COL. JOHN HATCH GEORGE.
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��Concord, no public man can count more devoted personal friends and admirers amid his political opponents than he. His experiences have proved the falsity of the poet's contrary asser- tion, and that honesty is not a ragged virtue, but a covering which no good and patriotic man. and worthy citizen, can reputably refuse or decline to wear. In all respects, aside from politics or matters of public dispute, Col. George's social character stands high among his fellow citizens.
The "brethren of the mystic tie " have in him an exalted member of their most worthy fraternity, He exists among their number as a "Sovereign Grand Inspector" of the 33d and final degree in Masonry, and as an active member of the " Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States," and has taken all the lower degrees. He is a member of the Blazing Star Lodge, and of the Mount Horeb Commandery of Con- cord, and was, for several years, Com- mander of the latter organization. Of most of our local charities, he is a quiet but liberal supporter ; and the incidental demands of benevolence find him always a ready friend.
Notwithstanding the great pressure of professional and other duties, much attention is given by Col. George to ag- riculture, and those improvements con- nected therewith, sanctioned alike by modern science and experience. He owns a fine farm just over the western boundary of Concord, in the town of Hopkinton, where the improvement and enrichment of the soil, and the breeding and raising of horses an^ Jer- sey cattle form part of his summer pur- suits. It is not certain that he will add largely to his fortune by his efforts as a "gentleman farmer ; " but the external aspects of his management are such as to make those efforts valuable, at least, as examples. His rules providing for cleanliness, comfort and kindness to- wards his farm animals are seen in their fine condition, and reported to be profit- ably justified by their superior produce. No better proof of a man's nobility in
��the ranks of humanity can be found than in his kindness towards his dumb animals.
And now, in conclusion, a few words as to Col. George's status as a politician and a lawyer. As has already been shown he is a Democrat. Keeping al- ways in view the foundation principles on which that policy rests, he is what may be properly called a progression- ist. He recognizes — what many can- not do — the fact that the science of politics advances, as does every other, and that, while fundamental principles never vary, circumstances occur to change the rigid rule of their applica- tion, though not to materially vitiate its force or shut it out of due considera- tion. The political influences of today may not be fit to govern in what those of tomorrow may demand ; and he can only be a narrow-minded man who can think otherwise and act according- ly. He certainly can have no pure el- ement of statesmanship within him. But associated with this progressive- ness there is no feature of vaccillation or radical change and departure from the organic principles of his party in Col. George. He is as true as steel to both, and no man among the Democ- racy of New Hampshire has a larger share of the confidence and respect of his compatriots. His public addresses are held by his admirers as models of honest, terse, pertinent and well-judged and founded argument ; and he cer- tainly carries an audience along with him, not by the use of clap-trap and sensationalism, but by the bold, acute- ly analytical, and forcible representation of sound logical facts. He is held to be one of the most solid, as well as most influential, stump speakers in New Hampshire, and his political opponents do not deny this. His memory acts as an encyclopedia of political history, state and national, and this always gives him wonderful advantage as an im- promptu orator — a duty he has invaria- bly to attend to when many or few are met together for political deliberation. When his reputation and character as a lawyer comes up the writer con- fesses that the task of describing the
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