A Great and Good Man: George Washington in the Eyes of His ContemporariesJohn P. Kaminski, Jill Adair McCaughan A Great and Good Man presents a lively collection of contemporary letters, poems, addresses, and newspaper reports that demonstrate the remarkable esteem in which Washington was held. Washington would become, after his death, a true symbol of the American republic. This selection of materials, many reprinted for the first time since the eighteenth century, shows that in his life Washington had already become the Father of his country and was acclaimed for his sense of honor, his heroism, and his wisdom. Dating from his farewell orders to the Continental Army in 1783 to his retirement from the executive office of the United States of America, the selections in this book illuminate the role that Washington played in the public imagination. His willing relinquishment of military authority in 1783 shocked the world, and set him on a path toward greater political glory as he presided over the Constitutional Convention and then became the first President of the country. Here we see Washington as he stood before and was addressed by the nation--praised by politicians, advised by foreigners, and lionized by citizens. In Washington's own letters and addresses we also glimpse the canny side of Washington, a man who was careful with his public image and was a shrewd gamesman in the political arena. By the time he took presidential office in 1789 few questioned his political acumen and national leaders were dependent on his leadership. The editors of A Great and Good Man have set the context for their carefully selected documents with insightful introductions; and their thorough index greatly enhances the accessibility of the material presented. |
From inside the book
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... commands of the Senate to wait upon your Excellency with the information of your being elected to the office of President ... command to accompany you to New York where the Senate & the house of Repre- sentatives of the United States are ...
... command and sway , The glories of our day , By right divine * : Heir to our nation's love , And blessings from above , Thou Son of mighty Jove , 2 Our hearts are thine . The Vox Populi , in the unanimous choice of President WASHINGTON ...
... yet recent institutions . . . to that degree of strength and consistency , which is necessary to give it , humanly speaking , the command of its own fortunes . ” An Inclination to Go Home 要更 JAMES MADISON'S REPORT 199.
Contents
THE LEGACY | 1 |
RETIREMENT ABANDONED | 45 |
THE SECOND RETIREMENT | 197 |
Copyright | |
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