Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08

hold upon the people. This interest
strongly increases with the years, as
shown in the number Of new books and
leading articles published each year.
Every new item found, important or
| insignificant, becomes at once OF ma
tional interest. His fame increases with
! the yearS. On the other hand, WASH
| ington, being farther removed in time as
well as being personality, as 1t were,
| set apart from the common run of our
population, does not so wildly reach
| the common heart of America, since In
his day America as known today did
| not exist. and was yet to be. 1t may
/ be strange, but nevertheless true, that
| universal participation In the benefits
of good government does not only dull
our appreciation, but is apt to blind us
to Its sources. There is danger that our
people cannot fully realize the en-
ormously important contribution of the
founder to our national welfare. Waiv-
ing his achievement as a general in
winning our independence. which was
given first rank as a leader in war by
the best thought of Europe, I will deal
only with his influence as a construc-
tive statesman, builder, first as
President Of the Constitutional Conven-
ton and later as the first President pro-
| vided for in the Constitution to launch
| the new government under that Con-
stitution. BY these achievements Wash
| ington is given first rank among the
worlds leaders in the work Of Nation
building.
Balance Of Government.
The age-long struggle in government
has been to reach q proper balance be-
tween two vitality conflicting theories of
government-central authority and local
| self-government Both are essential,
1 hut ~ AZ 70 R1aa
clusion Of the other is fatal. Too great
| freedom In the latter means anarchy.
| as displayed in the early history of
Greece. Too great authority or power
| In the former means monarchy. as dis
| played in the early history Of Rome
| The failure to find a reconciliation be-
tween strong central government in the
interest Of law and order, on the one
hand, and local self-government in the
interest Of liberty, on the other. was
! the rock upon which all popular gov
eminent was up to that time broken
down. The record detailing the con-
f1ict between the two forces supplies the
major portion of the worlds history so
far as government is concerned. It is
true that some progress toward a solu-
ton Of this problem was made by our
British ancestry, but not until that
portion Of the Anglo-Saxon peoples who
fled the shores of Europe to find new
world undertook the task of the
sented a plan of successful solution
1t involved the scheme Of double
sovereignty, an American idea, where
the central government was to be
sovereign in all matters pertaining to
all the states Of the federation, and the
states to be sovereign in all matters per-
tanning to distinctly local interests.
This contamination was not accidental
nor incidental, but the result of con-
test of giants in the convention that
gave us our organic law. No other item
than the principle of double sovereignty
as displayed in the records of the de-
bates of the Constitutional Convention
between the advocates of national gov
eminent and those of federal govern
ment. 1t was fortunate that an aggre-
CATION Of men unequaled in ability or
sagacity, power Of reasoning and wis
dom of conclusion counseled together
over these principles of government in
building Nation without a model in
history or a parallel among men. These
men ably attacked this problem of
reconciliation between central authority
and local government. The best ex-
ponent Of the first was Hamilton, and
the best exponent of the latter was
Jefferson. OF course, 1t Is we'll under
stood that Jefferson was not in the con-
vention, but he had a spokesman in
James t1adison, who is properly known
as the father of the Constitution" The
importance of each of these principles
of government depends upon the recog-
milton OF the other. Each unrestrained
by the other would have been fatal
Too much power would spell monarchy,
and too much liberty would end in
anarchy. The one supreme need was
a genius with the intellectual acumen
to appreciate the value Of each prin-
ciple, and with power to compel its
recognition. That genius was wash
ington. No element in his character
| flashed more brilliantly than his in
huence over men. From the convention
where the plan of double sovereignty
was provided for he carried out the
principles in the administration Of gov
eminent as the first President by in
augurating the element of power
through Hamilton. as his leading
cabinet member at the head of the
Treasury; and the element of liberty
through Jefferson, as his first premier
at the head of our foreign relations in
the State Department The rivalry so
militant IN the convention did not end
with the adjournment of the convention.
but was carried over into administra-
ton, and continued as a contest of two
theories for the first 10 years of our
history, and only ended in a civil war
from which the Nation emerged, pre-
serving the two principles well balanced
as understood by Washington. It is
now all but universally recognized that
our form OF government, refined in the
heart Of debate and purified In the
fres OF civil war, Is the ultimate sys-
tenn OF popular government the world
over. Today the Washington system
mas in some form or other affected
every civilized power on the earth. In
fact, since the close of the Civil War
popular government has covered the
earth as the waters cover the sea. The
greatest comment on the craftsmanship
OF Washington Is the worldwide ac-
ceptance OF his ideas of popular gov
eminent. Great as is this contribution
to history, 1t is not at all inpossible.
but, on the contrary quite probable that
this prosperous American people: the
direct beneficiaries of this system of
government, have small appreciation
Of the debt they owe to Washington.
No element In national security is
more important than lively realization
OF the sources of its power. No
feature of perpeuity is more powerful
than a sentiment of patriotic devo-
tion TO great cause, and loyalty to
the leader of that cause. These
facts form the basis of a Nation-
wide celebration of Washington's
birth, which should, and doubtless will
eclipse an preceding celebrations UNI
| dertaking to do honor to a leader.
Owe Debt TO Founder.
Two hundred years after his birth,
1913 years after his death, and l43 years
after he inaugurated constitutional
Government, is q fitting time to call the
peoples attention to the debt they owe
to the founder of the Republic. Four
years ago a commission was created bv
| congressional resolution to provide for