The Elbert County tribune., 1914-02-13


due to fellow-citizens and brethren. but even
those execrable parricides. whose counseis ana
aid have deluged their country with niooo, have
been protected from the fury OF justly enraseo
people Far from compelling or permitting their
assistance / am embarrassed with the NUMBERS
who crowd to 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. canho'
conceive one more honorable. than that whicn
flows from the uncorrupted choice of a brave ana
free people the purest source and original foun-
tain of all power Far from making 1t 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 precptated the present crisis Lex
ington. Concord and Charlestown can best declare.
May that God. to whom you, too, appeal. judge Dc
tween America and you. Under his providence.
those who influence the councils OF America. ana
all the other inhabitants of the United Colonies,
at the hazard Of their lives. determined to
hand down to posterity those just and invaluable
privileges which they received from their an
cestors"
To washingtons high personal character. and
his lack OF small weaknesses. his correspondence
all bears testimony.
Az a statesman, Washington sure. as
broadminded and as determined as he was as
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 a time the agricultural interests and tho
merchants saw the growth of manufactures with
jealousy and distrust. But Washington yielded to
no economic fallacies Scarcely had the Revoiu-
ton been brought to successful termination
when he wrote to the Delaware Society for Pro
noting Domestic Manufactures In 1913. as fol-
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 I cannot conceive the extension OF
the latter ESQ far it may AFFORD employment to
q great number of hands which would be other
wise in manner idle) can be detrimental to the
former. On the contrary. the concurrence OF
virtuous individuals, and the combination OF eco
nomc societies. to rely 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
ects 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 whensoever 1t may be done without In
volvng an unreasonable expense or very great In
convenience
Along educational lines Washington's ideas
were equally and far-seeing. When the fed
eral commissioners in 1875 were considering the
erection of a univerity. he wrote to them as fol.
lows:
1T has always been 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
unfavorabe 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 apprecatns
their own.
For this reason | have greatly wished to see
plan adopted by which the arts sciences and
belles-letters could be taught in their fullest ex
tent thereby embracing all the advantages oil
European tuition. with the means of acquiring the
liberal knowledge which is necessary to qualify
our citizens for the exigencies Of public as well
as private life; and (which with me is a 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-
judices, which might perhaps sometimes arise
from local circumstances"
These few extracts have been selected at ran
dom from Washington's correspondence. extend
ing over a period of 26 years. II they stimulate
Just few persons to make nrsthand study Of
the life and writings of the father Of this coun
try they will have fulfilled their mission.