George Washington stopped coup d' etat

Contra Costa Times ^ | 03/21/2008 | Martin Snapp

[Pharmboy]

What separated The General from everyone else...he thought of the country before he thought of himself.

[donmeaker]

When handed the manifesto by his officers, he stopped to put on his spectacles. He apologized, saying that he had given his youth, and even his eyesight for his country.

The young officers knew right then it was going to be a bad day.

[Pharmboy]

The Washington Family Crest

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington pin list

[RightWhale]

Some of the officers, who had fought with Washington all during the campaign, became verklempt.

[the invisib1e hand]

Congress was reneging on that pledge.

Hmm. Some things never change.

[Billthedrill]

...he gained something far more valuable: moral authority.

LOL! Yes, and there were times when it drove him nuts. He once complained that he'd walk down the stairs into a party and the conversation would die down. Think that would mess with your head? BTT...

[Pharmboy]

I had never quite heard it put that way, but I am LOL’ing here!

[Pharmboy]

EXCELLENT point, sir.

[Inyo-Mono]

Great story, thanks!

[Moonman62]

It’s easy to understand why he’s been compared to Cincinnatus.

[Pharmboy]

Indeed.

[jimtorr]

Bump for almost the only revolutionary in history to give up power and go back to private life when the revolution was over.

[donna]

I remember being taught this in grade school many years ago.

[Moonman62]

I came across the Society of the Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago because I was reading up on Grant. Cincinnati was the name of his favorite horse.

[jimtorr]

Another amazing thing is that this article was printed in a SF bay area paper.

[buschbaby]

Thank you. An incredible story, I am going to read it to my children.

[patton]

It was the single most noble act in our history, I believe.

Of course, if he had known that a mere 80 years later, the union army would pull his pew out of the Falls Church, in order to make a stable for their horses IN HIS CHURCH, he might have chosen differently.

[george76]

[Bigg Red]

Thanks for posting this. Washington was an incredible gift from God.

I remember reading about this incident before, but I never thought of it in terms of keeping us from being a banana republic. Excellent analysis here.

[george76]