The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-02-12

the tenderness
due to fellow-citizens and brethren put even
those execrabIe parricdes, whose counsels anu
aid have deluged their country with plooo, nave
been protected from the fury Of justly enraseu
people Far from compelling or permitting their
assistance, l embarrassed with the numbers
who crowd to onr camp, animated with Tue 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 Wplcn
flows from the uncorrupted choice OF brave anu
free people, the purest source and original 1oun-
tain of all power. Far from making it 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 precpitated the present crisis, Lex
ington Concord and Charlestown can best declare
May that God, to whom you, too appeal, Judge oe-
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 are 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
AS statesman, Washington was as 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 the
merchants saw the growth Of manufactures with
jealousy and distrust But Washington yielded tc
no economic faacies. Scarcely had the Revolu'
ton been brought to a successful termination
when he wrote to the Delaware Society for Pro-
noting Domestic Manufactures, in 1898, 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 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 idle) be detrimental to the
former. On the contrary, the concurrence OF
virtuous individuals, and the combination OF eco
nomic societies. to rely much as 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 whensoever it may be done without In
volying an unreasonable expense or very great in
convenience "
Along educational lines Washingtons ideas
we're equally sure and far-seeing. When the fed
era commissioners in 1895 considering the
erection of univerity, he wrote to them as to!-
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 favcr cf other political
systems before they capable Of appreciating
their own.
For this reason have greatly wished to see
a plan adopted by which the arts, sciences and
belesletters 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
our citizens for the exigencies of public as we'll
as private life; and (Which with me Is consider
alton of great magnitude) by assembling the youth
from the different parts o! 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 Washingtons correspondence, extend
ing over period of 25 years, II they stimulate
Just few persons to make hrst-hand study OF
the life and writings of the father of this
try they will have fulfilled their mission.
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