The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-21
Washington's Farewell Address.

Washington's Farewell Address.
That somewhat turgid, but always in.
teresting document in which President
Washington put himself out of the race
for third nomination, is due to be read
tomorrow by many Americans. Very
few will read the whole Of it because
it is hard reading. The whole Of it is
worth reading, however.
The farewell address was published
Sept. II, 1906, but it was really writ.
ten four years before when Washington
had it in mind to decline a second nom.
nation. He was persuaded that the
time was not ripe for his retirement
and postponed the publication.
The history of the document is that
toward the close Of his first administra.
ton, Washington sent to Madison the
notes of some things he wished to say
and asked him to prepare draft, which
he did. This was put away, and four
years later, Washington entrusted the
task to Hamilton. The latter consult
ed with John Jay, and they made out
new address, which they sent to
Washington together with the Madison
sketch. The whole was gone
over by Washington and Mr.. David G.
Claypoole, editor of the Daily Adver.
tiser Of Philadelphia, in whose paper
it was published. How much there is
Of Hamilton in the final draft it is diff
ficult to say, since his draft is not in
existence. The probability is that the
address is nearly all Washington, be-
cause it has the stately heaviness of the
father Of his country rather than the
sprightly terseness Of the founder of the
treasury.
The main things Washington appears
to have had in mind were to warn the
people against the growth of party
spirit and against entangling foreign
alliances. The foreign alliance ques
of the nation was hot in sympathy will
the French, then in revolution, because
they had been our friends in the wa
Of independence.
We have never departed far from
Washington advice with regard tt
foreign entanglements. Our country
has never had treaty of alliance sucl
as the dreibund and the Russian-Frencl
alliance Of today. Those countries
undertake in certain contingencies tt
support each other in making war upol
| other countries. Such a treaty ha
never been contemplated by the repub
lie.
So far as party spirit is concerned
we have departed far from the position
of Washington. We have found tha
it was impossible to conduct the gov
eminent without parties, and, so fal
from frowning them down, many states
men have believed that our government
should be partially reconstructed so a.
to make them more responsible. Their
have been bills to give the cabine
members seats in congress-, and othe
measures have been proposed tina
would make the cabinet partly legis
lative, but nothing has come of. then
and probably never will. America ha
apparently settled down to the convic
tion that party responsibility is to b
enforced by Independent voting rathe
than by changed constitution.
Washington said some wise things il
his address. He may have anticipated
the good citizenship movement when b
said: cit is substantially true tina
virtue or morality is necessary sprin!
Of popular government ..~.
He told the story Of the big site!
in his own way when he said: 'Timel
disbursements to prepare for DANCE
frequently prevent much greater dis
bursements to repel it, The congress
of the United States yesterday vote
$99, 100000 for additions to the navy
more money than Washington admin
istration had for all public purposes.
Notification Of federal laws wa
known in Washington's time, even i
the north, and so he said in his fare
we'll address: "The very idea of tn
power and right of the people to estal
lish government presupposes the dut
Of every Individual to obey the estat
lished government The south forge
this in 1861, and it took Lincoln t
prove that Washington was not tall
ing airy platitudes on this point.
The farewell address illustrates tn
strong points Of Washington's chara'
ter. He was clear-headed, patient, tens
cious and optimistic. No man eve
overcame more gigantic obstacles tina
he in the war of the revolution. N
president ever had more trying tim
than he in the executive chair. Fl
survived all with spirit full of kim
', ness and generosity and with a modest
that nowhere gives hint that h
Washington, was entitled to any sp
cial credit for the results that had bee
achieved.
1t might be interesting to know what
| going on at Port Arthur just now. If
was impregnable before, what will it
: when the Japanese get thru with It?