Feb. 22, Today is the anniversary of the birth of that. great American patriot, George Washington, the man who successfully Jed the American colonials in the War of Independence and who crowned that effort! by serving as President of the United States, for two terms. Because of existing conditions the observance of the day will be considerably modified as compared with other years, for never before has this anniversary come' round when the whole world hung on' the precipice of a universal war, and the chaos that would involve. Washington has almost ceased to be a historical figure and instead has become an American institution, and Daniel Webster, writing on the com-, pletion of the Bunker Hill monument rightly said:—
America has furnished to the world the character of Washington! And if our American institutions had done nothing else, that alone would have entitled them to the respect of mankind.
Speaking in an almost similar vein, Mr. Ed. Everett, a few years after Webster, said:
The character, the counsels and example of our Washington....they will guide us through the doubts and difficulties that beset usi they will guide our children and our children's children in the paths of prosperity and peace, while America shall hold her place in the family of nations.
But if these were the sentiments of Americans after Washington's death they were also the views of the greater part of the: 'American people during his lifetime, and though during his second term he was severely attacked by party leaders, etc,, until' the' idea of a third term of office was repugnant to him, there is very litle doubt indeed that had he run for a third term he would have won the day. In England of that day he was considered by. some to be merely a trai-for, but there were others who sympathized with the American cause, and were not afraid Parliament. Thus!
November 18, 1777: as Tam an Englishman while a foreign troop was lander in my country I never would lay' down my arms, never! never!—never!" Could a more sweeping endorsement of the action of the American colonials headed by Washington possibly have come from such' authoritative lips as those of the great statesman who has just been quoted?
The child who was born on this day 209 years ago was destined to fight in America for those very same principles of democracy which are now being defended in Europe and elsewhere, and which might, should they become further endangered mean that the} United States would also have to assume the task of actively protecting them by force of arms. It is to be hoped that that necessity will not arise. Indeed it is believed with confidence that it will not, but there cannot be the slightest doubt that the people of the United States, animated by the same spirit which inspired Washington to lead his fellow colonials against the oppressions of a badly advised English king, would swiftly rally to the standard if their democracy were to be in any way imperilled. Washington when he laid the foundation of the great American State built well as the world now sees, and) the people of the country have something, which is worth while defending at any} sacrifice.
'That is the reason why this anniversary} has its own particular significance. It may' be, though it is devoutly hoped not, that by' the time this holiday again comes round the Government of the United States will have been obliged to take fateful decisions which may involve the, protection of its rights, and possibly the freedom of the people it governs. Should they have to do that, the example of Washington's steadfast} courage will lead them to defend the glorious! heritage he bequeathed to them, the right to free speech, to justice, to liberty and all] that serves to raise men above the status of brute beasts and transforms them into! thinking beings. In days such as. these sympathy must go out to President Roosevelt] who having broken the tradition of eminent predecessor, is faced with problems much greater than the latter had to solve. He has already become a big figure in American history, but it is doubtful whether even he will succeed in supplanting Washington in the estimation of the people over whose destinies he has to preside.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.