The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-03-03
Mr.. Davis Speech
Address to Ozark Business University
Students on Washington's Birth
day, by Henry Davis, Pros
ecuting Attorney.

think at this time, when the worl,
: is apparently war mad, when NOR
than half of the civilized world is il
a conflict Of arms, and in this coun
try we are seriously considering {
stronger military force, it is well Ii
study something about him, whom W.
consider First in peace, first in wal
I and first in the hearts Of his coun.
trymen."
Two men stand high, head and
shoulders above any others in the his
tory Of this country-W Washington and
Lincoln. Sometimes people try to
make comparison, but that is inn
possible, for they lived in different
, times and under different circumstance
es. AS soon as independence was won
from England, Washington was given
the title, "Father Of His Country"
but the Tories called him the step
father. So he had some opposition.
| Washington was born soldier.
No man can be commander of men
without being born for that purpose;
he must have some elements of lead
ership. Some things may be acquir-
ed, but he cannot get it all. He must
be gifted by nature. This is evidenc-
ed by the war with England, when
Washington, with handful of men,
overcame the British forces.
Prior to the Revolutionary war
there were wars between France and
England, and the Colonies took up the
fight for their mother countries. The
French had chains of forts along the
Western frontier of the English col
onies. During the war England sent
over to this country an army under
General Braddock, who had instruc-
tons to consult with Washington in
regard to reducing that chain Of
forts and conquering the French. He
consulted with Washington, and
Washington told him he would have
to abandon the war tactics used in
Europe, but Braddock was too proud
to do that. Washington told him his
forces would be annihilated, and that
was what was done.
Now, Washington was not at that
time considered a statesman, and
while we are apt to think of him as
statesman all that time, and having |
participated in everything preceding
the war, we do know he was not cali |
upon to sign the Declaration of In
dependence, although he must have
favored it. He did have reputation
as soldier. When it was seen that
the colonies would have to resort to
arms, he was made Commander-in-
Chief of the army.
Washington did not have every
thing his own way; he did not seek
the place; did not want it; rather not
have it, but when his country called
he was ready to go. Any of us ought
to be ready if our country needs us
and respond to the need.
Now, it would be unnecessary for
me to go on detailing the events of
those seven years of war in which
Washington finally defeated Eng
land, and obtained independence for /
the United States; but we do know
after the war there was nothing to
hold the colonies together. The col
onies at that time were widely sep
arated. They had very little com
munication. 1t is hard to conceive of
that with all the inventions of today. |
They did not even have roads to get
from one colony to another. They did |
not communicate with each other ex-
cept for little trading. So Washing
ton himself, and Madison, jefferson |
Jay and Hamilton began to see thai |
it was absolutely necessary to have |
something to bind this country to-
gether, and so they proposed that
representatives be sent by each one
of the colonies to adopt a constitu-
ton to bind them as one country.
He was called to be Presiden4. lie |
surrounded himself with wise cap
met. He was statesinan. He was
civil leader as well as a military
leader He established this country |
Now, his afrewell address will he
read today in many assemblies Of this
country. It is long. 1t is hard to I'M
derstand unless you study it. 1t con
tains thoughts you ought to know
and ought to understand. Washington
saw the danger that came in the Civil
war, as is shown by his speaking of
strong political and sectional party
feelings which should be suppressed
Washington's service to this coun-
try lasted for forty-five years. Of
course not after the formation Of the
Union, but from the time he began to
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