An Outstanding Essay about Washington
Possibly the greatest political scientist of all time, Seymour Martin Lipset, published an outstanding essay in 1998 about George Washington. Here are a couple excerpts:
* George Washington is an underestimated figure. Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson,
and Benjamin Franklin are seen as real people with lives and emotions; Washington is a
painting on the wall. Yet I believe that he is the most important single figure in American history. Without him, the Revolution might have failed. This is not because of his military ability; he lost many of the battles he fought, and only French intervention brought victory. His first enormous achievement was to build and maintain the morale of the Continental Army's troops and the loyalty of its officers under depressing conditions. Later, during the Newburgh crisis of 1783, he secured their obedience to civilian authority at a time when they were sorely tempted to do otherwise. He exemplified the ultimate in self-sacrificing heroism.Another George, King George III of England, who was Washington's enemy,
acknowledged his significance. The king asked the painter Jonathan Trumbull, freshly
arrived from America, what he thought Washington would do when the war ended. "Go
back to his farm," Trumbull replied. "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the
world," rejoined the king. And that is what Washington did, twice--first when the war
ended, and later after his second term as president of the United States.
* The relevance of individual greatness to history has been much debated. In ironic
contrast to the theoretical determinism of Marxism, the history of twentieth-century
communist regimes underlines the importance of the leader. It may be strongly argued
that if Lenin had not been able to return to Russia in April 1917, or if he had been killed
or imprisoned, the October Revolution would never have occurred. Prior to Lenin's
arrival at the Finland Station (courtesy of the German General Staff) and his bold
proposal that the Bolsheviks plan to seize power, no left-wing factional leader had
favored such a move. Everyone adhered instead to the Marxist assumption that the next stage of Russia's development had to be a bourgeois revolution, with capitalism and industrialization preceding any move toward "workers' power." Only Trotsky thought otherwise, but he was not one of the Bolsheviks and had no influence on them or any other organized faction. Lenin, despite objections from other Bolshevik leaders, carried the day because of his leadership position and ability to dominate in organization and debate. Hence one may conclude: No Lenin, no Russian Revolution.One cannot say, with comparable conviction and evidence: No Washington, no American democratic republic. The United States would in all probability have eventually become a democracy, even had Washington not been on the scene. Elections predated independence in the British colonies, and as historian William Chambers noted, the new nation possessed many of the other "prerequisites for full democratic participation and practice." Yet Washington played a necessary role because of the charisma that flowed from his personality and his military leadership (which was something different from his generalship in a narrower sense). He inspired incredible trust and facilitated--as no one else alive at the time probably could have--the formation of the culture and institutions needed for a stable, legitimate, and effective democratic system. Washington, in short, was one of those "great men" without whom history would be very different.
- Comment (7)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments:
Mar '11
Re: An Outstanding Essay about Washington
I'm glad you happened to quote the paragraph that mentions the Newburgh Crisis, Prof. Groseclose. It is a pivotal event in the history of the early republic, and rarely gets the close attention it deserves.
Washington's action, example, and speech there were truly indispensable in holding the army together, preventing mutiny and coup, and in preserving republican liberty for the country. I'm not sure there was another man present during those tense days who had the stature to accomplish what he did (though, Henry Knox, Nathanial Greene, and Alexander Hamilton all knew what must be done).
If I may be so bold, Washington's example was no less artful and virtuous than those provided by Xenophon in the Anabasis.
Feb '12
Re: An Outstanding Essay about Washington
Crow's Nest reminds me that I need to read more Xenophon.
The professor compares the roles of Washington and Lenin in their respective revolutions. I recommend considering also Chateaubriand's comparisons of Washington and Napoleon, which are as beautifully written as they are instructive. Here is one of them, throwing into relief the selflessness and the permanence of Washington's achievement:
If I had the space, I would reprint the entirety of Chateaubriand's longer and more famous comparison of Napoleon and Washington in Book VI, Chap. 8. For those interested, it can be read here.
Jul '11
Re: An Outstanding Essay about Washington
I cannot tell a lie. I enjoyed this article.
Re: An Outstanding Essay about Washington
A lovely essay with which to begin today's celebration of Washington's birthday. ("Presidents' Day?" I won't have it.) Thanks for posting this, Tim. And you're right about Marty Lipset, whom we still miss here at Hoover. In political theory and historical analysis, he had one of the most astonishingly fertile minds of the twentieth century.
Apr '11
Re: An Outstanding Essay about Washington
Washington truly has to be one of the greatest leaders of any nation in history. I can think of few men who were more instrumental in the their nations history than Washington was in our own.
Mar '11
Re: An Outstanding Essay about Washington
Leporello reminds me I need to read more Chateaubriand.
Washington is my favorite of them all, though Lincoln is a very close second.
The Revolution was a close run thing. Bluffing the British out of Boston with cannon that a lunatic bookseller named Knox moved 200 miles through wilderness and across two rivers in winter...cannon that had no powder to fire them. Escaping from Long Island when the Royal Navy held the East River at his back. Fighting three battles in ten days with a barefoot army whose enlistments were expiring. Valley Forge. The Conway Cabal. Benedict Arnold...
I know all the arguments for Washington being a Deist, but anyone who had his bacon pulled out of the fire by the Hand of Providence that many times is going to be pretty convinced that Somebody Up There cares.
Sep '10
Re: An Outstanding Essay about Washington
Another great essay is Edmund S. Morgan's "The Genius of George Washington". He argues that Washington's one incomperable attribute was his understanding, and use of, power - military and political. The short essay is followed by numerous Wshington letters, including his to Henry Laurens, then President of Congress, on why Lafayette's French backed invasion of Canada was a very bad idea. Long before his Farewell Address, he writes "...no nation is to be trusted farther than it is bound by its interest...".
Edited on February 20, 2012 at 10:02pm