M3: Do We Need A President With Character?
As we very quickly approach our next Presidential Election Day, and we have policy differences, personality differences, and a list of promises and warnings swirling around in our heads, it’s worth taking a moment to look at our first U.S. President, George Washington. We’ll quickly examine the core trait that defined his service, the impact that had on all of us, and why we should be thankful.
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M3: DO WE NEED A PRESIDENT WITH CHARACTER?
HEY, HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE…SO, WITH ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, WITHOUT LEANING LEFT OR RIGHT, I THOUGHT TODAY WE COULD TOUCH ON A STORY FROM THE PAST ABOUT THE POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY…AND THE PRECEDENT THAT WAS SET JUST AS OUR COUNTRY WAS BORN.
THIS IS STORY ABOUT THE AMERICAN LEADER WHO HELD POWER AND POPULARITY AT A TIME WHEN AMERICA NEEDED IT MOST…WHO WAS BELOVED PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY LEADER HAS BEEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY…AND WHO, MULTIPLE TIMES, GAVE ALL OF THAT POWER AWAY…TO PROTECT…THE AMERICAN PROMISE.
EPISODE
IN THE UNITED STATES, GEORGE WASHINGTON IS UBIQUITOUS. OUR CAPITAL IS NAMED AFTER HIM…ONE OF OUR FIFTY STATES…MEMORIALS, BRIDGES, HIGHWAYS, THREE COUNTIES, SEVEN MOUNTAINS, NINE COLLEGES, 121 POST OFFICES…. THE LIST GOES ON.
WE ALL KNOW THAT HE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND BEFORE THAT, LED THE CONTINENTAL ARMY AND DEFEATED THE BRITISH, HELPING THE UNITED STATES GAIN INDEPENDENCE. MOST OF US KNOW THAT HE THEN RETIRED TO MOUNT VERNON AFTER HE WAS PRESIDENT, IN FACT, MANY OF US HAVE VISITED MOUNT VERNON…BUT OFTEN, WHAT PEOPLE FORGET, IS EXACTLY WHAT HE DID…MORE ACCURATELY, WHAT HE DIDN’T DO…THAT MADE GEORGE WASHINGTON SO BELOVED AS A LEADER AND PATRIOT.
IN SEPTEMBER OF 1783, THE TREATY OF PARIS WAS SIGNED, EFFECTIVELY ENDING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. WASHINGTON HAD LED THE CONTINENTAL ARMY TO IMPROBABLE VICTORY, AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION HE WAS THE MOST POWERFUL AMERICAN, HAVING THE RESPECT OF THE ARMY, THE CONGRESS, AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. HE COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING HE WANTED WITH AMERICA AT THAT POINT, BUT HE CATEGORICALLY REJECTED THE SUGGESTION THAT HE BE NAMED KING OF THE UNITED STATES. HE BELIEVED STRONGLY THAT THE PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THE ULTIMATE POWER, SO HE RESIGNED HIS COMMISSION, HANDING POWER BACK TO CONGRESS IN ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, AND RETURNED TO FARMING AT HIS HOME IN MOUNT VERNON.
AT THE TIME, BECAUSE OF THIS DECISION, ENGLAND’S KING GEORGE III FAMOUSLY SAID THAT WASHINGTON WAS “THE GREATEST MAN IN THE WORLD.”
A FEW YEARS LATER, WASHINGTON’S RETIREMENT WAS INTERRUPTED WHEN HE WAS THE UNANIMOUS CHOICE TO LEAD THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IN 1787. IN THAT ROLE HE WORKED TO DEVELOP WHAT IS NOW OUR CONSITUTION, AND WHEN HE WAS UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, TO SERVE AS OUR NATION’S FIRST PRESIDENT, HE RELUCTANTLY AGREED.
IN HIS TWO TERMS AS PRESIDENT, WHERE HE REFUSED A SALARY, HE DEVELOPED A CENTRALIZED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE FEDERAL BANK, AND BEGAN A TRADE RELATIONSHIP WITH GREAT BRITIAN.
IT WAS IN 1796 THAT WASHINGTON AGAIN MADE THE DECISION TO PUT DEMOCRACY ABOVE PERSONAL AMBITION. AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN OFFICE, HE VOLUNTARILY STEPPED DOWN AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. WASHINGTON WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE COUNTRY BEING LED BY ONE PRESIDENT FOR TOO LONG. HE BELIEVED THAT THE GROWING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POLITICAL PARTIES WOULD HINDER PROGRESS AND THOUGHT THE COUNTRY WOULD BE BEST SERVED WITH A NEW LEADER, COMING FROM A DIFFERENT STATE, WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE. SO, IN 1797, JOHN ADAMS WAS VOTED IN AS THE SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND ONCE AGAIN, WASHINGTON RETIRED TO MOUNT VERNON, LEAVING AMERICA IN THE HANDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THERE’S A FAMOUS QUOTE BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN ABOUT MEN AND POWER… HE SAID: “NEARLY ALL MEN CAN STAND ADVERSITY, BIT IF YOU WANT TO TEST A MAN’S CHARACTER, GIVE HIM POWER.”
WHAT SET GEORGE WASHINGTON APART WAS HIS UNFLINCHING CHARACTER.
IT’S A WORD WE DON’T OFTEN USE THESE DAYS IN POLITICS…AND AS WE HEAD TO THE BALLOT BOX SOON, WE WILL PLACE OUR VOTE WITH ALL SORTS OF THINGS SWIRLING AROUND IN OUR HEADS. STANCES ON POLICY…PROMISES FOR CHANGE….AND PROPOSALS FOR A BETTER WAY FORWARD.
AMERICA IS A PROMISE THAT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO LIVE UP TO AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THE ANSWERS…BUT MORE VALUABLE TO AMERICA THAN POLITICS AND POLICY, IS A PRESIDENT WITH IMPECCABLE CHARACTER. GEORGE WASHINGTON DELIVERED WHEN IT MATTERED …HE TRIUMPHED OVER ADVERSITY FOR OUR COUNTRY, BUT WHAT WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET IS THAT IT WAS WHAT GEORGE WASHINGTON DIDN’T DO, THAT EXPOSED HIS CHARACTER MOST…AND FOR THAT, WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL.
https://www.thenmusa.org/biographies/george-washington/