George is the Only One

Today is Washington’s Birthday. Did you know that? Probably only because you won’t get mail today. How soon we forget!

The Founding Fathers and all the pillars of our nation who came after them are granite or marble when viewed a reasonable distance. The microscope of history reveals that every pillar has mud and twigs in the mix. All but one. George Washington was, and after 232 years of historical analysis still is, pure alabaster. All the way through

Among the Founding Fathers, Washington was one of maybe a dozen who held the welfare of the nation above that of their State. He was one of even fewer who understood that his own personal advancement was different from the welfare of that nation.

Washington never asked for the command of the Continental Army. His “campaign” consisted of wearing his Colonel’s uniform while attending the Continental Congress. It took no more, if it even took that, for Congress to realize there was only one man for the job. In spite of ceaseless plotting by other generals, Congress never wavered from that belief. In spite of screwing up at almost every other possible opportunity, in that one rare act of constancy they enabled Washington to save the nation repeatedly from others and from itself.

Washington took over an armed crowd of men, not an army. Most of them fought with their personal firearms. The others were militia, the police departments of the frontier colonies called States. Men from one State refused to serve under officers from another State, or any officer from their own State who had not been elected by popular vote. They fought in the heat of the moment and ran in the face of disciplined assault.

By the end of the war officers in Washington’s Continental Army were promoted, and men served under them, because of their ability regardless of origin. Officers and men obeyed orders in the face of death. He used that army, his personal creation, to save the nation countless times on the battlefield.

He saved the nation from that same army when it sought post-war rebellion in the face of abuse from Congress and the States, and was dissuaded only by their respect for Washington personally.

He saved the nation again by favoring a strong central government. The argument back then was not “State’s Rights.” The argument was whether there would be one nation. Washington took a stand opposed by almost every other Virginian, Southerner, and Northerner. Without his influence there would have been at least two nations – North and South – and quite possibly thirteen of them.

He saved the nation again by favoring Alexander Hamilton’s national bank, which Jefferson and almost every other Southerner viewed as Satanic. Without Washington’s support the bank would not have been formed and the nation would have defaulted on its war debts. There would have been no money to build the industry that allowed true independence. There would have been no money for the Louisiana Purchase, no Navy to subdue the Barbary Pirates, and no army to expand and guard the frontiers.

He saved the nation for the last time by surrendering power that no one col dhave taken from him. Jefferson and others feared he would make the nation a monarchy with himself as king, and he eaily could have. Instead he declined to serve a third term and went home. This set the standard for all time that the Constitution protects the people from the power and popularity of its leaders. He let go of power with timeliness and grace. It may have been the only occasion when the welfare of the nation and his personal preference were the same.

Among all the leaders of this or any other nation, George Washington was and is unique. He was not only the Father of His Country, but also its mid-wife.