Chapter XXIII: President of the United States

Conference with Lafayette--Negotiations for War--Sir Henry
Clinton--Treaty of Peace--What America Won, and England
Lost--Washington Parting with his Soldiers--Meets Congress at
Annapolis--Retires to Mount Vernon--Improvement of his Mansion
and Plantations--Encourages Education--Refuses Gift of
$40,000--Generosity to the Poor--A Pleasing Incident--Meeting
Payne again--His Industry--In Convention to Form
Constitution--Elected President--Reluctance to Accept--Journey
to New York--Ovation at Trenton--At New York--His Cabinet--Style
of Living--Grooming Horses--His Sickness--Tour through New
England--Example of Punctuality--Too Late for Dinner--The Pair
of Horses--Presidential Mansion--The Injured Debtor--Urged for
Second Presidential Term--Elected--Fruits of it--Tour South, and
Punctuality--Amount of his Work--Thoroughness--Civil Service
Reform--Lafayette in Exile--Washington's Maxims--Offered a Third
Term--Farewell Address--Retirement--His Opposition to
Slavery--Emancipation of them--The Result 440

XXIV.

DEATH AND FUNERAL CEREMONIES.

Exposure and Cold--Ignores Wise Suggestions--Severe
Attack--Rawlins bleeds him--Believes his End is Near, and
Resignation--His Will--The Physicians arrive--All Remedies
fail--His Last Request--Death--Mrs. Washington's Words--What
Custis says of her--Sad Tidings spread--Action of Congress--The
Senate's Letter to President Adams--The Funeral at Mount
Vernon--Sorrow Universal--What Irving says--Eulogy by Fisher
Ames--Lord Brougham's Estimate--Everett's Final Conclusion, and
Father of His Country 484

XXV.

Eulogy by General Henry Lee 491

LIFE OF WASHINGTON