The Placer herald., 1859-12-17
Washington'S Farewell A( dress.

1t is stated in Duyckinc&'s Cyclopelia OF
American Literature, that of all Washing
tons writings, the most important is his Far
we'll Address to the people Of the United
States of America, and that the history of
this composition would seem to refer It's au-
thorship in various proportions, to Madison,
Hamilton, and Washington himself. 1t was
printed by Mr.. Claypool, "who preserved
the manuscript with care, and it passed into
the hands of lis administrators by whom it
was sold at auction in Philadelphia, in 1850,
Mr.. Lenox becoming the purchaser for the
sum of S2,300." 1t WAS printed bv Mr..
Lenox, with careful marking of the paper.
altering the draft after he had received it
from Hamilton, and submitted it to the
critical revision of Mr.. Jay. Only two hun
dred and twenty-nine copies in f.lio and
quarto were printed 10y Mr. Lenox, for pri-
printed in the fifth volume of Washington
lrving's Life of Washington.
Mr. Duycllinck's history of this remarka-
BILE paper was what Mr.. Horace Binnev aso
gives: That in 1892, Washington charged
Madison, on the conclusion of his first Presi
dental tenn, to assist him in the prepare
ton of farewell parer, for which be fur
nished the first points, which Madison brief
ly put into shape that Washington eontnu-
ING second term in Office had no occasion
then to use the address; that on his subSe-
quent retirement, his intimacy with Madison,
in the course Of political affairs, having
somewhat abated, Hamilton was consulted
in the preparation Of the required paper;
,1,
mitted them to Hamilton, who, instead Of
making amendments on the copy, wrote out
a new paper, including Washington's orri-
nal draft, which he sent to the President,
who appears to have re written and submit
ted it again for revision to Hamilton and
JAY; that the copy, entirely in Washingtons
own handwriting, marked with corrections
and erasures, sent to Clavpoole, the printer
was that purchased by Mr.. James Lennox,
Of New York. and now in his possession.
AS to the authorship on which Mr.. Bin
ney has written highly interesting volume,
which we noticed Yesterday Mr.. Duyckinck
gives the following opinion:
ut is impossible to determine accurately
the respective shares Of Hamilton and Wash
ington in the language. The idea Of the
whole was projected by Washington, and
SO far as can be learned, the parts we're most
Iy contrived and put into shape 10y him.
The deiberation and intelligent counsel
bestowed upon the work, proved by the
Madison, Hamilton, and JAY letters upon
the subject, SO far from detractng from
Washiu9ton's own abors add further value
to them. He had public duty to perform,
and he took pains to discharge it in the most
eff ctive manner. The pride Of literary au-
thorship sinks before such considerations -
Yet the temper Of tins paper is eminently
Washingtonian. 1t is unlike any compost
ton of Madison or Hamilton, in a certain
consderate moral tone which distinguished
all Washingon's writings 1t is stamped
by the POSITION the character, and the very
terms Of phrase of the great man who gave
it to his country"
These remarks from dispassionaie work
of the CHEST authority, fully bear out the
opinion, which we expressed yesterday, that
the mind and even the language of Wash
ington pervaded his Farewell Address much
more than Mr.. Binney believed. We leave
the question upon the arguments which we
have previously brought forward, backed By
the above opinion. Without derogating
from IIamiton's admitted ability, we believe
that Washngton's mind, not his, brealhed
form and force into the Farewell Address.
PhHadelphia Press.