The Elbert County tribune., 1914-02-13

tury, there has come a tendency to deprecate the
ability of the one man who more than any other.
would naturally be exalted. For a long time It was
held that his fame tarnished because he
real oaths at the battle OF Monmouth. That was
succeeded by the present epoch. which has chosen
to regard him as lovable gentleman. with enough
horse sense not to make fool of himself and by
q series OF events which he had control.
to become the father of his country.
And yet 1t is doubtful II another character OF
the age is more to be admired for its manysided
excellenctes. AS man. warrior and statesman
Washington yields to no figure of his time.
What place Washington held. in his own day
must now become matter of interest Shortly
after his death. Felix Faulcon voiced the opinion
of the French parliamentarians when he ad
dressed the Legislative assembly follows
THE tomb has claimed him who the model
of republican perfection This is not the time to
trace all this truly great man has accomplished
for the liberties of America, the generous inspra
tions which he impaired to the French who were
attracted to his school of arms; the sublime act
which will add luster to his memory when.
after having exerted his talents In giving liberty
to his country. he voluntarily relinquished
preme power to conceal his glory in the obscurity
OF private life"
Naturally. Napoleon attracted to the great
general who led an army Of ragamuffns to VIC
tory, after long campaign of almost unparalleled
vicsstudes. and whose power attested by
the fact that none Of his general except Wayne.
accomplished much after they left him. When
the of his death reached France. the first
consul issued the following order:
Washington is more That great man
fought against tyranny. He firmly established the
liberty of his country. His memory Will be
dear to the French people. as 1t must be to every
friend of freedom In two worlds. and especially
to the French soldiers. who, like him and the
Americans bravely fght for liberty and equality
The first consul. in consequence. orders that, for
ten days, black shall be suspended to all the
standards and flags OF the republic
At almost the same the Gazette de France said:
Washington is dead! The news In the time
slx, kuxrr knnx, l,rnv d<,x,t
to announce. Now, the heart may with conf
dence abandon itself to all the generous emotions
OF the soul. and we may dare to weep at the tomb
of great general funeral service has
been ordered in America, and this will be OBJ
served by the citizens Of every nation. No period
has sustained loss irreparahe as the end OF
the eighteenth century"
This concluding sentence may be taken as gen
orally expressing the estimation in which the
father OF his country then held. Since
then with that flash tendency to appreciate high
sounding phrases rather than sound statesman
ship 1t has become the fashion rather to exalt
the orators and the writer's, who had secondary
roles than to accept the verdict of colonial times
II Is doubly strange, too. that In country
whose citizenship is rapidly altering. because OF
the large and continuous additions from foreign
lands, should have great work, not even
an essay, which vitality and vigorously presents
the character OF its first great general statesman
and citizen.
When reading the first presidents letters. 1t
seems strange that his correspondence should
never have excited moro attention or study. BY
comparison they almost unknown when one
considers for example how much attention and
controversy has been directed OF late years to
lives and writings Of Hamilton and Burr.
Very strange 1t is indeed. that the corre-
spondcnce Of SO commanding character
washington should be SO little known to the
ninety and millions OF people who owe their
liberty and prosperity to him. And to the fact