Remembering George Washington

By Brother Rogers
His likeness is on the one dollar bill and the quarter. The nation’s capital bears his name, as does the only state named for an American. It would seem that George Washington, the founder and father of our country, has received his due.
However, given the passage of 200 years, Washington today seems cold, distant and impersonal. Some modern writers have even portrayed him as a mere political figurehead. More significant, they say, are Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and Adams.
A look at the historical record reveals that Washington truly was the indispensable man both during the Revolutionary War and the early years of the republic. During his time and until just a few generations ago, Washington was viewed with reverence and awe. He deserved this boundless admiration and still does today.
For 24 years, from his taking command of the Continental Army to his death in 1799, Washington was the most influential man in the United States. That length of time is the equivalent of six presidential terms! He had no rivals.
Any one of his great accomplishments during that time would have been enough to make him an American hero. He continually answered the call to public service and was a leader in all the great events of his day.
Washington was elected commander in chief by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 due to his fame as a fighter in the French and Indian War. He served without pay, asking only that Congress cover his expenses.
While some have criticized his generalship (Washington lost more battles than he won), he realized that he could win by outlasting the British. He survived four British commanders in chief.
Nearly every revolution has ended in tyranny (e.g. France, Russia, Cuba). The American Revolution could have as well. In 1783, the army was rebellious because it had not been paid. Alexander Hamilton informed Washington that the army intended to use its bayonets “to procure justice to itself.” Europe had predicted that popular rule would result in chaos and anarchy.
Washington would not allow it. In a moving speech, he convinced the army to back down, thus saving the United States from tyranny and civil discord. Thomas Jefferson commented later, “The moderation and virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish.”
In 1787, Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention, which transformed the American government without a second revolution. Afterwards, he became the only man to win a unanimous vote for president in the Electoral College, not once, but twice.
Washington’s personal secretary wrote that he had had “occasions to be with him in every situation…and I declare that I have never found a single thing that could lessen my respect for him. A complete knowledge of his honesty, uprightness, and candor in all his private transactions has sometime led one to think him more than a man.”
The most salient criticism of Washington is that he was a slave owner (in a world where slavery was accepted). However, it is worth noting that in his will Washington freed the 123 slaves at Mount Vernon who belonged to him – a rare act in eighteenth century America. Even in death, he set a moral example.
Washington was a great public figure who impressed an impressive group of contemporaries. His example can continue to inspire us today, if only we will let it.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works at the Stennis Center for Public Service.
His likeness is on the one dollar bill and the quarter. The nation’s capital bears his name, as does the only state named for an American. It would seem that George Washington, the founder and father of our country, has received his due.
However, given the passage of 200 years, Washington today seems cold, distant and impersonal. Some modern writers have even portrayed him as a mere political figurehead. More significant, they say, are Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and Adams.
A look at the historical record reveals that Washington truly was the indispensable man both during the Revolutionary War and the early years of the republic. During his time and until just a few generations ago, Washington was viewed with reverence and awe. He deserved this boundless admiration and still does today.
For 24 years, from his taking command of the Continental Army to his death in 1799, Washington was the most influential man in the United States. That length of time is the equivalent of six presidential terms! He had no rivals.
Any one of his great accomplishments during that time would have been enough to make him an American hero. He continually answered the call to public service and was a leader in all the great events of his day.
Washington was elected commander in chief by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 due to his fame as a fighter in the French and Indian War. He served without pay, asking only that Congress cover his expenses.
While some have criticized his generalship (Washington lost more battles than he won), he realized that he could win by outlasting the British. He survived four British commanders in chief.
Nearly every revolution has ended in tyranny (e.g. France, Russia, Cuba). The American Revolution could have as well. In 1783, the army was rebellious because it had not been paid. Alexander Hamilton informed Washington that the army intended to use its bayonets “to procure justice to itself.” Europe had predicted that popular rule would result in chaos and anarchy.
Washington would not allow it. In a moving speech, he convinced the army to back down, thus saving the United States from tyranny and civil discord. Thomas Jefferson commented later, “The moderation and virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish.”
In 1787, Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention, which transformed the American government without a second revolution. Afterwards, he became the only man to win a unanimous vote for president in the Electoral College, not once, but twice.
Washington’s personal secretary wrote that he had had “occasions to be with him in every situation…and I declare that I have never found a single thing that could lessen my respect for him. A complete knowledge of his honesty, uprightness, and candor in all his private transactions has sometime led one to think him more than a man.”
The most salient criticism of Washington is that he was a slave owner (in a world where slavery was accepted). However, it is worth noting that in his will Washington freed the 123 slaves at Mount Vernon who belonged to him – a rare act in eighteenth century America. Even in death, he set a moral example.
Washington was a great public figure who impressed an impressive group of contemporaries. His example can continue to inspire us today, if only we will let it.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works at the Stennis Center for Public Service.