Happy George Washington's Birthday

The Greatness of George Washington

Caesar, Tsar, Kaiser. In the past, everyone wanted to be emperor in the Roman style, even stealing Gaius Julius’s name. But George Washington, who rejected Caesarism, was so successful in building our great republic that democrats and tyrants alike want his title: President

Hanging in The George Washington Masonic National Memorial - Alexandria, Virginia

George Washington is one of the most influential figures in history. He led the American War of Independence and became the first President of the United States. His leadership style redefined what it meant to be a great leader, to be a founder and a freedom fighter.

In fact, his success was so great that the title "President" has become the most coveted title in the world, surpassing ancient titles like Caesar, tsar, kaiser, and emperor. The city that bears his name is the capital of the great Western hegemon. 

Roman titles, such as Caesar and Autokrator, were used by rulers like the tsars - the Autocrats of all the Russias, and the kaisers of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria, and Germany to declare their superiority and greatness over the mere kings of the earth. The grandeur associated with the title of the Roman emperor made Napoleon Bonaparte drop his position as First Consul for Life to the crown and raise himself above the French Republic and the old Bourbon dynasty kings. The emperorship represented power, order, dignity, and glory. Glory like that of Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Emperor Saint Constantine the Great epitomized the pinnacle of authority and the embodiment of the state's might. Rulers coveted this status.

But Washington's success in establishing the Constitutional order of the American Union and shaping the presidency marked a shift. The Kaisers and Tsars are gone, and their replacements in Berlin and Moscow are presidents, or rather "Präsident" and "Prezident" respectively. 

Washington's presidency was world-changing, not just because he refused the royal style but also because he embodied renewed republican virtues. He voluntarily relinquished power after two terms, setting the standard for humble leadership and self-government. The people needed to be able to survive without him. This act alone distinguished the American title of president from those of historical autocrats. Power was loaned and then returned to the nation. This made America stable when other republics fell to strongmen and autocrats throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. America endured because Washington was the model. He was the precedent.

It is a myth George Washington died in retirement. Four times, his country called him, and four times, the answer was he would serve the nation. 

In 1775, he was called to be the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. He stepped down in 1784. In 1787, he was selected to preside over the Constitutional Convention, which was the most single successful effort in history to establish a foundational system of government. He concluded the Convention, and the resulting document was sent to the States of the Union. Then, the Electors from those States elected him President of the whole country, and sent him to New York in 1789 and later Philadelphia in 1793 to swear an oath: to preserve, protect, and defend. He retired from the presidency in 1797. 

But he was recalled, summoned to stand in the gap. Due to fear of war with the French Republic, President John Adams, on the 13th of July in the Year of our Lord 1798, appointed George Washington, a private citizen of Virginia, Senior Officer of the United States Army. Once again, George Washington was Lieutenant General Washington; this was the position he held when he died at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799. He always served. 

Father of his Country. The Father of Freedom.

Over a decade ago, I was a young student about to begin graduate studies for my Master's in Military History; I happened to have a conversation with Ronald Reagan’s former Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, Alan Keyes. He said, "Words are important. You have to unlock them; particular ideas have languages, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, etc. Freedom has a language and it is English." Thinking back, I know that English is the language of freedom because of George Washington. 

Today, the title of president of an independent sovereign government is the most prestigious in the world, reflecting the universal aspiration for governance that respects individual rights, upholds the rule of law, and seeks the common good. If the title symbolizes a commitment to public service and accountability, it is because Washington did his job by safeguarding the ancient rights of Anglo-American liberty. 

But it also means Power. Superpower. Hyperpower. Even leaders from despotic regimes adopt the title of president to gain legitimacy and respectability. The American people should always remember that this power belongs to them; it is their inheritance from the Founding Father.

According to the Congressional joint resolution, "To provide for the appointment of George Washington to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States" aka United States Public Law 94-479. 90 Stat. 2060 passed in 1976 and signed by President Gerald Ford: 

Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington of Virginia commanded our armies throughout and to the successful termination of our Revolutionary War;

Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington presided over the convention that formulated our Constitution;

Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington twice served as President of the United States of America; and

Whereas it is considered fitting and proper that no officer of the United States Army should outrank Lieutenant General George Washington on the Army list: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) for purposes of subsection (b) of this section only, the grade of General of the Armies of the United States is established, such grade to have rank and precedence over all other grades of the Army, past or present.

By law, George Washington is still on the books as the top general protecting America. Just where he belongs.

George Washington, General of the Armies of the United States, Anglican Vestryman, Farmer, Citizen, Virginian, greater than Caesar, PRESIDENT, was born on February 22, 1732, according to the Gregorian calendar. 

There is no such holiday as "President's Day." In America, the third Monday in February belongs to only one of them.