The sun., 1919-02-22
George washington's Immortal
Message to Americans OF All Times.


George washington's Immortal
Message to Americans OF All Times.
Never In the history Of the United
Stntes has the warning against ell
tangling foreign alliances uttered by
GEORGE WASHINGTON on September
II. 1796, applied more exactly to the
situation Of the nation than 1t does
on the one hundred and elghty-sev-
enth anniversary Of his birth, which
we celebrate to-day with augmented
respect for his foresight and increased
reverence for his moral greatness.
The passages in the Farewell Ad-
dress setting forth the doctrine Of
independent and untrammelled action
WASHINGTON urged his countrymen to
adopt are brief, but pregnant with
wisdom:
IF we remain one people. under an
efficient government, the period IL not
far or when we may defy material In
jury from external annoyance; when
we may take such an attitude as will
cause the neutrality we may ut any
time resolve upon to be scrupulously re-
spected; when belligerent nations, un-
der the impossibility of making acouisi-
tons upon US. will not lightly hazard
the giving us provocation; when we may
choose peace or war, as our interest,
guided by justice. shall counsel.
why forego the advantages Of 30
peculiar a situation? Why quit our own
to stand upon foreign groundf Why.
by Intervening our destiny with that
of any part Of Europe. entangle our
peace and prosperity In tho tolls OF
European ambition. rivalship. interest,
humor or caprice?
at is our true policy to steer clear
Of permanent alliances with any por-
| ton OF the foreign world. SO far. I
mean, as we are now at liberty to do
It for let me not misunderstood as capa-
BILE OF patroniz!ng infidelity to existing
: engagements. hold the maxim no less
| applicable to public than to private az
fairs that honesty Is always the best
policy. I repeat. therefore, let those en-
gagements be observed In their genuine
sense. But in my opinion It Is unneces-
sary and would 10 unwise to extend
them.
/ nj, ~ En- ~
selves by suitable establishments on q
respectable defensive posture. we may
safely trust to temporary alliances 70,
extraordinary emergencies"
1t is of peculiar Importance at this
critical period that the circumstances
under which WASHINGTON formulated
this policy Of self-respecting self-reli
ance should not be forgotten. He was
declining to be President for a third
term; his second term had beer
marked by violent dissensions pro
duced In the young republic by Eu
:opean politics.
The French Revolution. the French
war with Great Britain. had put tn,
United States to a severe test. WASH
rNaroN had lived up to his principle
Of no entangling alliances, amid grea
popular turmoil. A strong factor
here would have Joined the Frencl
against the English. GENET. the rep
resentative of the French Repub
lie, counted on public opinion O
confidently he defied WASHINGTON
proclamation Of neutrality. Jacobil
clubs abounded, virulent here as thel
prototypes we're In France. Tn
United States was embroiied from
north to south over issues of foreig
,, politics; Its statesmen were divided
Its future endangered WASHINGTON
administered the Government throug
la period In which domestic concern
. were frequently overshadowed by fol
eign affairs, and at times the yer
life Of the infant democracy SCENE
at stake.
. Thus this great. man spoke froi
:. hard won experience. He knew tn
= perils OF the course he opposed. II
I, did not expound theory. His az
vice was based on knowledge. III
4. counsel cannot be brushed aside a
- that of a visionary, but must be a.
: cepted as that of successful. exper
4 enced, wise and dlsinterested soldit
!, and administrators.
81 The words of WASHINGTON ran
II true when they were first read by b
countrymen. They ring true to-da
They point the way to true indepel
dence, to unhampered development
and m that comnlete freedom NJ N,