Essay, Research Paper: Indespensable Man

Indispensable Man
Our first president, George Washington, was
indispensable for a number of reasons. In the book,
Washington The Indispensable Man, James Thomas
Flexnor points out many of the reasons he is
indispensable, such as the fact that he never quit, he
let his slaves go, he wouldn t side with the British or
the French, and he didn t accept being president for
the third term. These points may not seem to show his
indispensability, but if Washington wasn t our first
president who knows where we would be right now
(probably be speaking French or in tyranny).
Washington was criticized for a lot of things he
did, and he was also thanked for everything later.
When he would get criticized for something he wouldn t
quit or give in to what they want because they
criticized him. During the Jay treaty Thomas Paine
insults Washington in a peroration saying, As to you,
sir, treacherous in private friendship (for so you have
been to me and that in the day of danger) and a
hypocrite in public life, the world will be puzzled to
decide whether you are an apostate or an impostor;
whether you abandoned good principles or whether you
had any. pg.354. Even when all odds are against him
in criticism he wouldn t even be phased, and stand his
ground. When Jefferson said, he got into one of those
passions when he cannot command himself, ran on much on
the personal abuse which had been bestowed on him,
defied any man on earth to produce one single act of
his since he had been in the government which was not
done on the purest motives. pg.295. Washington said,
he would rather be in his grave than be in his present
situation. That he had rather be on his farm than to
be made emperor of the world, and yet that they were
charging him with wanting to be king. pg.295.
The most indispensable accomplishment of Washington
is the freeing of his slaves. He wished to see some
plan adopted that would free the blacks, by slow,
sure, and imperceptible degrees. pg388. Washington s
attitude toward slavery between the Revolution and the
Presidency is, The unfortunate condition of the
persons whose labors I in part employed has been the
only unavoidable subject of regret. To make the adults
among them as easy and comfortable as their actual
state of ignorance and improvidence would admit, and to
lay a foundation to prepare the rising generation for a
destiny different from that in which they were born,
affords some satisfaction to my mind, and could not, I
hoped, be displeasing to the justice of the creator.
pg.387.
Washington wanted true neutrality, and not ever to
side with England or France. Washington wrote to the
British philanthropist Lord Buchan saying, If, instead
of the provocation s to war, bloodshed, and desolation
(often times unjustly given) the strife of nations and
of individuals was to excel each other in acts of
philanthropy, industry, and economy, in encouraging
useful arts and manufactures, promoting thereby the
comfort and happiness of our fellow men. pg.307. Had
Washington not been the president to make this
decision, who knows where the fate of this country
would be. Washington was convinced that,
conscientiously apply the impartial neutrality which
was the government policy and also the only intelligent
option for a patriotic citizen of the United States,
to send Jay to negotiate a treaty with Great Britain.
Washington could have accepted a third term, but he
recognized that he was too old. If he allowed himself
to be persuaded, he would be charged with dotage and
imbecility. pg.383. Washington said to Adams,
expressing the hope that it might lead to that peace
and tranquillity...upon just, and honorable, and
dignified terms, which he was persuaded was the
ardent desire of all friends of this rising empire.
pg.382. Once Washington left the presidency nothing
was ever going to be the same. John Adams became the
second president, and when he was president he felt
that he wasn t even president. He still felt that
Washington was the president. Since Washington was
convinced to being more of a federalist, it was a good
thing for Washington that Adams was a federalist, then
he knows that he wouldn t ruin everything that he has
done for our country.
Washington, being unreplaceable and indispensable,
continued to make great decisions which were later
known to save our country. His great leadership, and
indispensability continues to carry on in through our
time and recognized by many people. Washington is the
most indispensable man anyone will ever come across,
because if we never would of had a George Washington
all of America would probably be ruled by a king from
France or England. It is a good thing Washington made
some of the decisions that he did, such as the fact
that he never gave in or quit no matter what people
said about his decisions he made, he proved to be the
only Virginia founding father to free all his slaves ,
he rode the neutrality line and wouldn t side with the
French or the British, and most importantly, set an
example to America that the exchange of a leader could
be peaceful by not accepting a third term.
Washington s last words were, tis well. My last words
would be good luck