The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-03-08


Washingson's Farewell Address.
Eds. Crsscsns-In The Bee of Monday, among
the proceedings Of the State Senate on the 18th Of
February, / find the following MIR. Sigur said
l am asionished that gentleman Of the intelli-
gence OF the Senator from West Baton Rouge
chr. Clarke) should have fallen into the popular
delusion, that the Farewell Address written by
George Washington 1t was the joint production
Of Jsfsrsea and Madison"
AT the present time, when spirit of dsunion is
abroad, generated by fanatics North and South, any
remark tending to lessen the weight of the advice
given BY the Father Of his Country in his Farewell
Address, should receive marked censure The
honorable Senator from New Orleans authoritivey
rebukes fellow member for his ignorance in be-
heving that the Farewell Address was written by
George Washington. Snch, says the Senator, is
"a popsslar deiusio the address was the joint pro-
duction Of Jefferson and Madison"
Every American who has read much Of the po-
litica history of the close Of the administration Of
Washington knows, or should know, that George
Washington not on political or personal terms
with Mr.. Jefferson at the time the celebrated adj
dress was issued. The history of the address is
given BY the late John Jay in a letter to Judge Pc
let's udteu DculoId, otdIe Oh new 1OrK, 18TH
March, 1911. This letter commences on page 1856
Of the ID volume Of The life and writings Of John
Jay, by his Son. This letter fully vindicates
Washington's tile to the authorship, by facts
within the knowledge Of Jay. IT. sir, you have the
deep interest in the unsullied and spoess charac-
ter Of him who was First in war, first in peace,
and first in the hearts of his countrymen, may
beg Of you to publish Mr.. jays letter. 1t may
r. ~-.-It. =
Legislature. DEMooRAT.
Dnar Sis BEDFORD March = ISL
II il be possible to find man among those whom
he esteemed capable of offering to him such pre-
sent it is impossible to believe that President
Washington was the man to whom such a present
would have been acceptable. They who knew
President Washington, and his variods endow-
ments, qualifications, and virtues, know that agpre
gately considered, they found a toni ensemble
which has rarely been equaled, and perhaps never
excelled.
Thus much for presumptive evidence. will now
turn your attention to some that it is direct
The history tf it may be so called OF the adj
dress is not unknown to me but as came TO the
knowledge Of il under implied confidence, doubt
ed, when first received your letter, whether
ought TO disclose it On more mature reflection,
became convinced, that if President Washington
was now alive, and informed of the facts in cues
tion, he would not only authorize but desire me to
reduce il to writing that when necessary it might
used to lnvadate the imputations to which those
facts give colour. This consideration terminated
my doubts. | do not think that disclosure is |
necessary at this moment, but | fear such mo- |
ment viii arrive. Whether | shall then be alive |
or in capacity to give testimony, is so uncertain
that in order to avoid the risk Of either shall now
reduce it to writing, and commit it to your care and
discretion, de 6eae as the lawyers saw
Some time before the address appeared Colonel |
afterwards General) Hamilton informed me- that |
he had received letter from President Washing |
ton, and with the draught Of a farewell address, |
which the President had prepared, and on which he
requested our opinion. He then proposed that we
should fix on day for an interview at my house on
the subject. A day accordingly appointed
On that day Colonel Hamilton attended He OBJ
served TO me, in words to this eflect--that after
having read and examined the draught II appeared
TO him to be susceptible Of improvement-that he
thought the easiest and best way was to leave the
draught untouched and in its fair state and TO
write the whole over with such amendments altera-
TONS and corrections as he thought were advisable
and that ne had done So He then proposed to read
r. and to make IT the subject OF our consideration
This being agreed to, he read il and we proceeded
deliberately to discuss and consider it, paragraph
BY paragraph, until the whole met with our mutual
appreciation: some amendments were made during |
the interview, but none of much importance. Al |
though this business had not been hastily dis
patched, yet aware of the consequences of such
paper, suggested the giving it further critical
examination but he declined IT, saying that he
was pressed for time, and anxious to return the
draught to the President without delay 1t after
ward occurred to me, that certain proposition was
expressed IN terms too general and unqualified and
limited i in a letter to the President.
As the business took the course above mentioned
recurrence to the draught was unnecessary, and
II was not read. There was this advantage in the
the course pursued-the Presidents draught re-
manned las delcacy requred) fair, and not o6scured
oy lnterlineations, etc. By comparing it with the
paper sent with il, he would Immediately observe
the particular cancellations and corrections that
We're proposed and would find them standing in
their intended places. Hence he was enabled to
review and to decide on the whole matter, with
much greater clearness and facility than il he had
received them in separate and detached notes, and
with detailed references to the pages and lines,
where they were advised to be introduced
With great esteem and regard, am, dear sir,
Your obedient servant JoHN JAY.