Washington's farewell address: almost prophetic

Anyone who has spoken to me at length regarding social policy and government knows that I am a Constitutionalist. That is that I believe firmly in getting back the basics of the constitution.

Tonight, I just finished readingWashington's Farewell address of 1796. He had just spent 8 years as the only President to have ever been unanimously elected to the office (a feat which happened for both terms). Those of you familiar with Constitutional history know that at this point there were no Term Limits to the Presidency. In fact Term Limits to the Presidency (22nd Amendment) were approved by congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951 and were instituted in response to FDR's 4-term reign. One of the most important things Washington did was remove himself from the running of a third term. In doing so, he set a precedence that would not be broken until FDR.

If you're looking forward to my own thoughts in this blog, I'm afraid you're going to be sorely disappointed (as if anyone REALLY enjoys reading my books). I simply want to take a moment to quote Washington's thoughts on some of the issues of his day and explore how those philosophies might still be relavent.

Patriotism and the Federalization of Government:

"With such powerful and obvious motives to union, affecting all parts of our country, while experience shall not have demonstrated its impracticability, there will always be reason to distrust the patriotism of those who in any quarter my endeavor to weaken its bands." Clearly Washington thought there was something to be said for Patriotism and had reason to believe that there would be those who would try to break the bonds of unity from within our ranks. He warned to be on guard.

The Dangers of a Political Party System:

"They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extaordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of the party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternative triumphs of different parites, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests.

"However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust domain."

"I have already intimated to you the dangers of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

"This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

"Their alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissention, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later, the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty."

"It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasional riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."

More prophetic words could never have been spoken.

Religion and Morality:

"The name American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits and political principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels, and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and successess."

"Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. . . . The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and cherish them. . . . And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. 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."

National Credit:

"As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible, avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater dibursements to repel it, avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of exepense, but by vigorous exertion in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves out to bear."

In times of peace, do not accumulate debt, be wise to fund a standing army to be trained and ready for the inevitability of war, and pay off additional expenses incurred during war. Sounds simple enough... but I think it's a far cry from where we are today.

Foreign Influence:

"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to belive me, fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be contantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful woes of republican government."

Interesting isn't it that Justice Ginsburg of the Supreme Court said this on April 10, 2009: "I frankly don’t understand all the brou-ha-ha lately from Congress and even from some of my colleagues about referring to foreign law.” Her suggestion was that we should keep our minds open to the ideas of smart minds anywhere in the world when deciding domestic Supreme Court cases. Personally, I think the idea is repulsive and a sell-out of our national sovereignty.

In short, I guess, our first President, George Washington, seemed to hit alot of issues squarely, and in the case of the corruption of political party and how it can create the absolute power of an individual his words are almost prophetic.