
his sword as the commander of the
American armies.
wasbipgton's Great SacriGces-
The sacrifice OF his ease and comfort
was not the only sacrifice be 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 10
some of his colleagues and said, 1--WE
must all hang together now or else we
shall all hang separately" That was
figure of speech that may not have
been true of every signer of the Dec
laration. but ii would certainly have
been true of the man who was rightly
regarded as the head and front of the
revolt. III the Revolution Of 1II6 had
failed. whatsoever escaped, George
Washington, as the leader of the
American armies. would have been
shot or hung or decapitated. As the
greatest leader OF that time, he would
have had TO lay down bis life as
warning to all future conspirators.
Washington not only ran the risk or
the battlefield, but also the risk Of the
executioners 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
lea. I have seen it stated that he was
worth at the time OF his death over
$4,000. That, OF course, was a 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 IL
America could only be free.
When a great crisis comes, are you
and I similarly ready to make a sacri-
fee for principles sake2 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 freei" Have
we the same faith in a Divine Provi
dence as George Washington had? Are
we as true TO principle rs he. as ready
as he to put liberty, property and life
itself in peril for the sake of right? Do
we feel Ii is better TO die right than 10
live wrong?
George Washington was also stead
fast, though he had to battle against
and overcome the mismanagement OF
the American statesmen aud the jeal
ousies of his own generals. Some peo
pie think that the only battles Wash
ington had to fight were those against
the English and the Hessian soldiers
George Washington was not always
first in the hearts of his countrymen"
as he was first in war and first in
peace. No sooner was be placed In
command than his enemies at home
began TO conspire against him. After
the capture OF Fort Washington by the
British these home enemies tried to
wrest the commanders sword out of
George Washington's hand and give IL
to Major General Charles Lee. When
Burgoyne surrendered to Horatio
Gates at Saratoga. the Conway cabaI'
tried to supplant the old leader with
this new conQueror from the north.
The Enemies In Camp.
Not only did Washington have to
contend with his jealous army officers,
but he had TO fight his enemies. who
were working against his plans in con-
gress. Instead OF giving to him az
army recruited from men who had en-
listed for two or three years, or for the
war, these enemies voted to him an
army made up OF men who had enlisted
for few months or year. No sooner
would Washington plan n battle or a
campaign than he would find that a
that their terms OF service had expired
and that they Were entitled TO pack up
their things and go home. cit Is i'm
possible for me in the compass OF n
letter" he wrote TO his brother In 1716,
ito give you any idea OF our situation
and of my difficulties and OF the con-
slant perplexities I meet with, derived
from the unhappy policy OF short en-
listments and delaying them too long.
/ am worried almost to death with the
retrograde motion OF things, and / SOL
EMMY protest that a pecuniary reward
OF 100000 year would not induce me
to undergo what do. and, after all,
perhaps. to lose my character" Yes,
yes, some of the mightiest battles
George Washington had to wage were
against his enemies at home and not
against his enemies from abroad. So,
my brother. IL you are ever going to
accomplish anything for God and the
worlds betterment. you will find that
some OF the people who ought to help
the most are those who will try to un.
dermine you; that the man who should
be pushing you ahead will often be
the man who is trying to stab you in
the back.
Here, for insta nee, is a true gospel
minister trying to preach Jesus Christ
In the village or the city church. Who
is the greatest enemy he has to fight
The saloon keeper? The proprietor
who runs the low playhouse2 The in.
fidel who never sets foot inside of a
church? Oh, no. The greatest retard.
ment OF an average minister's work is
not to be found outside but inside the
church. 1t is perhaps the church mem.
Der VINO refuses TO be reconciled to the
minister because the congregation
called him instead OF another man to
the passionate. What is the greatest OBJ
stacle that mother has in the right de
veiopment of her children? Is 1t the
bad example set by her sons class
1 mates hor hnu,S apopl1-ara or