<h2 id="c6"><span class="h2line1">Chapter VI</span> <br/><span class="h2line2">A Year of Peace</span></h2>
<p>Washington was twenty-seven years old
when he settled at Mount Vernon in the
hope of enjoying a life of peaceful domesticity.
It was his good fortune to find a
life companion who was his equal in mind and tastes.
This was Martha Custis, a beautiful young widow
with two lovely children, a boy of six and a daughter
of four years. Washington’s fortune was already a
handsome one, since he had inherited Mount Vernon,
and through his marriage it was increased by one
hundred thousand dollars. His union was not
blessed with children, but Washington brought up
his step-children as carefully as though they had
been his own. “I hope,” he wrote to a friend shortly
after his marriage, “to find more happiness in retirement
than I ever experienced in the wide and bustling
world.” He now arranged a plan of life. His
greatest inclination was to occupy himself with
farming and gardening. He also intended to enjoy
the treasures of art and literature, but it is only a
few months after his marriage that we find him
again engaged in public affairs at Williamsburg,
the seat of the Assembly, where the representatives
of the colonies held their sessions. He had not
sought a nomination; contrary to the usual custom
in the colonies, he had not even put himself in touch
with the voters. It was the unbounded confidence
of the people alone which had given him the election.
If he had only considered what was personally most
agreeable to himself, he would have remained on his
beautiful estate; but duty, as the true patriot understands
it, left him no choice. It must have been a
consolation to his family that the sessions of the
Assembly usually lasted but a few months in each
year.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_56">56</div>
<p>When Washington’s election was announced in
the Assembly, it was determined by a vote of the
house to mark his installation by a signal testimonial
of respect. Accordingly, as soon as he took
his seat, Mr. Robinson, the speaker, in eloquent
language dictated by the warmth of private friendship,
returned thanks on behalf of the colony for
the distinguished military services he had rendered
his country. Mr. Robinson became so carried away
by enthusiasm and the warmth of his feelings and
used such fiery language that the young hero was
greatly embarrassed. He stood up to acknowledge
the honor done him, but his embarrassment was so
great that he began to tremble violently and could
not utter a word. He blushed, stammered, and remained
speechless. The speaker then came to the
rescue with a presence of mind and tact which
would have done honor to Louis the Fourteenth in
the happiest and proudest moments of his life. “Sit
down, Mr. Washington,” he said with a reassuring
smile; “your modesty equals your valor, and that
surpasses the power of any language I possess.” It
has often been noted that great men are especially
apt to be overcome with confusion on their first
attempt at speaking in public. Respect for the
intellect of those whom they are to address, together
with a modest estimate of their own powers, causes
their timidity, while a high opinion of one’s own
talents and a low estimate of the intellectual calibre
of one’s hearers often leads to an overweening self-confidence.
This timidity to which earnest natures
are prone disappears gradually. It was so with
Washington. He never became a brilliant orator;
indeed, he never made a set speech. In spite of this
his influence as a representative was exceedingly
important. With the same conscientiousness which
we have noted thus far in all his work, he studied
every question which came before the Assembly.
The demands of duty coincided with his old habit of
constantly striving to widen his intellectual horizon
through faithful study. As his powers of judgment
were very keen and he followed the discussions with
strict attention, his expositions, which were generally
short, had almost always great weight. His mode
of expression was simple, as it did not deal with
appearances, but was always to the point. Thus it
happened that a few of his pertinent remarks were
often sufficient to change the trend of the discussion
completely. When he arose to speak every one paid
attention. What does Washington say about this
or that question? This was often heard amongst
the members. His principal guide was the ardent
wish to make himself useful to his country. This
was expressed in his whole attitude, which never
showed the slightest trace of frivolity. He was
scarcely ever late at the meetings or went away before
the close. In this respect also he showed himself
to be a true patriot and thoroughly upright man.
