The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1916-02-17

NJ Their The United states
or America Is now in tho
midst OF great crisis--oae OF three.
The first was the desperate struggle
OF the baby republic to maintain life
between 1776 and 1915. The second
was the terrific fever which ratified the
bones Of the halfgrown nation from
1861 to 1865. The third is different.
The hungry, blood-mad wolves o.
war are snarling al about us Ne are
charged with the lroblom of taking
means OF defense against the time
when they may turn from their c.
casses TO attack us. We must insure
Tor ourselves prosperity. For the good
OF the whole we must assume the task
OF harmolizins all the multitude
OF discordant and misunderstanding
groups OF people that compose our
body politic-men and women OF a
great variety OF racial antecedent5 OF
political tenets. OF religious beliefs Of
capital and labor. OF education and
ignorance-and weld them into one
great patriotic mass. We must keep
Friendship with cur neighbors to North
and South and across the sens.
So IN THIS time of stress II behoovcs
us to keep our national temper and
deal fairly and mean what we say. Il
is we'll worth While 70 consider tho
historian Leckys description OF George
Washington:
In the dependency Of long contin-
ued failure, in the eiadCn of sudden
success. at times when his soldiers
were deserving by hundreds. and when
malignant plots We're formed against
his reputation. amid the constant quar-.
reis, riyalries. and jealousies o. his
subordinates. in the dark hour OF ma.
tional ingratitude. and in the midst
OF the most universal and intoxicating
fattery. Washington was always The
same calm, wise. jrst and sinrie.mind-
cd man. pursuing the course which he
believed TO be right without fear or
favor or fanaticism; equally free from
the passions that spring from interest
and from the passions that spring from
Imagination.
He never acted or tho impulse OF
an absorbing or uucalcu'oting On.
thusiasm, and he valued worry highly
fortune, position, and r-rutation bat
at the command Of duty he was ready
to risk and sacrifice then a,L
He was, in tae highest sense OF
the words, gcDticnau and "a man of
honor. and he carried intc public life
the standard OF private morals.
1T was at FIRST The constant dread
OF large sections Of Che American peo-
pie that 81 the Oh government were
overthrow they would tan into the
hands OF military adventurous and un-
cergo the yoke OF military daspotism.
il was mainly the transparent nteg
rity Of the character OF Washington
that dispclled tie fear"
There has rarely becn a time when
the people bad more need OF the les.
sons OF Washinaton's life than now.
We are in the Eidst OF tho uncertain
ties visited upon us, as a people az
peace. by a conhagcation which has en-
veloped a continent ian war. H. a year
OF peace. Of sowing and rcauing. OF
the productive activities of market and
factory, We suddenly found ourselves
face 20 face with the peril of such
panic as the world had never wit.
messed. Industry withcrcd as under
blight; trade dried up at the roots.
our chief export crop lost FOR q time
twothlrdg OF It's value: specie nav
ments were suspended I'm our financial
centers Instead az having heavy trade
balances in our favor. we were called
upon for gold 3y the ton 10 pay FOR sa-
curities sent back 20 us ty FOREIGN in-
vestors Want and restitution aU-
peared where there had been plenty.
We have come far since those black
days, but dangerous road stn
stretches before Us. let MS remembe-
Washington. tHo commander in chief
OF orc battle.
That was Yorktown Washington
took the command OF the armies of
the colonies in July. i775 ZEE received
the surrender Of CORVALLIS I'm Octo.
Der. 1881. more than six years later.
These six years were spent i'm avoid.
ing battle There was one brilliant
sortio-the Sattlo Of Trenton. Uut the
3 history OF his camraisns is the his.
tory Of al-illful retreats. Ike Chat .tch
followed Trenton, rearguard actions.
defensive fght5 when attacked. disas.
trous offensive movements like that
en- Germantown
Ho had mo government behind him
only o loose Confederation Of colo
MES. which refused U.s. pay ueir leye-
and let him at enc time with q dis
c0uraeed remus7t OF only Zoo sob
diors RE avoided battle with the rrit
ish. he used ere arts OF tl. indian
bghter ard shppc4 orr or the r.r
jnws az disaster. he moved from uIac,
% place. 6ut &C. csuil not es.da hu
ger. cold. rah-0nees. d.as us.an. Is
cOuragc melt These mot h.m u frouta