New-York tribune., 1907-11-23
A Study Of George WASHINGTON as
q Human Being.
THE SEVEN ACES OF WASHINGTON A
Biography BY Owen Wister Illustrated
izIlo Tp XIV, 263. The Macmillan ConapanI


book about him after another has been uiven
10 the world only to leave the average American
wondering why he does not possess a salts
factory portrait Of the man. One well remem
bered reason for this unsatisfactory state Of
affairs is noted by Mr.. Wister 1T was" he
says, in their foolish attempt to make of Wash
ington what they imagined he ought ia be
edifyngly superhuman-that his early biogra-
phers missed making him alive" Nearly all
his biographers have thus missed their ain,
They are not bameworthy as they might
seem to he TO the superficial reader After all
there iCds something "edifyingly superhuman"
about Washington. He was great in the
fullest sense of the term, and he successfully
executed heroic task. He had grand
nature upon which his work left an extraor-
binary stamp. This much may be said and
ehoud be said. in extenuation of his too stately
fiogTaphers, early and late. 1t is impossible
not TO feel certain sympathy for the historian
who. in his treatment of Washington, errs on
the side OF loftiness. We may even distrust
the tendency to broader view of the subject
for in these days of cold science" when authors
are fain TO go to the extremes of hero worship
or iconoclasm in their blind devotion TO the
document" the so-calIed truth is often apt to
turn out quantity misleading. But in these
matters the character of the historian means
everything. If we have the right man we may
be sure Of a good book. AS regards the true
Washington have in Mr.. Wister the right
man
The Seven Ages of Washington is scarcely
than an essay, but within its limits it gives
a remarkable Interpretation of its subject 1t
owes its merits not simply 10 the authors in
sight and sense Of justice, qualities which might
be found in other contributors to the literature
Of the Revolution 1t owes much TO the fact
that Mr.. Wister is a thinking American. whose
reading Of his countrys history has been made
the more profitable by the instructive under
standing which. perhaps, could only be possible
to one Of American blood. His narrative is
tinged with a kind of manly gratitude. There
IS not a hint Of spread -eaglesm sentimen-
tality in the book. but from beginning 10 end
it is plain that the author has been moved TO
the depths Of him by his hero's worth, finding
in the traditionally cold" figure of Washington
q type 10 touch the emotions as vividly Ma
poleon touches them in even his most dramatic
moments. He passes on his impression III a
few chapters which gather up everyday traits
as they come out in letters and other records.
The salient events in Washngton's career, mill
tary and political, are indicated rather than
dwelt upon. The object of interest is always
his character; the things placed in the fore
ground are the episodes, great or small, which
show Us that character in action point to the
sources of its development Thus on the ques-
ton Of ancestry Mr.. Wlster lays stress upon the
fact that Washington was no meteoric phenonl-
enon falling into a family unheralded from the
sky" but drew from his soldierly and clerlca! |
forefathers qualities strong and simple, nttlng |
him as it were in normal fashion to take up his !
sppointed task. He makes nothing romantic |
ont of zVashingtous ancestry, AS he seeks for (
nothing spectacularly prophetic in the period OF |
his upbringing In the chapter on Washlngtons |
hovhood he boldly places emphasis upon the IN |
ouence of those now we'll known maxlms IN MS |
copybook.
Wear not your Cloths foul unTRiPt zip or sH dusty other,
sleep not when others SPEAK s5 sdd GIf beid Your
Peace walk not when others Stop. .,a+ ,;tt1o |
Labor TO keep alive in your breast llat h'''e
spark of Celestial fire called Conscience
Mr.. Wister is careful not to underestimate |
the part that these precepts played In the |
r,o,,1dire Of yashingtons character, for he |
sees that Washington took his copy-book seri-
ousIv and that the good counsel Of which we |
have cited some specimens entered like leaNen |
into that young lump Of strength" He per- |
ce;ves. too. how important it was for Washing /
ton in his young manhood TO enjoy the friend |
ship Of Lord Fairfax and to come into contact |
with the ladies Of that noblemans household.
The pages devoted TO the life at Belvoir are !
deiehtftllIy written; in a few brief touches /
they make us realize just how the clever lad |
was given his head in everything that meant a /
happy open-air activity, and at the same time |
was steadied and polished. His first military !
experiences are swiftly sketched. and in the
midst of them the author pauses with excellent
good judgment on matters bearing upon the
familiar conception OF Washington as man
having no humor. The point Mr.. Wister thinks,
has been pushed too far, and he says:
Il Let provide him with trait he does not him
Early in this iarnentabIe BraddocS eKpedition he
writes Of escort of eight he had with him:
Which eight men were two days assembling, but
believe would not have been many seconds dis
persing If had been attacked" And about this
Same time: Il have at last discovered why
BraddocI than Mrs. r. :. :. Nothing less
pofted woddc6cksi % PWashineton G had sense Of
fun could be occasion sedately Jocular, and
bursts OF hilarity violent his occasional out
bursts Of rage. His undoubtedly restricted sense
retort Of Goldsmith's to Dr. johnson. while they
were discussing the doctors ability TO write a
Country veil :'e y91v S Doctor. you could never
write q fable about little fish; you would make
mem talk like whales"'
More than once IN the course Of this biography
Washingtons lighter side Is illustrated. The
author shows also how this lighter side
generally overshadowed. He always
said one Of his contemporaries. 'dignifed. and
one stood q little in awe of him" But Mr..
Nister. knowing that "a great man cannot do
great things without in way growing apart
from his fellows" is alert to exhibit the essen
tally human poise which distinguished Wash
ington. so that even to those who stood in awe
of him he was not demigod, but man. In
DEED the effort on every page of this volume
IS TO show the entire naturalness of his de-
Heanor His bashfulness in youth, which new
ertheless did not keep him from carrying his