The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-03
WHO WROTE IT?
Authorship Of washington's Farewell
Address Settled.

ment that Hamilton wrote Washington
farewell address, Mr. John y. Poe, the
lawyer, III a letter TO the Baltimore
News, points out the weakness Of that
theory as folIowss
This is no new claim. It appeared
for the first tire early in the year 1911
and although It was promptly refuted
BIZ John Jay in letter to Judge Richard
Peters dated March 20, 1871 (see Life
and Correspondence Of John JAY second
volume, pages 1886 346l, the story has
been repeated from time to time for
many years, and no doubt many people
verify believe that General Washington
did not in fact write hts Farewell Adj
dress, but that it was written for him
! BY Alexander Hamilton.
Gertrude Atherton in The Conqueror,
published few years ago, states that
Mrs. Hamilton declared that her husband
was the real author. and that the origi-
nal manuscript was found among his
papers
The case II clearly stated BY John
Jay in his letter Of March III, 1871, TO
Judge Peters.
"Your letter." he says. conveyed to
me the first and only information have
received that a copy OF President Wash
ington's valedictory address had been
found among the papers Of General Ham
/ ilton, and in his handwriting, and that
4 certain gentleman had also copy OF
lie in the same handwriting
He then proceeded 10 show by q pow
erful argument that the claim could not
be maintained upon any fair considerR
tion of the presumptive evidence on the
subject, and then concludes;
This much for presumptive evidence.
| will now turn your attention TO some
that is direct
THE history lif ii may be 70 called
Of the address II not unknown to me.
but as | came to the knowledge Of Il
under implied confidence doubted when
I 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 iii question, he
would not only authorize but also desire
me to reduce it TO writing, that when
necessary IL might be used TO inyalidate
the imputations to which these facts give
color. This consideration terminated my
doubts. ] do not think that disclosure
IS necessary at this moment, but ! fear
such moment win arise. Whether /
shall then be alive Or in a capacity to
give testimony II 40 uncertain that ID
order to avoid the risk Of either. shall
now reduce il to writing and commit il
to your care and discretion de bene esse.
as the lawyers saw
Some time before the address APP
peared Col latter GEM Hamilton ia.
formed me that he had received letter
from PrY*fdeht Washington sand with it
the dranght Of d farewell address, which
the president had prepared and on which
he requested our opinion.
He then proposed that we should ax
on a day for an interview at my house
on the subject A day was accordingly
appointed On that day Col Hamilton
attended. He observed to me, in words
70 this effect, that after having read
and examined the lraught, ii appeared
to him u be susceptible Of improvement
that he Thought the easiest and best way
was to leave the dranght untouched and
in its fair state, and to write the whole
over, With such amendments. alterations
and corrections Us he thought were ad
Yisable; and that he had done s0. lie
then proposed to read IL and make it /
the subject Of our consideration This I
being agreed to. he read it, and we pro-
eeeded deliberately TO discuss and con-
slider it, paragraph by paragraph, until /
the whole met with our mutual appr0- I
baton. Some amendments were made /
during this interview. but none OF much /
Importance 1
Although this business had not been
hastily dispatched. yet, aware of the
81 such d paper, ] suggested /
giving it a further critical examination
but he declined 1t, saying that he was
pressed for time and was anxious TO
return the draught to the president
without delay. Il afterwad occurred
to me that certain proposition was
in terms too general and un-
qualified, and I limited It III letter to
the president.
As the business took the course above
recurrence to the draught
was unnecessary, and 1t was not read.
There was this advantage in the course
pursued: The presidents draught re-
Hained tas dclieaey requircdl fair and
not obscured BY determinations, etc By
1t with the paper sent with
It, he would Immediately observe the
particular emendations and corrections
that were proposed, and would find them
in their intended places Hence
he was enabled to review and to decide
81 the whole matter with much greater
nlearness and facility than if he had
received them in separate and detached
notes, and with detailed references to
he pages and lines whore they were
advised to be introduced With great
esteem and regard, am, dear sir, your
obedient servant
John JAY"
This letter Of John Jay ought to set
he question at rest.
It proves that Washington did write
he Farewell Address: that Ne sub
nitted it to his two intimate friends.
hamilton and Jay, and that the original
found among Hamilton's pa
,ers in Hamilton's handwriting was a
.opy OF the original made By Hamilton d
WIN ttftaAh NuSStrteu NNdAEtN III ofNet
hat he might thus the better give to
Washington the benefit Of his examina
ion Of the original and bring more
learly before him the amendments pro-
iosed The whole argument Of jay in {
is letter to Judge Peters IS too long {
or reproduction, but no one can read Il
without profound conviction that !
Washington was fully equal to the task
+ writing the address. and that he did {
n fact write it, Hamilton's and Jays I
!arIieination being limited 10 the siIe- | !