"First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." Those are the memorable words spoken nearly 200 years ago by Henry Lee, a friend and confidante of our first president.
Lee and many others -- before and since -- have put pen to paper to describe George
Washington. Their encomiums differ, their emphases are not always the same, yet all share a
profound appreciation that George Washington was a uniquely disciplined public servant whose
guiding principles and dedication to country helped make America what it is today.
As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of George Washington's death, it's interesting to note several of the many statements written about this great man:
John Adams in a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush: "The history of our revolution will be ... that Dr. Franklin's electric rod smote the earth and out sprang General Washington. That Franklin electricized him with his rod, and hence-forward these two conducted all the policy negotiations, legislatures and war."
Abigail Adams in a letter to her husband, July 6, 1775: "I was struck with General Washington ... Dignity with ease, ... the Gentleman and the Soldier look agree[e]ably blended in him. Modesty marks every line and feature of his face."
Marquis de Chastellux, a Frenchman who served in the American Revolution as a major general in Rochambeau's army: "A hero in a republic, he excites another sort of respect which seems to spring from the sole idea that the safety of each individual is attached to his person ... The goodness and benevolence which characterize him are evident in all that surrounds him, but the confidence that he calls forth never occasions improper familiarity."
Thomas Jefferson: "His temper was naturally irritable and high toned; but reflection and resolution had obtained a firm and habitual ascendancy over it."
"He was, in every sense of the words, a wise, good, and a great man ... The whole of his character was in its mass perfect ... And it may be truly said, that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a man great... Washington errs as other men do, but errs with integrity ... his name will triumph over time and will in future ages assure its just station among the most celebrated worthies of the world."
Henry ("Light-Horse Harry") Lee in a memorial address given two days after Washington's death: "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life ... the purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues."
Chief Justice John Marshall: "Our Washington is no more. The Hero, the Sage, and the Patriot of America -- the man on whom in times of danger every eye was turned, and all hopes were placed -- lives now only in his own great actions, and in the hearts of an affectionate and afflicted people."
Daniel Webster, June 17, 1843: "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."
Ralph Waldo Emerson in his diary, 1852: "The head of Washington hangs in my dining- room .... and I cannot keep my eyes off it. It has a certain Appalachian strength, as if it were truly the first fruits of America and expressed the Country. The heavy, leaden eyes turn on you, as the eyes of an ox in a pasture. And the mouth has gravity and depth of quiet, as if this man had absorbed all the serenity of America, and left none for his restless, rickety, hysterical countrymen."
Abraham Lincoln: "Washington is the mightiest name on earth -- long since mightiest in the cause of civil liberty; still mightiest in moral reformation. On that name no eulogy is expected. It cannot be. To add brightness to the sun, or glory to the name of Washington, is alike impossible. Let none attempt it. In solemn awe pronounce the name, and in its naked deathless splendor, leave it shining on."
As we celebrate the anniversary of George Washington's death, may Washington live on in our hearts with affection and appreciation. As families across the district, let's take the opportunity this year to celebrate this illustrious public servant: If you play charades, add George Washington to your repertoire. If you are in school, ask your teacher to devote a class or more to our nation's first president. When you visit the school or public library, ask it to display books and art work which our First President inspired.
Mount Vernon has also offered an excellent idea. In George Washington's day, it was
customary to toast individuals at table and then join in with a hearty huzzah. Mount Vernon has
supplied a toast prepared by John Adams which I reprint below. Try if out for size at your next meal
and, when you are finished, be sure to end your toast with the typical colonial finale -- huzzah.
| "George Washington, Commander of the American armies, who, like Joshua of old, commanded the sun and the moon to stand still, and they obeyed him. To George Washington, Huzzah!" |
You said it! Huzzah!
