The Progress., 1896-02-22
WASHINGTON'S WORDS.
Truths That HIT the Mark Then and Now.
National Policy.

National Policy.
The politics Of tho nation havc gone
SO far from what they WrrC in Washing
tons era that his thoughts il general
have little application to these times
IN biz fare"oll address, however, on
"'ebb'Aa down from the PRESIDENCY he
spoke as patriot ani st".oyn;Aj, ""H
his words may be classcd with those
self evident truths that cannot become
stale or useless. On tic subject OF per
manont union as means of preserving
liberty no said:
"Tho unity Of government, which
constitutes you one people, is also now
dear to you. 1t is justly so, for 1t IS ii
main pillar in the cdifce Of Your read
independence; the support of your tran
Quillity at homo, your peace abroad; of
your safety; of your prosperity; of that
very liberty which you SO highly prize.
But, as it is easy to foresce that, from
different causes and from different quar-
tiers, mach pains will be taken, many
articles employed, to weaken in your
minds tho conviction Of this truth. as
this is the point i'll your political for
,reSs against which the batteries of in
tcrnal and external enemies Will be
most constantly and actively Though
often covortlv and insidiously directed
it is of infinite moment that you should
properly estimate the immense value of
your national union to your collective
and individual happiness; that you
should cherish u COrdiaa habitual and
immovable attachment to it, accuston-
ing yourselves to think and speak of it
as of the palladium of your political
safety and prosperity, watching for its
preservation with jealous anxiety, dis
countenancing whatever may suggest
even suspicion that it can, i'll any
event, be abandoned, and indignantly
frowning upon the first dawning of ev-
cry attempt to ALLEVIATE any portion Of
our country from the rest, or to elffeeblo
the sacred ties which now link together
the various parts. o
Touching foreign relations, a question
of great Importance to the young and
struggling nation, he spoke with un-
usual boldness and vigor. In Il broad
sense he urged the maintenance of good
faith and justice toward all and the
cultivation Of peace and harmony, and
then, descending to particulars spoke as
follows:
''In the execution of such plan moth
| ing is more essential than that!erma
nent, inveterate antipathies against par
ticular nations and passionate attach
ments for others should be excluded, and
that, in place Of them, just and AMIGA
bio feelings toward all should be cult
waited. The nation which INDUCES to-
ward another habitual hatred or a
habitual fonilness is in some degree n
slave 1t is slave to its luminosity or
to its affection, either Of which is sutli
cient to lead it astray from its duty and
it's interest. Antipathy i'll one nation
against another disposes each more road
lily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold
of slight causes Of umbrage and to be
naughty and intractable when accidental
or trihing occasions Of dispute occur
hence frequent collisions, obstinate, ell
venomcd and bloody contests, The ma
ton, prompted by i'll will apd resent
ment, sometimes inpels war to the gov
eminent, contrary to the best calcula'
tons Of policy The government some
times participates i'll the national pro-
pensity and adopts through PASSION what
reason would reject at other times it
makes the animosity Of the nation sub
servient to projects of hostility instigat-
ed BY pride, ambition and other sinister
and pernicious motives. The peace Of
ten, sometimes perhaps the liberty, Of
nations has been the victim.
$50, likewise, q passionate attachment
Of one nation for another PRODUCES 4 va
riety of evils. Sympathy for the favorito
nation, facilitating the illusion Of an
imaginary common interest in cases
where no real common interest exists,
and infusing into one the eDmities Of the
lother. hetrays the former into a partici-
= patton in the quarrels and wars of the
latter. without adequate judgement or
Justification. "
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