New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-28
THE STATESMAN.
wASHINGTON'S POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
AND POLICY.
ISJuvcrroNs THAT HAVE BECoIE AxIOMS-
ALMOST MIRACULOUS Provision.


comparison between those general principles
Of government the operation OF which l. mover
threatened hv either party ~ Tie itts'n' d9y
and the maxims which Washington propounied D.
his country,nen in the Farewell Ad!re>s mi-h,
probably De considered in extended treatise.
The purpose OF this brief paper is 10 ind. ~.
few OF the results which mere surface cVamiaa-
ton has been found to yield That document is
rs famous rs the victory ~ Blenhsm. I'd
not much more specifically significant - 20 m
and women Of today than Wa Nario7oYci's
bloody triumph 20 tho valiant and >cnornhls
Cnsyar. There IS sc1rcclv n srhooiboy who's.
tongue il not familiar with - 'i'ie r1r ne
adult in ten who has more than o >halonr con.
ccpton OF its contents Moreover. IN sp'c q
IN historic rcnown. preserved thsuu.h more Ion .
nine decades and likely 70 be pcrie'i1i There =
~ least excuse FOR doubtng II - mr.sagr
ever had definite and measurable influence upon
the mould OF National ilou.ht apI ,,tion Nd
yet il the Address mad hoou adopted by universal
consent NJ the moment OF - appearance - on
lnfalbc chart 20 steer by in all w"l'lcrs IN
penalty OF shpwrcclS, and handed dogn from
father 70 son MS the only sni. guard Il National
existence, wide; divergence from the course
therein prescribed might reasonably hnve becn
expected 10 appear within n century 'h1n that
which actually exists II then. th' IA n" error IN
thc hypothesis that 'hc people Of the United states
have never consciously accepted Wasiine'on's
farcwrlI inlunctionS ~ political deollosA'. no
conclusion is inevitable that hr Ind an almost
faultlcss provision OF the manner IN which
reoplr SO circumstanocd and III Tor srl...1'rrn-
mont on q large scale must inevitably conduct
their affairs: 50 that the cNtaorlluary cN-re.
snondcncc between those prophetic 'raoines "Ht
tic record of our actual development '"'gH'N that
l.. ffsft.. fIsar
than thar we have been faithful 10 hl- rnralngs
The word >olicitudr comes easily - to i"'l
nuer a stn,lv Of The Farewell AIdre>~. Ansi''y
If q desnondrnt 1inec is tho keynote. OF 'rt
production There much IN "'N"n-''n'
urrsonaI cxperlcncc AMI much N the aspect ~
National affair, 10 touch his reflections WIN
raclnncholv. He longrd for rrp0Sc, 'ut f"t %
must hive felt that keen sense of dlNp"'~'>>i'l
which 10 man can escape who Pnl'> III" s'''' =
action after u long exercise of power ana '"Nl
enjoyment Of precedence; and when he I"'N"'
beyond himself lac little more than th' N'-'1
outlines OF IN experiment No on" Know "''t
than he that the checks and bolnnc'> OF -
| Ccn.,i,u,ion were the results OF calculation ~
not of eNpcrirncc no one knew better ihan
Tint the written law supplied no auth'niic g.'r-
antcr of security and orderly development -
| one knew better thnn he that every gov'rnm''t
| which is fit to endure must derive ~ strength
| from unprcscribed virtues and Sacrifices. l"-
tween the lines of the Constitution he read 10
| uuwritten conditions of National prosperity.
| Moreover. Washington had been personally -
sailed in "A manner 50 wanton and 50 malltnhhs
| that the record OF political controversies Ninc'
| his time may bc searched without hnIinS -
| parallel to TINT chorus OF Defamation. How de"
| an impression was made upon his own mind -.
| these assaults those who Ncneratc hi' m'm"ry zoe
| day are better able to judge than the most H.
| voted of his contemporaries. liz was a. r"Hr~,
| conscious OF his own integrity and un>eihShn'>,
| but more than this. his c0nSnninate ln'H''n
must have convinced him Of the essential sound
ness Of his political principles and policy: fat
| lie was justified Ia apprchcnding that N" blindness
| and bitterness which dictated open aversion %
his character and boastc'l of open ho>tlty ?" he
| purposes would be rilcctual IN 0v"rthrowns Al
| that he valued most in the new system ~ g"r-
| eminent Such elections these. in part ger.
| soual but not th, less That account inVo' -
| the fair young fabric of Nationality, may r'"i''a.
| ably be supposed 10 explain the oppression =
| spirit under which the Farewell Addrr-> "1s
written. They suggest in addition, "a Sufficient
| cause tor that stern rchukc Of party 0r~nili.
| tiou and party zeal which seems 10 modern 10
| tclhgcuce TO hive been inspired by t,' ONLY 'ii-.
| torted imngG in thc mind OF WASHINGTON t"FY
| henev client partisan dcprecat"> IL" passion ~
prejudice which our political riyalrr' e,s' i''' :
| but there is no sagaclous lover oi Dos "oAniF
| who does not regard them ms more tolerabr 49,
| less mcnacing than pacid ac1uIr>ceuco in 10
assumption Of authority claimed conceded W '.'
| ont "a contest Washington feared that. l.tr 10
reptile which came ont Of the fire and in>''n"t
upon the hand of Paul, there would emrr-r ir'il
the flames OF party strife nm oligarchy 'entc8 .
| HAT the young Republic would ho uu"H9' >
| shake oil the venomous beast We believe io"I'y
| that the other extreme Is the more dangerous.
| that our fierce struggles for supremacy apply %
| strongest defence against u~urpatiOn, aii 'tts
| freedom is kept bright by friction.
tpon tins single point alone eXrericgc'
| discredited the judgment Of Washington. Do
carding This we find that tie Farewell AiiH>'
comprises six primary njunctions. from c'r' <
which numerous subsidiary observation, mutually
flow The heads Of his discourse are ihre':
The paramount obligation Of unity: tie n' i"ll-
| blty Of the Constitution: the independence 4
the coordinate branches % Government 80
cultivation Of religion. morality. and tic m"'n'
Of education: the preservation Of tle pi"f
credit: conservative friendship and intercourse
with foreign nations Merely 10 STAT ~" hfoai
propositions OF Washington in respect 20 't'S>
six conditions OF National ll-being u 70 di-'ofe
that every ono OF them has become ioli''
axiom but Sill more expressive Of WaNiln-'A'
penetrating intelligence is the further d." "F
that no single amplihcaiion Il hi, them" Dos >
much as grown old-faShioncd in 'lr Ifi>' 4
ninety-two years There hive been T'"'> l
our history when the prevailing s"n'm"'' ~
party or a section has diycrscl lamcn'1'If "
more than Of the principles VIII I'D Do
down, and the recovery is not even yr' i''l'
in every instance: bat no open dcfcnc" a. 81
deviation could longer be urged WIZ '"' "''
Of general acceptance.