Evening star., 1925-02-22
Human Qualities Enhance Spirit of Memor

through its portals. II they will but
strive TO learn the true history az
this first great American.
The common impression In this
country today is that as the fame or
Lincoln grows yearly more bright,
that OF Washington grows but the
more dim. not due to any unfavor-
able comparison of the two men. but
tosthe vital and compelling power of
the man who saved what the other
had established. The Memorial As
sociatlon VIII revive our deep interest
in the master of Mount Vernon.
1t is mistake to emasculate ro-
bust, courageous characters by a por-
trayal that renders them nothing less
than fawless, cold. plaster saint,
whose rigid uprightness leaves the
beholder awed, perhaps. but resent
lul, TOO, at such frigtd perfection 1t
is result of hero worship, no doubt,
but it defeats its own purpose. And
l'this has been the manner of our treat
ment of Washington. Let US exam
Inc the case of the man who Is yearly
throwing greater fascina ton over
the hearts of his countrymen, TO see
whether reason can be found that
| Is fundamental
Out of the life story Of Abraham
Lincoln has been fashioned an epic toe
thrill the hearts of the world. His
name VIII go singing down the agesS
set to the matchless music of his hu-
man qualities in its minor strains and
IN us major to the deeds that give
MIN his immortal greatness Indeed
posterlty can say of him what Octa-
Vlus said OF the dead Brutus that Ma
ture might stand UP and saw to ALI
the world that this was a man. His
temple mas become a shrine In whose
1 q low
In poignant beauty trenchant enough
TO pierce the Pilgrims care<dulIed
| patriotism, so that its smolderirg
nres burst forth with renewed life.
| But into this epic went the little
warm humanities Of the man: his
meager youth, his shattered romance.
ms struggles with poverty. his efforts
to secure an education, his genial de-
hsnt IN anecdotes, his love of truth
and honesty, his courage and daring
ana the tenderness of a great heart
| ouroened as few hearts have aver
peen. NO word, no contact no deed. is
omitted and the flame of his life
shlnes beaconwise across a weary
"oilo led by the manifold currents
Oils, Oh ms human ways as well as of his
| "isoom and his greatness. Thera IL
no repellent touch in all this master
piece inscribed Lincoln; he grips the
| INA aglnatlon and the dreams Of mon
with a power that is olympic. evan sg
ne dWeIls among US, moving IN hi.
lonely fashion through the routfn. NJ
our common days.
IHoW vast the difference in the
treatment we have accorded tbe
nrst great American. man as human
and as red-blooded as Abraham Lin
coln' and what loss thereby have we
recorded in our national ledger of
history! We need to learn how IN
portray Washington in terms OF HIS
warm humanities, his stern justices
ms little vanities, his unvaried cour
tesles. MS power to evaluate men. his
stanch courage and LOYALTY und.r
brutal attack, his dependence me-
minds like those of Hamilton. K,ox
ana Jenerson, his love Affairs. his
avoidance Of ostentatIon. his true as-
sociation with his mother. which was
almost negligible thing, in order To
uestroy the bleak-eyed plaster saint
INTO which mere legends have turned
I'm, ano snow an American as worthy
warm admiration as Is Lincoln.
1T is useless to compare ths
men, for their personal eouatIons
make them antipodal: each presided
over an age and each has won n
tame that Is genuine and sure. In
the case OF Washington we need 70
rescue him from the rubbish heap OF
ieeeho tnat we have thrown about
MN ooscnring his true self and
cheating him Of his own strength.
The schoolroom has been the sculp
tor that has fashioned Washington
into plaster saint out of the stun
that legends are made of. The last
decade, however, has seen improve
ment-ln the writing of histories. and
teachers are accustomed to do more
research work than was done in for
mer times. There is still room for
improvement, however, that this mis-
deed that has been done to a great
many may be righted. In order TO
do that his letters must be read as
well as his diary and his ledger to
form correct estimate OF the man
One marvels not little that the
obvious Is so often not observed. Let
a class of boys study the life of Ma
poleon Historians deal Squarely with
him, for they keep a critical eye
upon all his acts, with the result that
the students see him a human being
little as well as great) and they
seek outside information, debate him,
admire him, dislike him and deduce
most vivid opinions concerning him,
while the same class on the subject
dutiful, but tame as a broken colt.
1t is not the military glamour that
makes the difference; 1t Is the vivid
portrayal OF the man. his faults, his
foibles, his genius, his daring, his
personality, and that Is exactly what
we have cheated Washington of-his
vivid, colorful self, his peculiarities,
his individuality. Let the facts, all
the facts, be presented In his case,
and students will delight in bis por-
trayal, will debate him, will thrill to
his splendid qualities and will honor
his steady allegiance to the Nation
he builded through storm and strain.
And while we are about 1t, let's re-
frain from holding Washington up
to the youth OF the land as model
> in everything he did; any live boy or
!, girl is not overfond Of a model, and
Washington was as human as 1t. Is
given high-minded man to be. He
: was ever careful in advising the
: nieces and nephews and his step
. | children who came, under his super
: vision, to tell them the truth. to ad-
: : NIT that he had made mistakes and
. to state that he could expect from
|. them, not perfection, but only the
: department inherent in their youth
, and inexperience.
lone needs only to READ his journal
to erase from the mind the alb
surd story concerning his hawlsss
/: veracity, as one needs only to listen
: to a mother warn her children against
r STORYTELLING when she herself prsc-
: tices daily little deceptions with
!. them which their relentless straight