The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-06-27

and hopeless division in counsel; and
there were observant men in America
who deemed the thing possible, though
it brought an intolerable fire into
their blood to think of it.
In Financial Straits.
Other nations, too, were fast con-
ceiving like contempt for the Con-
federation.
1t was making no provision for the
payment of the vast sums of money it
had borrowed abroad, in France and
Holland and Spain; and it could not
make any. 1t could only ask the
states for money. and must count it.
self fortunate to get enough to pay
even the interest on its debts.
1t was this that foreign courts were
finding out, that the Confederation was
a mere government of supplication,"
as Randolph had dubbed it; and its
credit broke utterly down. French
man and Spsniard alike would only
have laughed. in contemptuous deri-
sion to see the whole fabric go to
pieces, and were beginning to interest
themselves with surmises as to what
plumber it would afford.
Resort to IrredeemabIe Paper.
The states which lay neighbors to
each other were embroiled in boun-
dairy disputes, and were fallen to levy
ing duties on each others commerce.
They were individually In debt, be-
sides, and were many of them resort
ing to issues of irredeemable @ paper
money to relieve themselves of the in
evitable taxation that must sooner or
later pay their reckonings.
I'VE are either united people, or
we are not So" cried Washington. IF
the former, let US in all matters of
general concern act as a nation which
has a national character to support;
if we are not, let us no. longer act
farce by pretending to it." AS the
months passed it began to look as If
the farce might be turned into trag-
edy.
Washington seIf-Possessed.
The troubles of the country, though
he filled his letters with them and
wrung his heart for phrases of protest
and persuasion that would tell effect
ually in the deep labor of working out
the sufficient remedy of reused and
united opinion, though he deemed
them personal to himself. and knew
his own fame in danger to be undone
by them, did not break the steady self
possession of Washington's life at
Mount Vernon.
"It's astonishing the packets of let
tiers that daily come for him, from
all parts of the world" exclaimed an
English visitor; but it was not till he
had struggled to keep pace with his
correspondence unassisted for a year
and half that he employed secre-
tary to help him.
Letters of friendship require no
study" he wrote to General Knox;
1.-The communications are easy, and
allowances are expected and made.
This Is not the case with those that
| require researches, consideration, rec
objection, and the ID knows what
to prevent error, and to answer the
GuuS LOT WHICH, IUOy oAO WAAS~SA'
He grew almost docile, nevertheless,
under the gratuitous task of courtesy
thrust upon him. His gallantry, bred
in him since boy, the sense of duty
to which he was born, his feeling that
what he had done had in some sort
committed him to serve his country
men and his friends everywhere,
though it were only in answering
questions, disposed him to sacrifice
his comfort and his privacy to every
one who had the slightest claim upon
his attention.
Submits to the Painters.
He even found sitting for his por-
trait grow easy at last. "In for a PEN
ny, in for a pound, is an old adage,"
he laughed, writing to Francis Hop
kinson. 81 am so hackneyed to the
touches of the painters pencil that l
am now altogether at their beck; and
sit like patience on monument
whilst they are delineating the lines
of my face. At first I was as
impatient at the request, and as rest
i've under the operation, as colt is
of the saddle. The next time I sub
mitted very reluctantly, but with less
fiouncing. Now no dray horse moves
more readily to his thill than do
to the painters chair"
Besides the failure Of the public
credit, it concerned Washington to
note the fact that, though he kept a
hundred cows, he was obliged to buy
butter for his innumerable guests.
He saw to it that there should be at
least a very definite and efficient
government upon his own estate, and,
when there was need, put his own
hand to the work. He often works
with his men himself-strips off his
coat and labors like common man,
measures with his own hands every
bit of building or construction that is
going forward, and Shows a great
turn for mechanics" one of his guests
noted, amidst comments on his great
ness and his gracious dignity.
Unchanged by War.
1t was such constancy and candor
and spirit in living that took the ad-
miration of all men alike upon the
instant; and his neighbors every day
saw here the same strenuous and SIM
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