Evening star., 1921-02-22
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
MaryIand and Virginia.
George Washington.

From more than mere naDit 10 lHe
American people pause annually to ob-
serve the day on which, in 1132,
George Washington was born. For 1t
has come to be recognized as duty
of citizenship to pay this tribute year
by year to the man to whom, of all
those who helped in the creation and
the maintenance of the republic, the
United States owes the most in re-
spect and affection.
1t is difficult to conceive what the
new union of the states would have
been without George Washington S
guidance and confidence and wisdom
of administration. 1t might have been
a failure. 1t might have been less
complete success than it proved. His
sagacity, his Judgment, his precision
of perception We're factors in the de-
velopment Of the republic. He had
able men in close association with
him. They loyalty served to the same
end as he. They devoted themselves
as unselfishly to the great task of
gent interests upon whose conflicts
the British crown relied confidently
for the failure of the American ex-
pertinent.
bility of the new venture. He had
served it in the field of war, through
trials greater than any American had
endured before. He realized, as per-
haps did few others, how grave was
the danger of dissolution through
jealousy and intrigue. He knew how
weak was the first plan of confedera-
ton, and to him was due in great
measure the success Of the effort to
substitute a more stable form Of or
ganization.
We think chiefly of Washington as
the soldier and the executive, and
rarely Of him as the creative states
man, the presiding officer Of the Con-
stitutional Convention, which was as
important an effort as any of the mill
tary victories or the initial construc-
tive enactments of the reorganized
Congress. In that assemblage Wash
ington was a force of the greatest
value. His counsel was uniformly
sound. That the structure built upon
the foundations then laid should re-
quire him as its chief factor was prob
ably not in his intimate calculations
as he sat during the anxious weeks Of
discussion as the chairman of a stout
ly contending body of delegates. Per-
sonal advantage or renown or reward
was nothing to him then. Yet he
valued the honor bestowed upon him,
valued it the more because it came to
him without contest or question.
A man Of less ability and smaller
soul would have displayed his short
comings in the exalted place to which
his countrymen called George Wash
ington. 1t was a severe test. For
the first time in history a man had
been chosen by his fellows to lead
them in their government on a large
scale. Democracy had been tried be-
fore, in the remote past, but had
failed 1t had never been tried before
30 largely, or in such conditions This
was no small, compact state that
elected man Of the people to take
command, but widely flung series Of
states, with a range In latitude great.
er than the whole Of central Europe.
1t required truly great man to fill
the role.
Washington was misunderstood by
some Of his countrymen while he en-
deavored to administer their affairs
with the dignity suitable to the posi-.
tion to which he was summoned.
Some of them accused him of aspir-
ing to monarchy; how unjustly is
well proved by his own acts and words.
He was by nature aristocratic in
style, in bearing and in thought. Yet
a truer democrat never lived He
had descended from a noble lineage.
cestry back to the kings Of France
and England Yet he had labored with
his hands. had titled the soil, had
worked without default in all manner
Of employments in his younger life.
He became, in office. the gentleman
Of the period and his demeanor some.
what Jared those of small under
standing who could not distinguish
between high character and unworthy
ambition.
Today. more than 121 years after
his death, George Washington is a
living reality to the millions who oh.
sserve his natal day. The government
Is quite a different sort Of organiza.
ton from that which he conceived as
possible. Wonderful changes have
taken place. A marvellous deyelop.
ment has come about in the course
of these many decades. Yet the figure
OF Washington remains vividly real
and human in the minds of the Ameri-
can people. He is not a mere tradi.
ton. His peculiarities OF character
are intimately known. His words are
currently quoted. His personal ap-
pearance is familiar. He is, indeed
living "in the hearts of his country.
men," And that is why on this an.
nual occasion the country pauses to
pay him the tribute Of gratitude and
respect and devotion.