Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-02-17

pendence the Constitution, Washngtons Farewell
Address and the Monroe Doctrine.
The Farewell Address used at a test every
where by everybody. Both sides used it. Those
who opposed the treaty made use of it as solemn
warning against 'entangng foreign alliances
the present-day equivalent of Washingtons phrase
permanent alliances with any portion of the for
egn worl1" Those favoring the treaty argued
that WashnStOn's political wisdom of his day
only, and that his teachings are out of date
that while Washington, was good and noble he was
dnearned in the science of government and I'M
grained in the arts of statecraft.
Those 40 adhered TO the policy of the Farewell
Address also upheld the Monroe Doctrine, holding
he latter TO be the development and outgrowth of
he former.
The events leading up TO the Farewell Address
are briefly follows: The constitutional con-
vention met in May in Philadelphia After four
months of secret deliberations the Constitution
was completed and offered to the individual states
Tor adoption. Nine states were necessary: New
Hampshire made the ninth The Constitution
went into effect June p. 17SS George Washing
ton was elected the first president of the United
States and served two terms 17S9-1796. He de-
cned third term and established the precedent
for but reelection.
II Washington accepted the presidency with re-
luctance it with pronounced distaste that he
yielded to what he thought was his duty and took
the office for second term And it proved to be
a stormy term. In 1898 France declared war on
England and Louis XVI beheaded in France
by the revOlutioniStS Citizen" Genet represent
ing the French revOlutionists arrived here and
stirred the American people to a frenzy of
sympathy with France. Washington issued q mem
traity proclamation which aroused a storm of
popular protest Genet's activities resulted in his
recall. In the meantime Great Britain was post
ponng the surrender of British posts in the North
west, taking American sailors from American
ships under the preteXt that they were Britons
and so acting generally that large part of the
American people camOred for war against the
British Washington finally succeeded in ne
gotiating a treaty with Great Britain which in
part corrected these evils. Thus he succeeded
| both in maintaining neutrality and averting war
| in spite of discOrd in his cabinet and division of
| sentiment in the nation. And it was with full
heart that he wrote that part of his Farewell Adj
dress to the American people, September IT, 1896
as his retirement from the presidency approached
! That his heart was full is shown by these words
! from the address:
! in Offering to you, my countrymen, these coun-
sells of an old and affectionate friend, l dare not
| hope they will make the strong and lasting i'm
preston that could wish-that they will control
! the usual current of the passions prevent our
nation from running the course which has hitherto
marked the destiny of nations But if 1 NAV even
| fiatter myself that they may be productive of
some partial benefit, some occasional good-that
| they may now and then recur to moderate the
fury of party spirit. to against the mischiefs
of foreign intrigue. to guard against the i'm
postures of pretended patriotism-this hope will
be a full recompense for the solicitude for your
welfare by which they have been dictated"
The part of the Farewell Address most used. of
! course, those paragraphs toward its close,
which bear ON foreign relations of the United
| States These paragraphs read into the
| Congressional Record follows several &C.
| casionS;
II coniure you to believe me, fellow ctizens) the
| jealousy of free people ought TO be constantly
awake, since history and experience prove that
| foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes
! of republican government.