6 George Washington Quotes on Trust

George Washington quotes on trust

66. Real Patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favourite, are liable to become suspected and odious; while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests. (Note: spelling/capitalization likely original.[2])

69. There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation.

75. A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends.

80. Be courteous to all, but intimate with few; and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.

93. It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.

150. From the moment when he took command of the army, Washington was, indeed, 'first in the hearts of his countrymen.' And the student of our history cannot help remarking how providential it was that, at the outset of this sturggle, Washington should come to the front. Eighty-Six years later, at the beginning of the rebellion, there was no accepted chief. Lincoln was doubted by the North and, and the army had no true leader. By a slow process Lincoln's commanding strength became known; by an equally tedious sifting of the generals the qualities of Grant, Sherman, Thomas and Meade were discovered. Only the tremendous resources of the North could have withstood the strain of such a delay. Had the same process been necessary at the outset of the Revolution, the colonies could have scarcely maintainted the struggle. Had not Washington been at hand, accepted by the Congress and admired by the army, the virtual leader of both, the chances of success would have been slight. But he was Lincoln and Grant in one. Time and time again, through the long years, it was Washington alone who brought victory from defeat. Without him, the colonies might have won their independence as the result of an almost interminable guerilla warfare; but with him the fight was definite, glorious, and-for the infant republic, mercifully short.