Sunday, February 22, 2015

Happy birthday, Mr. Washington


Washington's Farewell Address (issued as a public letter in 1796) was one of the most influential statements of republicanism. Drafted primarily by Washington himself, with help from Hamilton, it gives advice on the necessity and importance of national union, the value of the Constitution and the rule of law, the evils of political parties, and the proper virtues of a republican people. He called morality "a necessary spring of popular government". He said, "Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

And here is the text.

3 comments:

georgetheatheist said...

It has been said that when the birthday of Washington should be forgotten, liberty will have perished from the earth.

You Dear Reader, have you enough of this misnomer of "Presidents' Day" like I have? (The morons actually misspell the misnomer "President's" and "Presidents".) Have enough of car and mattress sales instituted by the advertising industry at the expense of the Father of his Country?

Have enough of the Asian Lunar New Year, Cinco de Mayo, and Diwali?

This is what, I suspect, happens in the Land of Vibrant Diversity: the elimination of collective memory of a great white male historical figure.

Am I right or wrong?

Anonymous said...

One of the remarkable things about the speech is how intelligent very word sounds. Presidential speeches have progressively dumbed down over the centuries along with the electorate.

Anonymous said...

You are of course correct, George.

It's likely the Republic is already dead.

Though I hope not.