The Yale expositor., 1914-02-12

due to fellowcitizens and brethren but even
those execrable parricides, whose counsels ana
aid have deuged their country With biood, nave
been protected from the fury of a justly enrageu
people Far from compelling permitting their
assistance. ! am embarrassed with the numbers
who crowd to our camp. animated with the pures'
principles of virtue and love TO their country
you affect sir to despise all rank not derived
from the same source with your own cannot
conceive one more honorable, than that which
flows from the interrupted choice Of brave and
free people the purest source and original foun-
tain of all power. Far from making ii a plea for
purity a mind of true magnanimity and enlarged
ideas would comprehend and respect it.
What may have been the ministerial views
which have precipitated the present crisis Lex
ington, Concord and Charlestown can best declare.
May that God, to whom you too, appeal. Judge be-
tween America and you Under his providence.
those who influence the councils of America, and
all the other inhabitants of the United Colonies,
at the hazard of their lives, determined 10
hand down TO posterity those just and invaluable
privileges which they received from their an
cestors.'
To Washington's high personal character and
his lack of small weaknesses. his correspondence
all bears testimony
AS statesman Washington sure as
broadminded and as determined as he was as a
general All his letters to his friends and to those
who served him show that his efforts were d.
rected toward the prevention, not only OF entan-
Cling alliances abroad but to calming internal dis
sensions and directing the business OF the nation
into healthy channels.
For time the agricultural interests and the
merchants saw the growth of manufactures with
jealousy and dstrust. But Washington yielded to
no economic fallaces Scarcely had the Revolu
tion been brought to successful termination
when he wrote to the Delaware Society for Pro
noting Domestic Manufactures in lt9S, as tOl
lows:
The promoting of domestic manufactures will
in my conception, be among the first consequences
which may naturally be expected to flow from an
energetic government For myself, having an
equal regard for the prosperity of the farming,
trading and manufacturing interests. | will only
observe that cannot conceive the extension OF
the latter $50 far as it may afford employment to
a great number Of hands which would be other
wise in a manner dle) can be detrimental 10 the
former. On the contrary, the concurrence OF
virtuous individuals. and the combination OF eco.
nomic societies. to rely as much possible on
the resources of our own country may be product
i've OF great national advantages by establishing
the habits Of industry and economy. The OBJ
jects of your institution are. therefore. in my
opinion, highly commendable; and you will permit
me to add. gentlemen, that ! propose to demon
strate the sincerity of my opinion on this subject
by the uniformity of my practice in giving de-
cided preference to the products and fabrics OF
America whatsoever it may be done without In
voIving unreasonable expense or very great in
Along educational lines washngton's ideas
were equally sure and far-seeing When the fed |
eral commissioners in 1895 were considering the
erection of a unworthy, he wrote to them as fol-
lows:
1T has always been a source OF serious rehec-
ton and sincere regret with me that the youth OF
the United States should be sent to foreign coun-
tries for the purpose of education. Although there
are doubtless many. under these circumstances. !
who escape the danger OF contracting principles
unfavorable to republican government, yet we
ought to deprecate the hazard attending ardent |
and susceptible minds from being too strongly and
too early prepossessed in favor of other political
systems before they capable OF approaching
their own.
For this reason | have greatly wished TO see
plan adopted by which the arts, sciences and
belIesletters could be taught in their fullest ex-
tent. thereby embracing all the advantages OF
European tuition, with the means of acquiring the
liberal knowledge which is necessary to qualify |
citizens for the exigencies of public as well
private life and (which with me is consider
alton OF great magnitude) by assembling the youth
from the different parts OF this rising republic. |
contributing from their intercourse and inter |
change Of information to the removal OF pre- |
judces, which might perhaps sometimes arise
from local circumstances"
These few extracts have been selected at ran |
dom from Washingtons correspondence, extend |
ing over period of 20 years. II they stimulate !
just few persons to make frst-hand study OF |
the life and writings Of the father of this couh |
try they will have fulfilled their mission.