The Cordova daily times., 1922-02-22
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY g, 1922
WASHINGTON's BIRTHDAY

Today is the birthday of that son of Virgin ia and of old stock of the British isles, without whose high endeavor and fortitude there would possibly not be upon the earth today United States of America.
 It is worth our while from time to time, ev- en in an irreverent and forgetful age, to re- mind ourselves what price was paid by those who went before us for the heritage we enjoy and what virtues were practiced by them to make that payment possible and to complete their purchase.
 Washington was of type that might fare Ill at the polls these days. lie was austere with an austerity that some of hls contempor- aries termed arrogance, lie was dlgnl1led with a dignity that would i'll fit the manners of the hustings and appeals for voters today. He believed in the leadership of those whose attainments qualified them for leadership. lie thought that education and experience i'll hand ing large private affairs useful to men 1n- trusted with large public affairs.
 Under the control of an iron will he had vlo- lent passions which now and again flamed out at cowardice or demogagurey or corruption.
 On the same day the country celebrates the birthday of two great Americans who rendered distinguished service to their country, though in widely different fields-George Washington and James Russell Lowell. The first President was an inheritor, defender and perpetrator of a great tradition. As a revolutionary leader he differs in an extraordinary degree from all others of the class A quiet and reserved gentlemen, rich for the times in which he lived conservative by nature, abundantly satisfied with his state and condition with no fondness e.. ,lc cfr tO a. tive theories, and quite without personal am bition, he is perhaps the last man that would have been expected to lead revolutionary movement Yet it was to the personality of this man that were due the victory in the field and he still greater victory that was won when the Constitution was adopted and the founda- tions of our naional life were laid. Speaking in 1882, on the centenary of Washington s birth, Daniel Webster said::
 "The world was to see whether society could by the strength of this (the representative) principle maintain its own peace and good government, carry forward its own great in- terests, and conduct itself to political renown and glory. By the benignity of Providence, this experiment, so full of interest to us and to our posterity forever so full of interest, in deed to the world, in it's present generation and in all it's generations to come, was suf- fered to commence under the guidance of Washington. Destined for this high career, he was fitted for it by wisdom, by virtue, by patriotism, by discretion, by whatever can in- spire confidence in man toward man. In en- tering on the untried scenes, early disappoint- ment and the premature extinction of all hope of success would have been certain had it not been that there did exist throughout the coun- try, in a most extraordinary degree an unwav- ering trust in him who stood at the helm.'
 Wisdom, virtue patriotism and discretion such are the qualities ascribed by Webster to the first President There are many others quite as foreign to the typical revolutionary character such as calmness, serenity, modera- tion and deliberation. But he was more and greater than revolutionist, for he was build CT and creator His problem was, not simply the creation of nation, but the molding of a people into one. He was the very embodiment of the principle of self government, for he was