Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-22
COOKED HAT AND KNEE
BREECHES OUT OF STYLE
But the Manliness of Washington, Which
They Clothed, Deserves Respect and
Emulation Today

Tt THE. spirits of the dead could revisit
L the glimpses OF the moon George Wash
ington would rise from his grave and
rcbukc those who are trying to obstruct
the progress of the world In his name.
1t is fitting that on this one hundred and
cighty.scventh anniversary of his birth We
should consider the principles which he
laid down in the light Of the knowledge we
have of the conditions prevailing at the
time.
The nation was young. II was isolated
from the Old world by three thousand
miles of ocean. equivalent now to twenty
five thousand miles. Communication was
slow and difficult. America was democratic
and Europe. with the exception of the
newly awakened France. was monarchlCal
and hostile to the experiment begun here.
Yet there we're many Americans who
wanted to go to the assistance of France
out of gratitude for what France had done.
and there were many other Americans who
IN spite of the war with England, we're
anxious to Join themselves and their coun.
try with the British.
Washington realized that If the new
nation was to establish itself 1t must keep
as far away as possible from cntangle-
ments with Europe. Consequently he
urged his countrymen In his famous Fare
well Address to avoid permanent alliances
with any power. Taking care always to
keep ourselves, by suitable establishments
on a respectable defensive posture" he
went on, we may safely trust to tempo.
rary alliances for extraordinary emergcn.
cies." The point for us to note today is
that Washington was statesman enough
to perceive that 1t was impossible for any
nation, even one so isolated as the United
States. 10 exist in permanent isolation
from the rest Of the world.
Washington understood also that no man
could tell whether the experiment which
he and his fellow countrymen had begun
would ultimately succeed. rs there
doubt" said he, whether a common gov.
eminent can embrace so large a sphere?
Let experience solve 1t. To listen to mere
speculation in such a case were criminal"
So he pleaded for support of the Constitu.
ton and patient loyalty to it in the conf,
dent hope that patriotic men with a com.
mon purpose would succeed In establishing
a free government over a large territory.
Men were as CRITICAL OF the ,onstltutlOn
then as they are now OF the draft OF the
charter for a league of nations. Although
the Constitution had been adopted. they
were afraid 1t would not work. The diff.
ferent states resented the invasion of their
sovereignty. They questioned the suprem.
acy OF Congress and the power of the
Supreme Court TO invalidate acts of the
State Legislatures. But John Marshall
came along and by a series of decisions
made A nation out of what had been a con.
series of jealous states. He succeeded
because ultimately the minds of men of all
parties came together on the great ques-
ton involved. Washington net the issues
OF his time and solved them In the light o.
the conditions which then prevailed, Just as
he would meet the issues Of today In the
light OF the cha nged world conditions. He
laid down policies based on the principle OF
fair play and justice to all. The principles
are eternal, but the policies change with the
progress Of the world toward complete
civilization.