Civic and Republican Virtue were once the expectation and duty of an American citizen. It is an unfortunate reality that such ideals are generally lost in modern American society. In this 2017 article for the Federalist Coalition, I discussed a few of these virtues as demonstrated in the founding father, George Washington.
This post is a brief summary accompanied by a link to an article written by Justin Stapley for the Federalist Coalition, a 501(c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to promote and educate Americans on the principles of federalism. For more links as well as insights, short-posts, and general ramblings from Justin Stapley (editor and owner of The Liberty Hawk), visit The Editor’s Corner.
Virtue is something that is always at the forefront of my mind. While far from perfect, I have endeavored to understand and apply the principles of Christian virtue, civic virtue, and republican virtue throughout my life. But these virtues are coming to be rarer and rarer in our time. Because of that, I’ve often had to turn to ensamples from history to better understand just what virtue is and how to obtain and magnify it.
In an article dated October 2017, that I wrote for the Federalist Coalition, I laid out just a few of the virtues George Washington exemplified throughout his life and especially as the leader of the continental army and of the young American Republic. Specifically, I discussed his fidelity, his humility, and his character.
There is good reason why Washington, for the vast majority of our nation’s history, has represented the ideal president. While a Virginian, he held a sense of brotherhood for all of his fellow countrymen. He united disparate and bickering colonies as no one else could have. In many ways, we became the United States of America because Washington chose to see us that way. Were he here today, he would be the first to eschew the polarizing elements of our politics. He would remind us that we are Americans first, a duty high above our partisan and ideological loyalties.
Washington further demonstrated the appropriate sensibility of a republican leader. He recognized power and leadership for the mantles of responsibility they were. Someone vested with such authority by the voice of a free people should recognize the honor and dignity of such public trust. To indulge in pride or vanity and give way to gaudy displays of vulgarity or garishness would be a betrayal of that trust.
It has often been said that character is destiny. No one better demonstrates that than George Washington. He was the right man at the right moment. Imagine, if you will, that Congress had not chosen a man of the highest moral fiber to lead the continental army. Imagine if Congress had given Charles Lee, as an example, the position he so craved. Would Lee, a man of low character, highly vulgar, and extremely power-hungry, have led the continental army to victory, let alone surrendered such extreme authority and gone into private life at the conclusion of the conflict?
Truly Washington was a man of strong virtue and character. We would do well to remember that men and women of equal moral fortitude are the proper individuals to be given authority in a free nation. Anything less and we invite unforeseen calamity. Character truly is destiny.
Read the full post by clicking the link below:
Do you have a response to Justin’s article? Would you like to offer your own take on this topic? Feel free to submit your own article or offer a comment below.
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