George Washington

Today is George Washington's birthday--sort of.  First, his birthday is likely lost in that silly "Presidents Day" of last Monday.  I am pretty sure I've written about the folly of honoring all Presidents, including the likes of James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Warren Harding.  By celebrating all equally with a "Presidents Day," the greatness of those such as Lincoln and  Washington seem diminished.  Bah!

Second, Washington was really born on February 11, not 22, 1732.  (BTW, that's how I remember the square root of 3--1.732.  It was the year Washington was born.  Similarly, I remember the square root of 2--1.414.  That was the year Columbus wasn't born.  Ha Ha Ha!)  At the time, Britain still subscribed to the Julian Calendar, not the updated Gregorian Calendar.  That was due to religious conflict between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.  (Remember the Reformation?)  In 1752, Britain finally adopted the Gregorian Calendar, updating time with the sun by "adding" eleven days.  Hence, from February 11 to February 22.  (The commies switched Russia to the "New Style" calendar in 1918.)

I can't imagine there being a United States today without Washington.  Oh, there might well be one, but not like the one of today.  Perhaps we'd be like Canada.  A number of factors allowed the Americans to win their independence.  One was the assistance of foreign powers, most significantly France.  No France?  No American victory.  I think, too, that the Americans didn't really win as much as the British gave up; they were tired of wars.  A series of long wars, stretching back a century or more, had drained the British budget.  British merchants missed trade with the colonies and many clamored for peace.  But also a very key factor was George Washington.  No Washington?  I think no American victory.

Washington exhibited many key attributes.  He lost as much as he won, but was smart enough to know when to retreat rather than lose his army.  He ended up winning the war of attrition.  In many ways, during the war, Washington grew--like Lincoln later would do.  And, later in squashing the Newburgh Conspiracy in 1783 before it could get off the ground, he saved the young US from itself.

The story goes that, while negotiating the peace treaty in London, John Adams was asked by King George "What will your General Washington do now?"  The assumption was Washington would march his army into the capital and become the emperor/king.  But Adams replied that he thought the general would return to his farm at Mt. Vernon (like the Roman Cincinnatus).  The king considered this dubious; after all, France was only about fifteen years from Napoleon, who did just what the king thought Washington would do.  "If he does that," the king mused, "he'll be the greatest man in the world."  Indeed.

Later, too, Washington was a giant.  At the Constitutional Convention, the success of this grand experiment in self-rule was being challenged.  Despite our reverence for it today, the Constitution was not universally hailed at the time.  Many, including big names, opposed it.  The four largest states, with a combined population greater than that of the other nine states, balked at ratification.  That Washington agreed to serve as the presiding officer of the convention gave it and the product it produced, the Constitution, credibility.

Imagine who else could have been the first President under the Constitution.  I can't.  Adams, Jefferson, and Madison later became Presidents, but only after Washington had established the office.  Hamilton favored a monarchy, with himself as the Prime Minister!  There were no guidelines for Washington to follow; there had never been such a government position before.  How would he proceed, with vetoes, appointments to the Supreme Court, with foreign affairs, with everything?  Washington made the rules.  And he was tolerant, in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.  He listened to both Hamilton and Jefferson, members of his Cabinet, who had different visions of this young US.  He led an army to put down the Whiskey Rebellion, the western Pennsylvania revolt against the federal government, but then, against the recommendations of Hamilton to execute the leaders, pardoned them.  I don't remember if it was Washington or Augustus Caesar who once said, "I was never hurt by the bark of a dog.  Let them have their say."  Even if it was Augustus, it was a principle followed by Washington as President.  He was firmly in charge, but also showed great tolerance and compassion.

On most rankings of Presidents, Lincoln and Washington come in first and second, respectively.  I find no reason at all to dispute that.