An early biography helped to forge the enduring image of a humble yet tenacious president
This excerpt from “The Life of George Washington,” by David Ramsay, appeared in The Pittsburgh Gazette on Dec., 22, 1807
The integrity of Washington was incorruptible. — His principles were free from the contamination of selfish and unworthy passions. His real and avowed motives were the same. His ends were always upright and his means pure. He was a statesman without guile, and his professions, both to his fellow citizens and to foreign nations were always sincere. No circumstances ever induced him to use duplicity. He was an example of the distinction which exists between wisdom and cunning; and his manly, open conduct was an illustration of the soundness of the maxim — “that honesty is the best policy.”
The learning of Washington was of a particular kind. He overstepped the tedious forms of schools, and by the force of a correct taste and sound judgment, seized on the great ends of learning, without the assistance of those means which have been contrived to prepare less active minds for public business. By a careful study of the English language; by reading good models of fine writing, and above all, by the aid of a vigorous mind, he made himself master of a pure, elegant, and classical style. His composition was all nerve; full of correct and manly ideas, which were expressed in precise and forcible language. His answers to the innumerable addresses which on all public occasions poured in upon him, were promptly made, handsomely expressed, and always contained something appropriate. — His letters to Congress; his addresses to that body on the acceptance and resignation of his commission; his general orders as commander in chief; his speeches and messages as president; and above all, his two farewell addresses to the people of the United States, will remain lasting monuments of the goodness of his heart, of the wisdom of his head, and of the eloquence of his pen.
The powers of his mind were in some respects peculiar. He was a great, practical, self-taught genius; with a head to devise and a hand to execute, projects of the first magnitude and greatest utility.There are few men of any kind, and still fewer of those the world calls great, who have not some of their virtues eclipsed by corresponding vices. But this was not the case with general Washington. — He had religion without austerity, dignity without pride, modesty without diffidence, courage without rashness, politeness without affectation, affability without familiarity. His private character, as well as his public one, will bear the strictest scrutiny. He was punctual in all his engagements; upright and honest in his dealings; temperate in his enjoyments; liberal and hospitable to an eminent degree; a lover of order; systematical and methodical in all his arrangements. He was the friend of morality and religion; steadily attended on publick worship; encouraged and strengthened the hand of the clergy. In all his public acts he made the most respectful mention of Providence; and, in a word, carried the spirit of piety with him both in his private life and public administration.
Eminent equanimity
Washington had to form soldiers of freemen, many of whom had extravagant ideas of their personal rights. He had often to mediate between a starving army and a highspirited yeomanry. So great were the necessities of the soldiers under his immediate command, that he was obliged to send out detachments to seize on the property of the farmers at the point of the bayonet. The language of the soldier was — “Give me clothing, give me food, or I cannot fight, I cannot live.” — The language of the farmer was — “Protect my property.” In the choice of difficulties, gen. Washington not only kept his army together, but conducted with so much prudence as to command the approbation both of the army and citizens. He was also dependent for much of his support on the concurrence of thirteen distinct, unconnected legislatures. Animosities prevailed between his northern and southern troops, and there were strong jealousies between the states from which they respectively came. To harmonize these clashing interests, to make uniform arrangements from such discordant sources and materials, required no common share of address. Yet so great was the effect of the modest unassuming manners of gen. Washington, that he retained the affection of all his troops, and of all the states.
He also possessed an equanimity in an eminent degree. One even tenor marked the greatness of his mind, in all the variety of scenes through which he passed. In the most trying situations he never despaired, nor was he ever depressed. — He was the same when retreating through Jersey from before a victorious enemy, with the remains of his broken army, as when marching in triumph into Yorktown, over its demolished fortifications. The honors and applause he received from his grateful countrymen, would have made almost any other man giddy; but on him they had no mischievous effect. He exacted none of those attentions; but when forced upon him he received them as favors, with the politeness of a well bred man. He was great in deserving them, but much greater in not being elated with them.
The patriotism of Washington was of the most ardent kind, and without alloy. He was very different from those noisy patriots, who, with love of country in their mouths, and hell in their hearts, lay their schemes for aggrandizing themselves at every hazard; but he was one of those who love their country in sincerity, and who hold themselves bound to consecrate all their talents to its service. Numerous were the difficulties with which he had to contend. — Great were the dangers he had to encounter. — Various were the toils and services in which he had to share; but to all difficulties and dangers he rose superiour. To all toils and services he cheerfully submitted for his country's good.
In principle, Washington was a federal republican, and a republican federalist. Liberty and law, the rights of man, and the controul of government, were equally dear to him; and in his opinion, equally necessary to political happiness. He was devoted to that system of equal political rights on which the constitution of his country was founded; but thought that real liberty could only be maintained by preserving the authority of the laws, and giving tone and energy to government. — He conceived there was an immense difference between a balanced republic and a tumultuous democracy, or a faction calling themselves the people; and a still greater between a patriot and a demagogue. He highly respected the deliberate sentiments of the people, but their sudden ebullitions made no impression on his well balanced mind. Trusting for support to the sober second thoughts of the nation, he had the
magnanimity to pursue its real interests, in opposition to prevailing prejudices. He placed a proper value on popular favor, but could never stoop to gain it by sacrifice of duty, by artifice, or flattery. In critical times he committed his well earned popularity to hazard, and steadily pursued the line of conduct which was dictated by a sense of duty, against an opposing army.