And withal what childlike gayety and light-heartedness
he could exhibit in his family circle or in the
society of intimate friends!</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_57">57</div>
<p>The advice which Washington gave to his nephew
when he was about to take his seat in the Assembly
is notable. “If you wish,” he said to him, “to hold
the attention of those present, I can only advise that
you speak seldom, and only on important points,
with the exception of matters pertaining to your
constituents; and in the first case, make yourself
thoroughly acquainted beforehand with the question.
Do not allow yourself to be carried away by undue
ardor and do not rely too much on your own judgment.
A dictatorial tone, though it may sometimes
be convincing, is always irritating.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_58">58</div>
<p>He still had the greater part of the year in which
to follow his favorite pursuits, which were, as has
already been remarked, of an agricultural nature.
And Mount Vernon was a magnificent country
seat. Washington Irving says: “The mansion was
beautifully situated on a swelling height, crowned
with wood, and commanding a magnificent view up
and down the Potomac. The grounds immediately
about it were laid out somewhat in the English taste.
The estate was apportioned into separate farms,
devoted to different kinds of culture, each having its
allotted laborers. Much, however, was still covered
with wild woods seamed with deep dells and runs of
water and indented with inlets, haunts of deer and
lurking place of foxes. The whole woody region
along the Potomac from Mount Vernon to Belvoir
and far beyond, with its range of forests and hills
and picturesque promontories, afforded sport of various
kinds, and was a noble hunting ground.”
Washington himself speaks of the place in one of his
letters, and from his description one can see how
fond he was of Mount Vernon. “No estate in
United America,” he says, “is more pleasantly situated.
In a high and healthy country; in a latitude
between the extremes of heat and cold; on one of
the finest rivers in the world; a river well stocked
with various kinds of fish at all seasons of the year,
and in the Spring with shad, herrings, bass, carp,
sturgeon, etc., in great abundance. The borders of
the estate are washed by more than ten miles of tide
water; several valuable fisheries appertain to it; the
whole shore, in fact, is one entire fishery.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div>
<p>A great plantation in Virginia, at that time, was
like a little principality. The principal house, which
was occupied by the owner, was the seat of power.
In a neighboring house lived the steward or overseer
of the slaves, who was the prime minister of the little
kingdom. Connected with his house were kitchens,
workshops, and stables. There was a crowd of negro
servants hanging about the buildings and manor
house; the number who worked in the fields was
still greater and their neat cabins formed a little
village. A well laid out garden belonged to each
cabin. The barnyard swarmed with fowls, and
negro children disported themselves before the cabins
in the sunshine.</p>
<p>With these hints the reader can complete the
picture of Mount Vernon in his own mind. There
were many planters in the colony who, like the
Merovingians of old, left the management of their
estates entirely in the hands of their stewards, only
requiring the payment of the income, so that they
might enjoy as many luxuries as possible. But this
was not so at Mount Vernon. Washington was the
prince and father of his little kingdom. Almost
daily, and generally on horseback, he visited his
fields, pastures, fisheries, and mills. As a rule, on
this tour of inspection he wore a pongee-colored coat
with gilt buttons. Let us take the opportunity
of presenting a picture of the stately man as it has
been drawn for us: Washington’s dignified bearing
was without pride, his firmness without obstinacy
or arrogance. His outward appearance was
equally harmonious. The effect of his gigantic
stature—Washington was over six feet tall—was
modified by beauty and perfect proportion. He
was like a grand building, in which the complete
symmetry of the separate parts gives it charm.
His fiery nature was held in check by good sense.
His courage was never foolhardy, nor did his caution
ever proceed from fear. His reliable judgment was
the result of a good memory. Industry and hard
work with him never degenerated into unsociability
or moroseness. When Washington drove to church
with his family, or went on a visit to William Fairfax
or some other relative or friend, the state coach
with its four horses was brought out. Then the
black servants, coachman, and overseer, donned
gorgeous liveries.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div>
<p>But how is this, the reader will perhaps ask; did
Washington own slaves? In answering this question
one must take into consideration that Washington
was born into a slave community. The custom of
a country puts its stamp on each and every native
citizen. We shall never be able to judge any historical
personage without carefully studying the customs
of the period and the intellectual tendencies
of his time. Not until this has been done can the
question be asked, How did this man stand in
relation to the prevailing opinions and customs of
his time? Slavery was an ugly blot on the State,
especially the slavery which was inaugurated during
the Christian era. Nothing is so fertile in expedients
as human selfishness. It was represented to “his
most Christian majesty,” King Louis the Thirteenth
of France, that free negroes would not accept Christianity,
but that if they were made slaves, it would
be an easy matter to make Christians of them!
