To his everlasting credit, Washington declined the opportunity to become king of the liberated American colonies. To his discredit, he sorely violated the founding principles by putting down the righteous tax revolt, the Whiskey Rebellion.
Lincoln -- well, his signal accomplishment was to sweep the concept of "the consent of the governed" under the rug by denying the right of secession, relegating all Americans to the status of subjects, rather than free men.
We can do better during the first few months of each year as we look for heroes to honor.
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743. James Madison was born on March 16, 1751. Richard Henry Lee was born on January 20, 1732. Robert E. Lee, though not one of the revolutionary founders, tried to carry their ideals through the crisis of the Civil War. He was born on January 19, 1807.
I can't find birthdates for Thomas Paine (who deserves his own holiday -- no dozen men did as much to inspire the revolutionary spirit of liberty among his countrymen) or George Mason, but I couldn't write this without mentioning them.
If I had my druthers, we'd be celebrating Founders' Day this weekend, paying our respects to those statesmen who understood and supported the principles under which this nation was established.
In Liberty,
Kent Van Cleave