Unshakable in a storm
While war raged in Europe, the hostile nations would scarce endure a neutral. America was in great danger of being drawn by force or intrigue into the vortex. Strong parties in the United States rendered the danger more imminent; and it required a temperate, but inflexible government, to prevent the evil. In this trying state of things, Washington was not to be moved from the true interests of his country. His object was America, and her interest was to remain in peace.
Faction at home, and intrigue and menace from abroad, endeavoured to shake him, but in vain; he remained firm and immoveable in the storm that surrounded him. Foreign intrigue was defeated, and foreign insolence was repressed by his address and vigour; while domestic faction, dashed against him, broke itself to pieces. He met the injustice both of Britain and France by negotiation, more than by war; but maintained towards both, that firm attitude which was proper for the magistrate of a free state. He commanded their respect, and preserved the tranquillity of his country. In the public character, he knew no nation but as friends in peace, as enemies in war. Towards one he forgot ancient animosities, when the recollection of them opposed the interests of his country. Towards another, he renounced a fantastic gratitude, when it was claimed only to involve his nation in war. With Washington it was an invariable maxim of policy, to secure his country against the injustice of foreign nations, by being in a condition to command their respect and punish their aggressions. The defence of our commerce, the fortification of the ports, and the organization of a military force, were objects to which he paid particular attention. To the gradual formation of an American army, he was friendly; and also to military institutions, which are calculated to qualify the youth of the country for its defence. War he deprecated as a great evil, inferior only to the loss of honour and character; but thought it was most easily avoided by being ready for it, while, by the practice of universal justice, none could have any real ground of complaint.
In foreign transactions, his usual policy was to cultivate peace with all the world; to observe treaties with pure and absolute faith; to check every deviation from the line of impartiality; to explain what was misapprehended, and to correct what was injurious; and then to insist upon justice being done to the nation over which he presided. In controversies with foreign nations, his favourite maxim, so to conduct himself towards them was, “as to put them in the wrong.”
In his transactions with the Indian tribes, Washington was guided by justice, humanity, and benevolence. His authority and influence were exerted to restrain the licentious white contiguous settlers from injuring their red neighbors. To supply their wants, and prevent impositions, he strongly urged the erection of trading-houses in their settlements, from which they were furnished by government with goods at first cost. The unprincipled were restrained from preying on their ignorance, by excluding all but licensed persons with good characters from trading with such useful neighbors. All this was done to pave the way for their civilization.
When Washington commenced his civil administration, the United States were without an efficient government. After they had adopted one, and placed him at its head, he determined that it should be respected. By his firmness, order soon took place. One exception, however, must be stated: The western counties of Pennsylvania rose in arms, to resist the law for raising a revenue by an excise on domestic distilled ardent spirits.
On this occasion the fixed resolution of Washington was, that whatever expense it might cost, whatever inconvenience it might occasion, the people must be taught obedience, and the authority of the laws re-established. To secure this object, peculiarly important in the infancy of the new government, he ordered out, and put himself at the head of an ample force, calculated to render resistance desperate, and thereby to save the lives of his fellow-citizens.
In consequence of such decided measures, the insurgents dispersed, and peace and order were restored without bloodshed. The necessity of subordination was thus early impressed on the citizens, and the firmness of Washington's personal character was further-confirmed to the government.
Having accomplished every object for which he re-entered public life, he gave for the second time the rare example of voluntarily descending from the first station in the Universe, the head of a free people, placed there by their unanimous suffrage. To the pride of reigning his soul was superior; to its labours he submitted only for his country.
Model for imitation
Rulers of the world! Learn from Washington wherein true glory consists; restrain your ambition; consider your power as an obligation to do good — Let the world have peace, and prepare for yourselves the enjoyment of that ecstatic pleasure, which will result from devoting all your energies to the advancement of human happiness.
Citizens of the United States! While with grateful hearts you recollect the virtues of your Washington, carry your thoughts one step farther. On a review of his life, and of all the circumstances of the times in which he lived, you must be convinced that a kind of Providence in its beneficence raised him, and endowed him with extraordinary virtues, to be to you an instrument of great good. None but such a man could have carried you successfully through the revolutionary times which tried men's souls, and ended in the establishment of your independence. None but such a man could have braced up your government after it had become so contemptible, from the imbecility of the federal system. None but such a man could have saved your country from being plunged into war, either with the greatest naval power in Europe, or with that which is most formidable by land, in consequence of your animosity against the one, and your partiality in favour of the other.
Youths of the United States! Learn from Washington what may be done by an industrious improvement of your talents, and the cultivation of your moral powers. Without any extraordinary advantages from birth, fortune, patronage, or even of education, he, by virtue and industry, attained the highest seat in the temple of fame. You cannot all be commanders of armies, or chief magistrates, but you may all resemble him in the virtues of private and domestic life, in which he excelled, and in which he most delighted. Equally industrious with his plough as his sword, he esteemed idleness and inutility as the greatest disgrace of man, whose powers attain perfection only by constant and vigorous action.
Washington in private life was as amiable as virtuous, and as great as he appeared sublime on the public theatre of the world. Living in the discharge of all the civil, social, and domestic offices of life; temperate in his desires, and faithful to his duties; for more than forty years of happy wedded love, his high example strengthened the tone of public manners. In the bosom of his family, he had more real enjoyment than in the pride of military command, or in the pomp of sovereign power.
On the whole, his life affords the brightest model for imitation, not only to warriors and statesmen, but to private citizens; for his character was a constellation of all the talents and virtues which dignify or adorn human nature.
“He was a man, take him for all in all,
“We shall not look upon his like again.”
— Shakespeare