Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-22
MANY ELOQUENT TRIBUTES
PAID TO GEORGE WASHINGTON
Pictures of Nation First President Com
piled From Many Sources to Mark
Today's Celebration.

| lest his country should suffer. answer
Tense. of which others are to reap the
glory; guarding the long coast with
ceaseless vigilance and watching
chance to strike the enemy in front
tary- to the civil power; a dictator, as
mindful of the rights Of tories as of the
wrongs of wings: statesman COM
manding. the revolutionary army; a
self; this is he whose extraordinary vir-
| tues only have kept the army from
disbanding and saved his countrys
cause. Modest in the midst of pride;
wise in the midst Of folly; calm in the
| midst Of passion: cheerful in the midst
iof gloom; steadfast among the waVer-
| ing; hopeful among the despondent;
bold among the timid; prudent among
the rash; generous among the selfish; true
among the faithless greatest among good
men and best among the great Such
was George Washington at Valley Forge"
! At another birthday celebration this
eulogy was given: Washington de-
serves to be held in the memory of
| every American as an object of devout
veneration. His military training was
obtained in fighting under the British
flag against the French in the i'll
starred Braddock expedition. and he
became in this practical school of ex-
perience the best American soldier OF
his time and a better one than any one
of our West Point graduates. When the
| colonies revolted against the tyranny
| of the government of the third King
| George of England he was instantly
elected as the chief of
Quoted his campaigns, with raw troops.
opposed to the best of England. through
trials surprising any by which COM
mander was. ever beset. until the final
1
| October 10. 1871. He took leave OF the
army November 2. 1888. When fnaugu-
rated the first President of the United
| States, and during the second term, his
| ideal was the common good. For that
| he gave his time and strength unstint-
eddy, rfsked his all and withdrew only
when the government was so well es-
| tablished that it would not suffer from
his retirement, leaving this timely adj
vice to US now: Against the insidious
wiles of foreign influence the jealousy
of free people ought to be constantly
awake. The great rule of conduct for
us in regard to foreign nations is in ex-
tending our commercial relations to
| have as little political connection as
possible. And emphasizing our de-
tached and distinct situation he con-
| tinued: Why forego the advantages of
| so peculiar situation? Why quit our
own to stand upon foreign ground?
| Why, by Intervening our destiny with
| that of any part Of Europe. entangle
our peace and prosperity in the tolls of
European ambition. rivalship, humor or
caprice" At that time the French and
English were graphing with each other
for the dominion of the whole earth,
| contrary to the Scriptures. for the holy
Bible tells us The heavens are the
Lords. but the earth hath He given to
the children of men; not all of this
| planet to Englishmen, or Frenchmen,
but for all to enjoy in the places al
| lotted Them"
d s. u e
| A very able writer. commenting on
Washington's farewell address in 1914
said: 1T is really the far-sightedness
of the farewell address, it's large group
of the possibilities of the then young
ence through all this wonderful CEN
fury. Steam and electricity have al
tered the conditions under which it was
written, but they have not changed the
principles on which it is based-the
principles of national honor. of public
virtue, of liberty and law that must
| be the basis of national prosperity And
ashington was no mere prea cher. He
himself so marvelously met all the de-
| mands of situation of infinite difficult
| ties. military and civil, and of compli-
cations that in their times were as per-
I picking as those his successors have
mad to meet, that we still can take him
safely as a guide. The strength and
uprightness of his character, his Judi
clal calm. his answering integrity and
his absolutely unselfsh devotion to his
country and it's Hberties-these are
qualities that can never be obsolete, and
never were more worthy of emulation
Ethan today"
A Philadelphia paper of last Febru-
| airy said: For some strange reason
nothing has been written Of the i'm
| portant event when, in 1888 George
Washington was made a doctor of law,
! o. of his connection with the Univer-
sity OF pennsylvania. Few know how
! intimate this was, and many believe the
| honor conferred upon so great a man
| was perfunctory and the natural out
come OF hero worship. He was present
at commencements in 1875 and 1882,
and while presiding over the constitu-
tional convention in 1887 attended a
reading for charity in the college hall.
| and again, when James Wilson opened
the law school. December Is, $780, Presi-
! dent Washington attended to hear his
| Introductory lecture. On account of the
presence of the Continental Congress
| the commencement of 1775 was nota-
| Bile one. AS member of the Congress
| came Col. George Washington dele
gate from Virginia, who was to be
called within a month to the command
| of his country's army"
& . s. Il
i'uL ~ was ilpI uItlll the close OIL the
war the honorary degree was con-
ferred. The Pennsylvania Packet of
July -. 1888, gives this account: "On
the Atm instant, being the anniversary
OF American independence COM
rrencement was held at the university
| in this city before q very crowded as
scmbly, number of the principal Of
fcers of state. part of his excelleccy
the French minister's family and a
| great concourse OF most respectable
citizens politely countenancsng and
giving elegance to the literary enter
talnment. The faculty and trustees.
ceslrous OF showing every mark of dis
JUNCTION to the illustrious ma n to whom
America is exceedingly indebted, con-
Ierred upon his excellency Gen George
washington. esq, commander-in-chief
or the American army, the degree of
doctor of law"
| washington could not be present to
receive his degree. as he was at the
tlme on visit to the northern part of
New y ork state, SO that it was not until
december. 1888, the trustees and facul-
| " delivered an address of "congratula-
tlon 10 him on the establishment Of
peace and their obligation to enroll his
celebrated name in the catalogue of her
sons, this university presents your ex-
ceilency with her highest honors and
JOINS the wreath of science to the
iaurels of the hero" The whole ad :
dress and Washington's reply are most
interesting, but too lengthy for inser-
ton. In the library of the University
or pennsylvania there hangs a photo
I dIr1r