of his character. It was, in part, the effect of
discipline; yet he seems by nature to have possessed this power in a
degree which has been denied to other men.

A Christian in faith and practice, he was habitually devout. His reverence
for religion is seen in his example, his public communications, and his
private writings. He uniformly ascribed his successes to the beneficent
agency of the Supreme Being. Charitable and humane, he was liberal to the
poor, and kind to those in distress. As a husband, son, and brother, he
was tender and affectionate. Without vanity, ostentation, or pride, he
never spoke of himself or his actions unless required by circumstances
which concerned the public interests.

As he was free from envy, so he had the good fortune to escape the envy of
others by standing on an elevation which none could hope to attain. If he
had one passion more strong than another it was love of his country. The
purity and ardor of his patriotism were commensurate with the greatness of
its object. Love of country in him was invested with the sacred obligation
of a duty; and from the faithful discharge of this duty he never swerved
for a moment, either in thought or deed, through the whole period of his
eventful career.

Such are some of the traits in the character of Washington, which have
acquired for him the love and veneration of mankind. If they are not
marked with the brilliancy, extravagance, and eccentricity, which, in
other men, have excited the astonishment of the world, so neither are they
tarnished by the follies, nor disgraced by the crimes of those men. It is
the happy combination of rare talents and qualities, the harmonious union
of the intellectual and moral powers, rather than the dazzling splendor of
any one trait, which constitute the grandeur of his character. If the
title of great man ought to be reserved for him who can not be charged
with an indiscretion or a vice; who spent his life in establishing the
independence, the glory, and durable prosperity of his country; who
succeeded in all that he undertook; and whose successes were never won at
the expense of honor, justice, integrity, or by the sacrifice of a single
principle,--this title will not be denied to Washington.

How sweetly on the ear such echoes sound!
While the mere victors may appall or stun
The servile and the vain, such names will be
A watchword till the future shall be free.