Evening star., 1932-05-21
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH G.. BOWERMAN.

Bernard Fay, the distinguished French
historian, who specializes in United
States history, has made several visits
to this country, has lectured here and
was awarded the Jusserand medal of
the American Historical Association In
1928. His biography, Franklin: The
Apostle of Modern Times" published in
l929, Is considered by many critics the
best biography of Franklin. Prof. Fay'S
most recent work, very timely, George
washington: Republican AriStocrat," is
less comprehensive than the Frank
I'M and leaves much for the reader to
1lnd out from other sources. 1t is Sc
lectlve for the purpose of creating
picture and really does produce por-
Trait, not statue. He shows Washing
Ton as a lonely man, a man loving his
country intensely, able to work with his
fellow men, born for leadership, COM
pletely Identified with the Virginia aris-
tocracy of landowners. AS a piece of
literary art, as well as an unusually
successful biographical portrait, the book
Is one OF the best worth reading of the
past year.
Prof. Fay continually emphasizes the
TACT that Washington was not demo-
cratic in our modern sense, that he be-
heVed IN the leadership, under a repre-
sentative government, of the men of
social standing and property. On Feb
ruary %, 1881, DR.. Nicholas Murray
Butler, in speech, called Washington
the founder of our democracy and de-
Tended his use of the expression. In
the sense that Washington founded a
Seu-goVerning nation which has become,
1or good or i'll, more and more demo-
cratic, DR.. Butler has good case. BY
the death Of his half-brother Lawrence.
George Washington became the owner
OF Mount Vernon and prominent
member of the Virginia aristocracy. His
unusual personal abilities soon made
him leader of that aristocracy. After
the Braddock campaign, in the French
and Indian War, Washington was
reylled in Europe, but was, perhaps
partly for that reason, hero in the
colonies. Far from hurting him with
the Americans, the hatred of the French
and the jeering of the English stimu-
lated his compatriots' admiration for
him. He had become a national SYM
boil" Then he was appointed COM
mander In chief of the Virginia forces.
Fate was preparing the future COM
mander in chief of the Revolutionary
Army. 1t was as an aristocrat that
Washington led first the Virginia troops
and later the undisciplined and poorly
equipped and supported Army OF the
Revolution. 1t was also as an arlsto-
crat that he declined the crown which
was proposed for him by some OF his
officers in a coup d'etat. washington
was an aristocrat he saw clearly that
in America a leader once crowned king
by his troops was dedicated to dema-
gogy and disorder"
X x
Washington the politician interests
Prof Fay no less than Washington the
aristocrat As colonel of the Virginia
troops, George Washington was directly
responsible to Gov Dinwiddie, but he
was also obliged to follow instructions
of the Virginia Assembly and was
to the British general in
command in America. Thus Wash
ington carried on three correspond
with Dinwiddie, who dis
patched orders to him, in the beginning
friendly enough; one with John Robin
son, the president OF the Assembly, his
friend and protector, through whom
Washington often persuaded the As
sembly to give orders to DinWiddie; one
with Stanwix, then Loudoun, then Bou-
quet, by whom he was to be guided.
If these three authorities had been in
agreement, obedience would have been
simple enough, but. as they never ap-
peared to be, Washington's role became
all the more difficult, responsible and
ttcklish. Dinwiddie carried away
with him (when he returned to Eng
land) the memory OF an obstinate
young officer. hard to manage and
much too given over to political in
trigue He cherished less ill-w1ll toward
ingratitude than toward
that mixture of military stubbornness
and political cunning which he thought
he detected there. This trait of OBJ
his talent for understanding his own
kind assured Americas future" When
feelings of hostility toward England grew
more and more intense in the Colonies,
and the youthful Virginia aristocracy
was increasingly resenting the restric-
tions imposed by the older English
there were orators in
plenty, but no leader as yet. George
was in fair way to be-
come one. His superiority made
itself felt. He was more circumspect,
more cautious and stronger than the
others. He acted more quickly and TO
better effect While the others were
about the West he had
actually been there and knew the ter
ritory which lay on the other side OF
the mountains. While the others TAXED
of war and drilled their soldiers, he
had fought. . But Washington also
was feared. No one could make fool
of him. Among the easygoing gentle
men Of Virginia he was leader. He
had too often, by his naughty manner
and his violence, which struck cold,
put men in their places. No one trlgnt-
ened him. = He was not the theorlst
of the Revolution but its born leader.
= = He did not try to define the ReVo-
luton: it was his task to guide 1t.
habit of reticence mad
been noted by most of the members
Of the Continental Congress Whlch
made him commander in chief OF the
Revolutionary Army. He could never
be quoted. He had never praised tne
King, but, on the other hand, ne hao
never spoken i'll of him. He had never
Parliament, but he had never
asked the people to have commence IN
it, He had never advanced theory,
but had followed his instinct, which
was the popular instinct, and he had
been active. Among all these subtle
lawyers, preachers and merchants ne
was the only one who had the habit
of facing facts without preconceived
opinions" And so. in conclusion, when
Prof. Fay summarizes the character OF
he says that ne was no
only "a great soldier, great PRESIDENT,
a great sage" and the last OF the great
land barors," but also "the first OF the
great modern politicians who had an
Infallible instinct for public opinion"
X 4 x
When he was only years old Mo-
zart was discovered by his father COM
posing a concerto for the clavler Al
s the child virtuoso improvised at the
clavier before the Empress Maria teresa.
The whole story of this wonderful child
hood of genius and of the maturity
which followed is told with carefulness
and sympathy by Marcia Davenport IN
her biography Mozart" The personal
life of Mozart, apart from his music,
st.A NaV1