The Order of Cincinnatus

Opinion

by David Hinz


For those who do not know, The Order of Cincinnatus was first formed by former officers of the American Revolutionary War. George Washington was its first President General.

Named for the famed Roman General Lucius (Titus) Quinctius Cincinnatus, the society had at its heart, the citizen soldier. Cincinnatus, having left the Roman army to return to his farm, was approached to become dictator of Rome, when the republic was threatened by the Aequi and the Volscians.

In 458 BCE (according to tradition), Cincinnatus, who had been consul in 460 BCE, was plowing his fields when messengers arrived to tell him he had been named dictator to defend the city against the Aequi and the Volscians. He took up the supreme command, defeated Rome's enemies, freed the beseiged consul Minucius, and returned to his farm, all within 16 days. Further, he refused the honors that came with his military victories.

Cincinnatus has come to be identified with public service -- accepting the call to public service in time of crisis, only to voluntarily give up the mantle of power when the crisis was past.

George Washington, following the Revolutionary War returned to his plantation, only to be called back into service to become President of the United States under the new Constitution. The Constitution made no provisions against, and he was offered, the job of President for life.

In the true spirit of Cincinnatus, after two terms, during which the underpinnings of the new nation were established, he returned to private life as a farmer. It is indeed the rare politician who seeks public office -- the office of President of the United States -- not out of personal ambition, but rather, out of public service.

Nearly every candidate, of both parties, seeking the office, have dreamed of that ambition since their youth. Unlike Washington, who saw the office as an obligation, most every candidate looks at President as the ultimate prize to cap their political career.

In my opinion, there is only one candidate who seeks this office for the right reason. Only one candidate, in my opinion, seeks the office because the nation has called him to serve.

While other candidates have planned and schemed for years, organizing their campaigns years in advance, carefully crafting their opinions to conform to the audience necessary to win their party's nomination -- and then the general election -- only one candidate has simply and honestly laid out detailed thoughts and policies to lead the nation forward.

While other candidates have courted the media, careful to say as little of substance as possible -- turning complex policy issues into nonsensical 30 second sound bites, only one candidate has refused to play the game.

One candidate has entered the presidential sweepstakes willingly taking a great financial loss. Many of the candidates have made a lifetime off the public trough, spending decades in government service. One candidate had to be dragged into the race. To many, that candidate appears to lack a fire to be President.

If, by lack of fire, detractors mean that he has not hungered after the office for his entire life -- he is certainly guilty as charged. If, on the other hand, those detractors mean to insinuate that lacking the lifetime ambition to power somehow disqualifies an individual to be President, they are sorely wrong.

We need merely look to the first President General of the Order of Cincinnatus to observe the qualities we SHOULD, as a nation seek in a leader. I think we have that leader, if only we do not discount him, taking instead a candidate with a lust for power.