Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Washington's Birthday

 

Forget the insipid and meaningless "Presidents Day."   Today's the real deal:   Washington's Birthday.

Britain's King George III still felt the sting of losing his colonies to Washington's army, when he heard about Washington voluntarily giving up power by declining to run for a third term as president.   Viewed together with Washington resigning his commission and turning his army over to a powerless Congress at the end of the Revolution, when he easily could have siezed power for himself, the King said this placed Washington "in a light the most distinguished of any living man" and made him "the greatest character of the age."   Said George III, "If this is true, he is surely the greatest man in the the world."

Nobody's topped him yet.

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