Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-11-17
THE LAST WILL OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON
TEXT OF HARDING'S ADDRESS,
WHO WISHES U. s. WOULD
STUDY AND FOLLOW 1T.


President Harding dedicated the
structure as "a gathering place for
Americans; where American minds
begin the fulfillment of one of the
striking provisions of the last will
of George Washington which set
aside bequest for the founding of
an institution to disseminate learn
ing, culture and proper under
standing of right principles in gov
eminent"
The presidents address was Civ
en- largely to an analysis of the less
well-known attributes of the first
president which, he said, made
sonal sidX very model of good cit
izenship."
at is an impressive fact" Mr..
Harding said, worthy of our espe-
cial thought, that in the century and
half since Washington became the
leader, the heart and soul, of it's
struggle for independence and un-
ity, this nation has so many times
found occasion to record devotion to
the precents which he laid down for
its guidance. So today, after more
than century's delay, we are come
to pay tribute to the foresight which
first encouraged and endowed the
institution here established--an in
stitution which is to be alike mon
ument to those who sacrificed in
noble cause, and beacon to show
afar the light of useful knowledge
and grateful understanding among
men.
''It has seemed to me that our
studies of Washington have been too
much from those public sides from
which we view him. think it may
be said that If on the one side Wash
ington was the great personal force
that wrenched apart the two chief
branches of the English-speaking
race, he was on the other the great
est personal factor in saving this
continent to Anglo-Saxon domina-
ton and in doing that he contribut-
ed very greatly to making possible
the wide-flung family of English
speaking nations. If as leader of the
revolving colonies in rs, this time
aided by France, he tore them from
the grasp of England, 1t is equally
true that two decades earlier he had
saved them from the possible domi-
nation of France.
Great in Many Ways
"But among the documents
which attest his wisdom, there is
one to which little study has been
given. Imean this last will and tes-
lament.
washington was not only a great
soldier and great statesman: he
was also a man of great business af-
fairs, and an eminent humanitarian.
Provident and always methodical, he
amassed a fortune, which has been
rated by many as the greatest of his
time in all the country. But plainly
1t was not his belief that society is
best served by the transmission from
generation to generation of such inn
posing aggregates OF wealth. There
for his will, after devising minor and
largely sentimental requests to many
relatives and friends, directed that
the residuary estate should be diyid-
ed into twenty-three equal shares TO
be distributed among the heirs whom
he named.
Washington, as a model citizen,
shines forth with peculiar radiance
from his last testament. The first
provision is that his debts shall be
paid promptly. All the world needs
the example of kept obligations. The
second item makes generous provis-
ion for his wife; and then comes the
direction at her death that all his
slaves shall be given freedom.
Next follow devises of funds to
aid education of poor or orphaned
children, and for the endowment of
University in a central part OF the
United States Another specific be-
quest goes to Liberty Hall Academy.
now Washington and Lee university,
at Lexington, Va. A list of debtors
are forgiven their debts. To each of
five nephews he gave one OF his
swords with AN injunction not to
unsheath them for the purpose OF
shedding blood except 1t be for self
defense or in defense of their coun-
try and its rights, and in the latter
case to keep them unsheathed and
prefer falling with them in their
hands to the REIMBURSEMENT there
off, There is no selection of words
wherewith more eloquently to ex-
press the full duty and obligation OF
good citizen to his country.
"Let us be thankful that the spirit
of that injunction has been borne in
mates it even to this day.
An Inspiration TO Harding
"As a charter of good citizenship
and patriotic purposes this last will
and testament has been an inspira-
ton many times to me. l commend
its thoughtful reading to whovere
would emulate his example. Indeed,
as we are gathered here, representa-
tives of grateful and reverent ma
ton, to signaliZe the contamination
of one more public benificence in
spired by him, can think Of moth
ing more appropriate than to urge
the study of the farewell address
and the last will and testament, as
compliments of each other. Neither
OF them can be fully applied without
the other. The farewell address was
the final ADMIRATION of the soldier,
the statesman the founder.
"The will and testament was the
last word of the christian citizen.
the loving husband, the devoted
kinsman-and the provident man OF
business.
al am prone to believe they con-
tain a chart by which the captains
and pilots of a world in distress,
seeking harborage from battering
storms and raging unknown deeps,
might we'll lay the course of civil
ization itself
"Within a brief century and a
half, the American people under
Washington's inspiration have Great
ed a great nation, added to the
dominion of liberty and of opportun-
ity, and we may hope. afforded
helpful example to the world. 1t
has not been accomplished without
heavy sacrifices. At fearful cost we
had to wipe out an ambiguity in the
constitution and re-establish union
where disunion threatened. In