Why George Washington Should Still Inspire Every American

New York Post ^ | Feb. 15, 2026

[nickcarraway]

Though rarely honored these days exactly on Feb. 22, his actual birth date, “Presidents’ Day” is officially still Washington’s birthday. And that’s entirely right and proper, as our first chief executive deserves every American’s gratitude.

Amid today’s bitter political discord, all should consider Washington’s example.

Yes, he — and the entire generation of the Founders — achieved greatness that none of their successors could hope to match.

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TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; marblemodel; thegeneral; therevolution

[V_TWIN]

[wasmv80]

Bless George Washington

[dadfly]

amen.

frankly, you’re not really American until you understand why Geo. Washington is ‘...always first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.’

[No name given]

Well said.

[No name given]

Agreed.

[hanamizu]

Not remembered enough today is the fact that when the Revolution was won and he was the most powerful figure in North America, he resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon which caused George III who had no reason to love him, declare, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world”.

[NorthMountain]

George Washington INVENTED these United States. As President, he set the precedent for all others to follow; he brought the office, outlined in the Constitution, to life. As such he is and will always be the “greatest President evah”. The GOAT. Number One. The Man.

[Verginius Rufus]

It’s Nixon’s fault that people think that the holiday honors all the Presidents. When Congress voted to move the celebration of Washington’s birthday to the third Monday in February, Nixon referred to it as “Presidents Day,” apparently under the impression it was meant to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but there had never been a national holiday to honor Abraham Lincoln. The holiday honors George Washington only.

[Ditto]

The Indispensable Man

We could not and would not have existed without him.

[Verginius Rufus]

One of the greatest actions of his public career was Washington's thwarting of the Newburgh Conspiracy on March 15, 1783. Some of the officers in the Continental Army, angry with the Continental Congress because they had not been paid, tried to stage a coup d'etat. Since the plot was foiled, we don't know what might have happened, but they may have used force against the Congress. Washington recognized that the situation was very dangerous and wrote a 9-page letter in which he sympathized with the army's plight, denounced the methods being proposed, and expressed confidence that Congress would do them justice.

But he realized, after reading his prepared remarks, that he had failed to win them over, and remembered that he had recently received a letter from a member of Congress. Pulling it out, he tried to read it, but then brought out a pair of spectacles which few of his men knew that he had.

He remarked, "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."

James Thomas Flexner in his biography of Washington remarks, "This homely act and simple statement did what all Washington's arguments had failed to do. The hardened soldiers wept. Washington had saved the United States from tyranny and civil discord. As Jefferson was later to comment, 'The moderation and virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty which it was intended to estabish.'"

[NorthMountain]

"Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles,"

Yeah ... that's something with which many of us are familiar ... the humility to admit it shows the difference between a leader of free Men, and king ruling over subjects.

[marktwain]

George Washington was the indispensable man in the revolution and the founding of the new country.

I would argue Benjamin Franklin was nearly as indispensable for his work as a ambassador with the French. Franklin’s intellect was highly regarded in Europe. He was a rock star of his time.

[cowboyusa]

Washington would have hanged all leftists.

[cowboyusa]

Washington was the first American Nationalist. He held that the USA is not just a federation of States , but a Nation.

[Verginius Rufus]

John Adams had some choice words about how Washington and Franklin would get all the credit for the Revolution.

[Pelham]

“Geo. Washington is ‘...always first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”

The words are from the eulogy delivered by Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, one of Washington’s officers. Henry Lee was also the father of Robert E Lee. The Lee and Washington families had a history together long predating the Revolution.

[stremba]

Actually, probably his greatest and most historically significant act as President was quitting. Washington could have been President for life had he chosen to do so. He did not choose to do so. In our modern world with representative government so well-established as the norm, we fail to appreciate what an extraordinary event that was. That was probably the first time, or at least one of very few times, where a person had the opportunity to grab extensive power in government and voluntarily gave it up. That was quite far outside the norm amongst the monarchs and nobles who ruled other nations in the late 18th century.

[right way right]

I always have thought George Washington to be a super groovy guy ever since kindergarten where I was taught this fact.

Now we have to have articles like this educate people who were never taught it.

Really gets my goat…commie bastards.

[foreverfree]

bump