He has been set apart high above all other men, and reverenced with the unquestioning veneration accorded only to the leaders of mankind and the founders of nations; and in this very devotion lies one secret at least of the fact that, while all men have praised Washington, comparatively few have understood him.
Henry Cabot Lodge: “He has been set apart high above all other men, and reverenced with the unquestioning veneration accorded only to the…”
Editor's note · Context
Lodge discusses the reverence for Washington, suggesting that this admiration often leads to a lack of understanding of his true character.
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