Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-02-15
Washin.ton's Work.

New problems are presented TO about
every generation. and the question nat
urally arises. What would Washing
ton do In this case" The best answer
is to point 10 what he did do in his
own time 1t Is unfortunate some
times for the fame and influence Of Il
man that he should be popularity car
rled on the rolls rs paragon. The
crowd think that the man who never
told lie Is II myth or god and any
WAY is not much OF an eXemplar for
practical men. The goody goody man
with the hutchet' is all right 10 frame
and hang in the best room yelled AMI
durkencd from sun aud dust like Il Bit
of old lace, revcred. but useless. We
never ask him how To steer the ship of
state through shoals he never happened
upon 50 far as we know.
But even if 1t Is Il far cry from the
opulent and populous nation of today
IL the poor and struggling colonies of
l1Ii. from our towns and cities to log
cabin settlements. from our up 10 date
army with machine guns that can an
initiate Il tribe of redskins nj one vol
ley to WaShington's ragged rebels
with tlintlocks, il miracles have been
wrought in the new world since Wash
iIgtOn worked the good work which
founded the republic. human nature
was not different then from now, and
it is ut least interesting if not helpful
to compare the things Washington did
with the things we or our contempora
ries are trying 10 do today.
For instance. in Russia. where the
political evils are said to be 50 I'M
bearahlc that we of this country ap-
plaud there violenccs on the part Of
the oppressed which seem to be hope
less, the cry is against Capitalization
The people distrust that form Of strong
central power which other nations now
and in the past have found essential
to existence and progress. Very re,
Gently Capitalization of the very nature
that the Russian people rebel against
has helped Great Britain and has help
ed Germany. Just now more than half
of the people of this country are back
Ing up Capitalization whether they
mean it or not. We have problems that
some good patriots deem so grave that
If the general public won't set things
right and the individual states will not
act. then the national government
must. So the argument runs. and very
often political developments keep up
with the argument.
If we can project some of the ques-
tons of today back into Washington's
camp. we may get a clearer idea of
the tlrie significance Of the phrase the
"Fatnrr of His Country" A few thou
sand ragged rebels" was about all
there was of the great American Rev
| oution that kings and diplomats would
care for when Washington was calle,l
from his plantation in Virginia to head
resistance to the armies of King
| George. These rebels were scattered
| from South Carolina to Massachusetts.
Some of our political divisions now
called states were then separate colo
MES under Il governor appointed by the
king. These colonies had always been
separate in everything but human and
material interests. Just bundle of
sticks were the colonies that rushed TO
arlns in 1TI5. Every colony had its
leading men, its selfish, ambitious
men. About every colony thought
itself entitled to precedence in one di
rectlon or another.
| Washington in 1T75 was an untried
leader He had not dreamed out a pro.
gramme of government, as do most
liberators or regenerators. 1t was well,
too, probably that he was not polit-
ical theorist. What was wanted were
victories over the redcoats. The rag
ged rebels must get busy with thei.
fntlockS and to do this must stou
Wrangiing among themselves. 1t was
fortunate that Washington went at
once from Virginia to Massachusetts
His own people knew him and didn't
need his presence to fire their valor
New England soon knew the head of
the army, and by the time the seat of
war was fixed along the Hudson. n
region that tied the east and south to.
gether. 1t became evident to every
thinking man that the military power
was the whole revolution. There was n
congress. of course. but it was chased
about by the British, and the colonists
in the backwoods, which was about all
there was of the country not tainted
with Toryisln, had to look to and swear
by the flag of Washington. Every
cabin had its continental" fighting
with Washington. Really Washingto.
was political dictator and ruler OF
the hearts of his people, He bound
the colonies together Where Mac.
Oregon sits there is the head of the