Furthermore they said: “The negro tribes have the
custom of killing their prisoners of war; should we
introduce slavery into our colonies, those tribes
would no longer kill their captives, but would sell
them to us. In this way we should save their lives
and this would make slavery an advantage to them.”
This reasoning appealed to the King, and thus this
wrong, which had been introduced by the Portuguese,
became lawful among the French. It was
not long before it was customary for the Portuguese,
Spanish, French, and English settlers to import
negroes. The number of negroes who were kidnapped
is estimated at forty millions. The sins of
the fathers have been visited heavily on the children,
as we know, and the sacrifice of much blood was
necessary to give back to the negroes those human
rights of which they had been despoiled.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div>
<p>Returning to our history, in order that we may
not judge falsely, we must inquire what attitude
Washington took in regard to this institution in the
midst of which he had grown up. The first answer
is, toward his slaves he was like a wise father caring
for his children. What he did for them in later times
we shall relate at the end of the story. He did not
overburden his slaves with work, but he did not
allow them to be idle. Idleness seemed almost
worse to him than an overplus of work. Nature is
one great workshop. Those organisms which no
longer work fall into decay. Useful work preserves
and stimulates the body and mind of man. Laziness
is the forerunner of mental decay; he who turns
away from all useful occupations is subject to wicked
thoughts. Therefore the old proverb is full of truth:
“Satan finds work for idle hands to do.” He who
governs others must be careful to keep them properly
employed. Everybody has at least one person to
command—himself. Let him take care that this
person does not give way to idleness. To fashion
one’s own character is the highest kind of task,
but he alone accomplishes this who is careful to
do his work with a higher and higher degree of perfection.
In this sense every human being has an
opportunity to perfect himself, whether he uses a
needle, walks behind the plough, or whether the pen
is his implement. As long as a man works under
compulsion, he is on a low plane of development.
He is exposed to the danger of perishing. It is only
the influence from without that upholds him. Compulsion
is, after all, a blessing for him, even though
through it he may not reach a high degree of efficiency.
From the moment, however, that a man
begins to follow his calling with the avowed purpose
not only of fulfilling the duties of his position, but
endeavors to grow, morally and intellectually, he
belongs to a higher order of humanity. All benefactors
of the human race have been of this higher
order. They labored in the sweat of their brows and
still were happy in the thought that their work was
equally of advantage to themselves and to others.
Through labor and sorrow their lives gained value.
In this order of humanity there are, of course, different
degrees of rank. To one who belongs to it, however,
the way is open to the summit of human felicity.
Any one may seek this path, whatever station in life
he may occupy. Only fulfil the duties which your
position demands of you and this happy goal may
be yours. Conscientiousness and faithfulness lead
thither. But how many squander their thoughts
and feelings on unworthy objects! Good fortune
is always close beside us and doing our duty is the
magic formula which makes it our own. In regard
to a true estimate of the value of work, the example
of Washington and his friends—among them we at
once think of the splendid Franklin—has not been
without its fruits among Americans. The Frenchman
Laboulaye has said: “The further we progress,
the more we comprehend that the man who
works is the true nobleman and that he who does
nothing is a man whom we have much to forgive,
however rich he may be. In the United States, the
man who does nothing is considered an enemy of
society. Mothers protect their daughters from him
and all sensible people withhold their respect from
him. That he who does nothing will end by doing
evil is the right conclusion of the Americans.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div>
<p>No small part of Washington’s work consisted in
regulating the labor of his servants, overseeing them,
and disposing the right forces in the proper places.
