The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-07-04

pected on a nation that dlSregaroS tHo
eternal rules of order and right
which Heaven itself has ordained;
and the preservation of the sacred IRE
of liberty. the destiny of the repuD-
lican model of government, are just
ly considered as deeply, perhaps as
finally. staked on the experiment IN
trusted to the hands of the American
people"
It was. no doubt, "a novelty in the
history of society to see great peo-
pie turn a calm and scrutinizing eye
upon itself" as the people OF Amer
lea had done; ito see it carefully ex-
anime the extent of the evip' into
which disunion and disorder had
brought it; patiently wait for two
years until remedy was discovered;
and at last voluntarily adopt new
order and government without hav-
ing wrung a tear or a drop Of blood
from mankind"
Overcome by Responsibility.
But Washington knew that the
praise deserved for such mastery and
self-possession would be short-lived
enough if the new government should
fail or be discredited.
It was the overpowering thought
that he himself would be chiefly re-
sponsible for its success or failure
that shook his nerves as he stood
there at the beginning of his task;
and no man of right sensibility in
that audience failed to like him the
better and trust him the more i'm
plicitly for his emotion.
at was a very touching scene"
wrote Fisher Ames, of Massachu-
sets. ut seemed to me an allegory
in which virtue was personified as adj
dressing those whom she would make
her votaries. Her power over the
heart was never greater, and the IL
Illustration of her doctrine by her own
example was never more perfect"
Words Of Appeal.
ct feel how much l shall stand in
need of the countenance and aid of
every friend to myself, of every
friend to the Revolution, and of every
lover of good government" we're
Washington's words of appeal to Ed
ward Rutledge, of South Carolina;
and he never seemed to his friends
more attractive or more noble than
now.
Turns to New Duties.
The Inauguration over, the streets
fallen quiet again, the legislative
business of the houses resumed, Wash
ington regained his old self-possession,
and turned to master his new duties
with calm thoroughness of purpose
which seemed at once to pass into the
action of the government itself.
Perhaps it was true, as he thought,
that he had been no statesman hith-
erto; though those who had known
him would have declared themselves
of another mind. He had carried the
affairs of the Confederation upon his
own shoulders, while the war lasted,
after a fashion the men of that time
were not likely to forget, 80 full of
energy had he been, SO provident and
capable upon every point of policy.
His letters, too, since the war ended,
had shown his correspondents the
country over such an appreciation of
the present, so sure a forecast of the
future, so masculine an understanding
of what waited to be done and of the
means at hand to do it, that they, at
least, accounted him their leader in
peace no less than in war.
But craftsmanship hitherto had been
only incidental to his duties as sol
der and citizen. 1t had been only
an accident of the Revolution that he
had had himself, oftentimes, to supply
the foresight and the capacity in &C
ton which the hating congress
lacked. He had had no experience at
all in actual civil administration. He
did not know his own abilities, or real
ize how rich his experience in affairs
had, in fact, been. He went about his
new tasks with diffidence, therefore,
but with the full-pulsed heartiness, too,
of the man who thoroughly trusts him
self, for the capacity at any rate of
taking pains. Craftsmanship was now
his duty-his whole duty-and it was
his purpose to understand and execute
the office of president as he had under
stood and administered the Office of
general.
Need for Caution,
He knew what need there was for
caution. This was to be, Gin the first
instance, in a considerable degree, a
government of accommodation as we'll
as a government of laws. Much was
to. be done by prudence, much by con-
Citation, much by firmness." II walk"
he said, ION untrodden ground. There
is scarcely an action the motive of
which may not be subjected to a
double Interpretation. There is scarce
ly any part of my conduct which may
not hereafter be drawn into prece-
dent"
But, though he sought a prudent
course, he had no mind to be timid;
though he asked advice, he meant to
be his own master.
Washington had, no doubt, more
precise understanding of what the new
government must be made to mean
than any other man living, except,
perhaps, Hamilton and Madison, the
men whom he most consulted. The