Prof reveals truth about cherry tree story: It’s a lie

You may have used the story of George Washington and the cherry tree to teach your children the virtue of honesty.

While a sterling example of personal integrity, the incident is a complete fabrication, concocted in 1806 by Parson Weems for a fictional account of Washington’s life, according to Stephen Lucas, professor of communication arts and author of “The Quotable George Washington” (1999: Madison House).

Lucas, who last December co-authored a national survey of America’s top 100 political speeches of the 20th century, concludes that Washington probably did not excel in oratory.

“He lacked the intellectual power of James Madison, the multifaceted genius of Benjamin Franklin, the rhetorical fire of Thomas Paine and the stylistic felicity of Thomas Jefferson,” Lucas says.

In fact, it was Jefferson, not Washington, who penned the admonition against “entangling alliances” that has been used for centuries to preclude American involvement in world affairs.

Nevertheless, Washington was keenly aware of the importance of language. “He worked hard to develop his skills as a writer,” Lucas says. “Although he never achieved — or aspired to — literary distinction, he did become a clear, forceful, economical stylist. A shrewd observer of people and events, he had a sharp eye for detail and was capable of producing richly textured narrative and descriptive prose,” as in his account of the suffering of colonial troops at Valley Forge during the harsh winter of 1777-78, Lucas says.

Washington grounded all his discourse upon general principles, Lucas says. “His prose is studded with maxim-like statements that reveal the ideas governing his thought and conduct. As we read his comments on subjects ranging from foreign policy, religious freedom, friendship, parsimony and relations between the sexes, we find that his words often are as applicable to our own times as they were in the 18th century.”

To wit:

• “The best way to preserve the confidence of the people durably is to promote their true interest.”
• “While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious of violating the rights of conscience in others.”
• “Too much zeal may create suspicion.”
• “We must take human nature as we find it.”
• “If we cannot learn wisdom from experience, it is hard to say where it is to be found.”

Lucas cites Washington’s Farewell Address as an example of Washington at his best. Published in newspapers in 1796, this valedictory enunciated tenets that should guide Americans in their relations with each other and the rest of the world. However, Alexander Hamilton was the primary draftsman of the document, Lucas adds.