As we have said, he was as anxious to keep his slaves
from being overworked as he was to keep them from
idleness. In his diaries we find notes of how he
managed to preserve the balance. He noted exactly
how much this or that piece of work progressed in
a given time and made a plan for the day’s work
in accordance with this observation. Of course he
took into consideration the delays which are inevitable
under certain conditions. The best of all was
that he often lent a hand himself. One great feature
of the evil which slavery brought into the world
consisted in the feeling which grew up among the
masters that any form of farm work or manual
labor was degrading. As the slaves had to do all
of this “degrading work,” they felt that they were
under a curse. These were the common views of
antiquity, and during slavery times in the American
colonies they began to acquire a fresh hold. It is
somewhat of a question whether even now more
sensible opinions prevail among those who call
themselves aristocrats.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div>
<p>At Mount Vernon the slaves often saw their
master at work in the garden or in the fields. At
one time he spent several days in the smithy with his
negroes, fashioning a new plough of his own invention.
The work was carried out to his satisfaction,
and thereupon the negroes saw him set to work
ploughing up a new piece of meadow land. One of
his mills was in danger of being destroyed by a flood.
In a pouring rain he marched out at the head of his
servants and helped to do the work which was needful
in order to save the building.</p>
<p>Washington was in the habit of rising very early,
in the Winter long before daybreak. He did not
wish to disturb others, however, in the early morning
hours. He lit his own fire and read and wrote until
breakfast was ready for the family—which in Summer
was at seven o’clock and in Winter at eight
o’clock. He then took two cups of tea and with
them a few hoecakes. At two o’clock he dined.
Although he was rich, his table was very simple. At
dinner he drank two glasses of wine and sometimes
he took cider. He went to bed at nine o’clock. He
kept a complete record of the many kinds of work
which were carried on on his estates, with separate
books for letter copies. Thus he was able to maintain
a complete and clear oversight over his affairs.
The principal product of the plantations was tobacco,
which was an important article of export to England.
There were several lading places on the Potomac
River for the tobacco which was grown for the market
on the Mount Vernon estate. It was not long before
Washington had acquired such a reputation for
reliability and square dealing with the foreign merchants
that they considered it unnecessary to examine
the boxes and bales which bore his stamp.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div>
<p>He was very fond of exercising hospitality, as his
diaries tell us. We find in them the names of all
the men who later became celebrated in the colonies.
Especially during the fox-hunting season, his house
was often the meeting place for neighboring lovers
of the sport, for he found hunting an agreeable
relaxation. Among the visitors, one of whom was
the venerable Lord Fairfax, there were a number of
highly educated gentlemen. To have intercourse
with men of this kind was as great a necessity for
him as was the reading of good books. But his
activities extended beyond the borders of his own
estate. With men of congenial minds he discussed
a plan for draining and turning into pasture land a
great swamp nearly thirty miles long and ten miles
wide. He made the necessary inspection himself,
both on foot and on horseback. The tour
was exceedingly toilsome and dangerous in many
spots. At certain places he found thick forests of
cypresses, cedars, and foliage trees with long moss
hanging from the branches. Again he was obliged
to force his way through thickets of thorn and
creepers. His horse often sunk to its haunches in
the marsh. It was then necessary to proceed on
foot over the uncertain ground, and after making a
reconnoissance, to make his way back to the horse
over the same dangerous path. In this way he
penetrated from several directions into this unknown
wilderness, until he had as clear an idea of it as possible,
and then he drew up a plan for draining and
making the marsh arable. The fact that the plan
had been drawn up by Washington, and that he
considered its execution entirely feasible, was sufficient
to cause a number of well-to-do people to form
a company to take up the work. It took but a few
years to transform this wild region into a splendid
strip of land composed of fruitful fields and grassy
pastures.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div>
<p>These occupations were very congenial and Washington
wished for nothing more earnestly than that
he might be allowed to pass his whole life in the
same manner. But Providence had ordained otherwise.
An event happened which this law-abiding
subject never could have desired, for he was devoted
to the mother country. The colonies quarrelled
with England, and it was this circumstance which
suddenly tore him from his peaceful existence.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div>
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