The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-22
GEORGE WASHINGTON.

EEOHGE "RSHlNN ONs
That heroic youth, Colonel Washing
ton. whom / cannot but hope Provi-
kfence has hitherto preserved in so Sig
nal a manner for some important ser
vice to his country" The spirit of
prophecy was in the Rev. Mr.. Davis Of
Virginia when, at the close of the Brad
dock campaign, he spoke the words just
quoted about George Washington.
Washington had bTaved many dangers.
He was the only one of Braddocks
staff that was not killed or wounded.
and the Indians said he bore a charmed
life.
God did, indeed, preserve him for an
Important service 10 his country. To-
day, nearly two centuries after the
birth of Washington, this great nation
is pausing in its progress to pay honor
TO his memory Well may it pause for
washington was the greatest OF Amer
leans. If he had never lived the col
onies would surely have freed them
selves from English rule, but freedom
would not have come so promptly.
And the victory could hardly have been
won at all when it was won.
The army came near to losing Wash
ington. When he was a boy he was
offered post as midshipman with Ad-
miral Vernon when Vernon was sail
ing for Carthagena. The prospect of
seeing a world new to him appealed
strongly to the imagination of the lad
He was strongly DESTROYS of going, but
his mother opposed him and at last he
reluctantly consented to remain at
home. On the sea Washington might
have become an admiral, but he could
never have rendered to his country in
that capacity the service he rendered
as commander of the Continental army,
washington was more than a soldier,
He was a thinker, a student. During
the terms he served in the Virginia as
semhly he was heard In debate but
rarely. When he did take the floor he
had something to say and he never
failed TO impress his hearers. Patrick
Henry pronounced him for solid infOr-
NATION and sound judgment unques-
tionabIy the greatest man in the assem-
bly," Such praise from an intellectual
giant for a young man who stood
amid intellectual giants was praise IN
deed.
That Washington was patriot leade
IS, considering his environment, one o
the most remarkable features Of hi
life. He was, for those times, ricl
man. He was well educated and h
moved among the most aristocrati
families of the proud colony Of Vir
rfnia. Many Of his neighbOrs an
friends were Tories. washington ap
parently had everything to gain an
nothing to lose by joining them. Ye
he chose to risk his fortune and hi
head for the common people becaus
he believed they were in the right
Having made up his mind he was fxe
and inalterable, steadfast to the gle
riOus end.
It is not necessary here to speak G
washington's discoura gements, of tn
Gates intrigue, the cabals of vaTiOu
kinds that were organized against hin
Enough is it to say that the great ma
1ority Of men would have quit in dis
gust a battle that was so hard to vi
and that so many sO-called patriot
were anxious for him 70 lose. The big
ness Of washington was never MOI
clearly shown than in the fact that h
did keep on fighting.
After serving two terms Is presideI
of the United States OF America, ate
seeing the work of his hands put
such shape tmat it could safely be er
trusted to others, Washington retire
10 his home in Mount Vernon. mans
for the admiral who would have MAD
him a rnidshipman, and there he ole
December IA, 1893. at the age of sixt!
seven years, secure for all time in Il
love of his fellow cOuntrymen-