Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-22
Aid on Braddock's staff.

Aid on Braddock's staff.
'At the age of twenty-three he was a
trusted aid-de-camp of Gen. Braddock, and
in that capacity established his reputa-
ton as a great military genius He was in
consequence made commander in chief of
all the forces of Virginia. During the next
tnree years he was engaged in protect
ing the frontiers of Virginia. But after the
capture of Fort Duquesne he retired to his
estate at Mount Vernon and was soon after
ward married to Mrs. Gusts. a wealthy
widow. He served for several years as a
member of the Virginia legislature and in
IVA. when he was forty-two years old was
elected a member of the First Congress of
which he became the president. This body
was composed of the greatest men ever
produced in this or any other country 1t
met at Carpenters Hall. in Philadelphia,
and issued addresses to the people of Eng
land, Ireland Canada and Jamaica and to
the King of England, in which the claims
and grievances of the colonies were ably set
forth and the principles afterward embodied
in the Declaration of Independence as the
axioms and definitions of free society clear
ly stated.
and commander-in-chief of the armies of
the United Colonies, and all the forces now
raised or to be raised by Them
For eight years he guided the armies of
the colonies in their struggle for independ-
ence, and was practically the leader and
ruler of the new nation. But having finish
ed the great work on the 4th of December
lISS, he met the assembled officers of the
army at g. hotel in New York city and babe
them an affectionate farewell. Fifteen DAYS
later, at Annapolis, where Congress was
then in session, he formally resigned to
that body the~eommisson which he had so
long and SO gloriously borne, and returned
to private life at Mount Vernon.
But the American people soon again had
need of his guiding hand in public affairs
They had won their independence with his
hot or
preserving it.
Chosen as Delegate.
I'm 1887. therefore. the legislature of
Virginia elected him one of it's delegates to
the convention to be held in Philadelphia
for devising plan for a more perfect
union of the new states. He attended that
convention and was made Its president In
this capacity he exerted great influence In
framing the federal Constitution And as
soon as the Constitution had been ratified
by the states all America looked to him as
the first President of the United States
under it's provisions. He was elected to
that Office unanimously, and the Both of
April 1885, began his first administration
He served two terms as President. and was
succeeded by John Adams in 1897, who. in
the following year. appointed him com
mander-in-chief Of all the land forces of
the United States. This was done in antici-
patton of a war with France: but fortu-
nately such war was averted.
washington died at Mount Vernon the
14th of December, 1873 in the sixty-eiRhth
year Of his age, and was buried on the
grounds OF his estate. Thousands Of people
annually visit Mount Vernon to view his
tomb.
The American people named their capital
city in his honor, and monuments and stat
ues have been erected here and In many
other cities to perpetuate the memory of
his virtues and inspire N the people the
desire to emulate his example. The ami
versary of his birth has been made a ma
tow h1Na nrr I'D H.
our duty here Is to draw some lesson of
value from the story of his life. What can
We learn from that story? We cannot
hope, perhaps no man can hope in the flu
ture, to be his equal in all things-to be the
greatest patriot. the greatest general the
greatest statesman of his race. But in the
vital point OF his character, the keynote of
his life: without which even Washington
might have been either failure or q
scourge, every one of US may approach him
and walk on level with him.
THAT cardinal point Of Washington's
character was unswerying integrity-hon-
point is well presented in Chief Justice
Marshalls eulogy on Washington.
Study Of His Character.
LET us study the charac' n of Washing
ton. and strive to imbibe those principles
which guided his life and that Of his COM
patriots-truth. loyalty to the Constitution,
fidelity to duty. love of liberty. respect for
the rights OF others and reverence for law
Let US learn these things. and take them
earnestly to heart-frame our own lives in
accordance with them; teach them to all
Americans; and strive especially to impress
them upon those strangers In our midst
who make the laws that govern US; to the
end that they. too. may be actuated by the
benign spirit OF Washington in dealing with
the people of the city which bears his name
and give them the right Of local self-gov-
eminent"
Sunday School Boys Celebrate.
The boy students Of st. Patrick's Academy
celebrated Washington's birthday anniyer-
sary yesterday afternoon by holding exer-