Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-03-05


titude toward the President-elect
on the eve of his inaugural
During great national crisis,
such the current depression
ill-feeling may be engendered in the campaign
which may result in bitter life long hatreds be-
tween men prominent in public life. Often
this animosity takes the form of organized OPP
position to the President.
Particularly is ill-feeling rife when the con-
dition of the country is actually critical at the
time Of the Inauguration and this has been
true only few times in our history.
When George Washington was unanimously
selected as the first President of the United
States he was confronted with an undertaking
intrnsicaly more dangerous than any he had
ever attempted. 1t was his duty to establish
precedents along every line of government.
America had no tradition on which he could
rely; it had no historical documents to which
he could refer. His administration had, there
Gre to depend largely on the ability, character
I'D Intelligence of one man. No other Presi-
dent has ever assumed Office under more try
n5 conditions. Washington was the cynosure
O. all eyes, and his every action would be sub
< ted to relentless criticism.
n the first place, his position as President
was in itself, unstable, and not very we'll de-
fined in the Constitution. Was he purely
sc-7ant of the people or the ruler of a nation?
IL Ills Qldry we ma amusing references TO MS
difficulties in determining how much of his
time should be devoted to answering his volu-
mnous correspondence and meeting the many
private citizens who came to give advice on
national affairSl
But this aspect of his Office was the least
important He had to establish systems of
tariff. trade and tax regulations which would
be satisfactory to people of widely diversified
interests and temperament. In this undertake
iy1cy he Iopd inon al Iv fhn
SIGN to everr form of Taxation without rep
resentation" and already the struggling Nation
was evidencing disapproval of tax systems
which had been suggested.
Then there was the important question OF
Estates rights" Were the States loosely
bound entities or inseparable parts of the Fed
eral Union?
All of these questions required infinite tact
and rare delicacy of judgment in their admin
istration. And washington realized, as ne
made that historic and triumphant journey
from his spacious Potomac mansion to the ma
tiCnal capital in New York, that the same
voices that were now raised in universal &C
calm would soon be demanding his resigna-
ton.
In his first inaugural address Ito Congress)
he said:
ION the one hand, ,Dds summoned by nv
country, Dhose Doice can neper hear but
Nth generation and lone, from retreat tDtich
had chosen Nth the tondest prediction, and
in my flattering hopes, 1Dith an immutable de-
cision as the asylum OF my declining yedrs-d
retreat Which 1Uds rendered every day more
necessary, as 1ceH as more dear to me, BY the
addition of habit to inclination, and of frequent
interruptions in my health to the gradual ,Oaste
committed ON it by time. On the other hand,
the magnitude and difficulty OF the trust to
Which the Uoice of my country called me, being
sufficient to a,oaken in the pisest and most
experienced of her citizens distrusttM scru-
tiny into his qualifications, could not but ouer-
ao1elm ,pith dependence one ,oho (inheritin0
inferior endoDments from nature and unprac-
ticed in the duties OF ciril administrator
ought to be peculiarly conscious of his DUN de-
ticiencies."
As the country grew and expanded westward
the national outlook became less centralized.
new nation growing up in the West-a
nation of daring, adventurous pioneers who
hewed sturdy, progressive little communities
from rich forests. Their ideals and opinions
were entirely different from those Of the staid
K