Celebrating George

Assuming that nothing unusually unfortunate happens in the writing, editing, and publication process that produces the weekly Concannon Fire, today should be Feb. 22, the birthday of our first president, George Washington. We owe him much. And I’m not just talking about the holiday and “Presidents’ Day” sales.
Presidents’ Day began, back in the 19th century, as “Washington’s Birthday,” a federal holiday set aside to honor the “Father of Our Country,” George Washington. About 40 years ago somebody in Congress got the bright idea to honor President Abraham Lincoln on the same day we honor Washington. This seemed to make sense because Lincoln is generally credited with saving the country George Washington fathered, his birthday is also during the month of February and many Northern states already celebrated Lincoln’s birthday. Legislation offered in Congress at that time would have changed the holiday officially to “Presidents’ Day.”
Congress rejected that idea, but, at the same time, bowing to pressure from long weekend enthusiasts, passed the Monday Holidays Act, which moved the official observance of Washington’s Birthday from his actual birthday, Feb. 22, to the third Monday in February. Because the third Monday always falls between Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, and Washington’s, most people, including advertisers, not only believe that the holiday is to honor both presidents, but that it is officially called “Presidents’ Day.”
Some people actually believe that “Presidents’ Day” was meant to honor all presidents, even Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and (shudder) Millard Fillmore. One auto manufacturer this year even advertised “Presidents’ Day” sales in honor of Fillmore, supposedly offering statuettes of the 19th century nonentity and soap-on-a-rope in his image.
To whom do we owe all this silliness? George Washington, without whom we wouldn’t have a country, silly or otherwise.
Washington, as you may recall from your history lessons, led the ragtag, poorly-supplied Continental Army in its improbable defeat of the military forces of King George III of England, supposedly the best troops Europe had to offer at that time. Having achieved the impossible, and still in command of the Continental Army, Washington refused to use that army and his unprecedented prestige to wrest control of the country from the ineffectual Continental Congress, making himself king, or dictator, of the United States. Despite numerous suggestions from his officers that he assume powers not given to him by the Continental Congress, he steadfastly refused to do so.
For example, a little over two years after the surrender of British General Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781 (which effectively ended hostilities between America and the British) Washington used his considerable persuasive powers to quell a potential military coup. Warned by Alexander Hamilton of a meeting being held by several of his officers at his encampment at Newburgh, New York, Washington showed up at the meeting and asked to address those present.
The officers were thoroughly fed up with a Congress that had been unable to pay them or their troops for months. Washington knew this and attempted to explain the financial mess that was the United States at the time. The officers were unmoved.
Finally, the General fumbled into his coat for a crumpled note from a Congressman that supposedly would show Congress’s good faith to pay its soldiers and for another item, his glasses. Most of those present had never seen the proud General wearing glasses. Putting on the glasses, the battle-worn General said “Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country.” That humble statement moved many of the conspirators to tears and ended the Newburgh Conspiracy.
After resigning as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and serving as president of the Philadelphia Convention that drafted our Constitution, Washington was elected first President of the new republic. He served only two terms, refusing to run for a third. He could have served as President until he died. But he believed that no one should occupy the highest office in the land for more than eight years, setting a precedent that has been ignored only once, by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Had he made different choices, Washington could very easily have turned this country into a dictatorship.
Fortunately for us, he made the right choices. Happy Birthday, George!
Ken Concannon is a resident of Prince William County. E-mail him at kmconcannon@comcast.net.