Washington was the available man: the only Virginian with experience of command and young enough to take the field. He was the only member of Congress who wore a uniform, and it suited him. One congressman wrote of his “easy soldier-like air.” His “modesty” and “independent fortune” were mentioned in his favor, a reassuring combination to these gentleman Whigs. Perhaps the decisive element was his air of Stoic calm; he was a man Whigs could trust with power. The Adams cousins proposed and seconded the nomination. Congress made it unanimous. Everyone was happy except George Washington, who
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