REMEMBERING GEORGE WASHINGTON

Today marks the anniversary of the passing of President George Washington in 1799. At that time Congress asked Virginia Statesman Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee to eulogize the President, and he said:

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere – uniform, dignified and commanding – his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting….Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues…Such was that man for whom our nation mourns.”

Virginian Thomas Jefferson wrote of George Washington’s character:

“His mind was great and powerful, without being of the very first order; his penetration strong, though not so acute as that of a Newton, Bacon, or Locke; and as far as he saw, no judgment was ever sounder…He was incapable of fear, meeting personal dangers with the calmest unconcern. Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighed; refraining if he saw a doubt, but, when once decided going through with his purpose, whatever obstacles opposed. His integrity was most pure, his justice the most inflexible I have ever known…It may truly be said that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a great man.”

It must be noted that I drew this inspiring information from my copy of The American Patriot’s Almanac.

Now permit me to pose a question for your contemplation. How do you suppose historians will write about President Barack Hussein Obama 212 years from today? Do you suspect in your wildest dreams that the tone will have any similarity to the words rendered by Lee and Jefferson? I predict that the expressions will not even be in the same league as those noted above, because Washington was a man of genuine character, and Obama is a figment of political imagination and creation that does not call for any qualifications to require genuine character. Sad but true, in my opinion.

COMMANDER GRANGER