The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-02-17

sure these gentlemen that it is a much easier and
distressing thing to draw up remOnstrances in
Il comfortable room by a good tireside than to Oc-
cupy a cold. bleak hill and sleep under frost and
snow without clothes or blankets. However, al
though they seem to have little feeling for the
naked and distressed soldiers, I feel supera-
bundantly for them, and from my soul l pity those
miseries which it is neither in my power to relieve
nor prevent
Washington made persistent efforts to get a
guaranty of half pay for his officers after the war,
himself having no personal interest in the. meas
ure; he had declared from the first that he would
never profit by it to the amount of a single penny.
He deprecated constantly the jealousy of the mill
tary part of the government by the civil depart
ment.
"If we would pursue n right system of policy"
he wrote to q member of congress, sin my opinion,
there would be none of these distinctions. we
should all, congress and army, be considered as one
people, embarked in one cause, in one interest
acting on the same principle and to the same end"
THAT I have not been able to make bows to the
taste of poor Colonel B. (who, by the way, l believe
never saw one Of theml is to be regretted he
wrote in a letter to David Stuart, especially as
upon these occasions they were indlscriminately be-
slowed, and the hest l was master of. Would lt
not have been better to throw the veil of charity
over them, ascribing their stiffness TO the effects of
age or to the unskillfulness of my teacher rather
than to pride and dignity of office, which, God
knows, has no charms for me? For l certainly
say I had rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend
or two about me than to be attended ut the seat
Of government by the officers of state and the rep
resentatives of every power in Europe
Washington explained that he had reception
hours every Tuesday from three to four O'Clock,
when gentlemen came and went, chatted with each
other and acted as they pleased.
AT their first entrance they salute me, and I
them and talk with as many as I can. What pomp
there is in all this l I'm unable TO discover. Per-
l.,- t. note ~, NOT Cittipr TT tIfS tyVO sons
are offered: 1t is unusual a more substantial one,
l have no room large enough to contain a third of
the chairs which would be sufficient 10 admit 1t. If
1t is supposed that Ostentation or the fashion OF
courts could give rise to this custom l will boldly
affirm that no supposition was ever more erroneous,
for if l were to give indulgence to my incllnations
every moment that I could withdraw from the ia
tlgue Of my station would be spent in retirement.
That It is not proceeds from the sense l entertain
Of the p~ropriety of giving to everyone as free ac-
cess as consists with that respect which is due
to the chair Of government, and that respect !
conceive is neither to be acquired nor preserved
but by observing a just medium between much
state and too great familiarity
In 1898 Washington, in his second term as presi
dent, wrote to congress that while he sought peace
and urged a faithful discharge of every duty to-
ward others, he prompt measures
not only for defense, but for inforcing just claims
There is q rank due the United States among
'Ah1A e1ASA' ''NN '@ ~ ''H|N' N
lutely lost, by the reputation Of weakness. If We
desire to avoid insult we must be able to repel it
if we desire to secure peace, one of the most pow
erful instruments Of our prosperity, it must b.
known that we are at all times ready for war;" h
wrote.
AS he wished to avoid war, so he also wishes t
avoid alliances which might jeopardize the peac
of the nation.
Against the insidious wiles Of foreign inGuenc
the jealousy of a free people ought to be constant
awake" he said warningly.
"The great rule of conduct for US In regard I
foreign nations is in extending our commercial II
lations to have as little political connection 6
possible.
"f we remain one people under an efficient go
eminent, the period is not far off when we me
deny material injury from external annoyance
when we may take such an attitude as will eau
the neutrality we may at any time be resolved upt
to be scrupulously respected when belligerents, u
der the impossibility of making acquisitions up,
us. win not lightly hazard the giving us provoC
ton when we may choose peace or war, as our
~terests, guided by justice, shall counsel"