“The Farewell Address” by George Washington.
Widely available in books and on the Internet. 1793, 12 pages, Grades 9 and higher.
After the Revolutionary War, General George Washington resigned his commission as the head of the Continental Army and retired to his estate in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. He happily managed his estate and wrote voluminous correspondence with important people of the day.
But his peace was constantly interrupted by friends, political leaders and events in the United States. Time and time again, he was called upon to solve national events. This eventually led to him being elected president of the United States. After two terms in office, Washington decided to completely retire from public life. But before leaving, he penned a farewell address to the citizens of the United States that he had served so faithfully throughout his life. “The Farewell Address” is one of the most famous documents in American history. While it is very short, the address requires sustained attention, as it is filled with insights.
Washington warns his beloved citizens of the many dangers that can attack a republic. The first is the loss of national unity. The country that is united is strong and will be able to withstand assaults on its national character. Every effort must be made to ensure a unified United States. Without unity, Washington does not believe that the country can long be sustained. He describes the material benefits each section of the country can give to the entire nation. Since each part of the country supports the other, political and economic strengths are developed and unity is maintained.
Washington then states that political rivalries will have “baneful effects” on the nation. Political parties tend to become self-serving, which leads to selfishness and endless bickering. This can lead to cunning politicians trying to warp the reins of government. Policies developed from these political attitudes can only increase the likelihood of one party trying to dominate another. The ultimate outcome is a prideful, greedy and vain tyranny.
Washington next urges great caution in altering laws. A government may never just decide to change laws. He feels that this will be an assault on the Constitution and will result in our system being undermined. All laws must be changed through normal legal channels and through the amendment process spelled out in the Constitution. All three branches of government must work together to ensure justice. If any of the three branches of government gains too much power, the political system will begin declining and justice will be lessened.
The concepts of religion and morality are next addressed. Washington believes that morality may never stand outside of religion. The reason for this is that only religion has the power to create just moral systems. This necessarily mandates that religion must direct morality. When morality is stripped of religion, it can only rely on fallen human nature for its decision making. This causes a flawed moral system which loses its ability to find truth and will consequently result in the morality becoming unjust.
Finally, Washington warns the country about the ill-advised use of credit. While he admits that sometimes a country must borrow money, these debts should be quickly paid off. Otherwise, large debts will cripple the country and burden future generations. Therefore, Congress and the country should use great fiscal prudence.
Reading Washington’s “Farewell Address” is somewhat shocking for contemporary Americans. Almost everything he warned against has occurred. While some of the address cannot be applied to the modern world, many of the others could serve as a springboard to renew the nation. When you read “The Farewell Address,” don’t be daunted if you don’t understand every sentence; it is written in elegant 1790 English. However, you will easily understand most of the issues discussed in the wise words of our Founding Father.
