Mr. Sajak's Introduction You are about to hear eulogies of George Washington from four men. Two were his contemporaries - very different contemporaries. One, Fischer Ames, a northern Federalist, was known for his oratorical skills. The other, Thomas Jefferson, a southern Democrat, was known more for his writing skills. But in this man, they agreed on his greatness. Note, it was the greatness of his character they most admired. It seemed almost to leave them awestruck. They recognized that great though his accomplishments were, it was that unparalleled character which made those accomplishments possible. And that we as a nation were blessed to have that man, at that time. The other two men, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, of course came later. But perhaps more than any other statesmen, in any other eras, they, because of the terrible crises they faced, could understand the greatness of Washington, the almost unfathomable challenges he faced, and the uniqueness of his character, which paved the way for this nation to thrive and prosper. Even Lincoln, who struggled to save this country, and Churchill, who struggled to save freedom for the world, stood in awe of this man, George Washington. Copyright© 2002 The Claremont Institute. All rights reserved.