Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-02-13

pendence, the Constitution Washngton's Farewell
Address and the Monroe Doctrine.
The Farewell Address was used at a test every
where by everybody. Both sides used it. Those
who opposed the treaty made use of 1t as solemn
warning against 'entangng foreign alliances
the present-day equivalent of Washington's phrase,
permanent alliances with any portion of the for
eign world Those favoring the treaty argued
that Washingtons political wisdom Of his day
only, and that his teachings out of date;
that while Washington was good and noble he was
nlearned in the science of government and I'M
trained in the arts of statecraft.
Those who adhered to the policy Of the Farewell
Address also upheld the Monroe Doctrine holding
the latter to be the development and outgrowth Of
the former.
The events leading up to the Farewell Address
are briefly as 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
for adoption. Nine states were necessary; New
Hampshire made the NINTH The Constitution
went into effect June 21, 1888 George Washing
ton elected the first president of the United
States and served two terms 1789-1796. He de-
clined third term and established the precedent
for but one reelection.
If 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 was beheaded in France
by the revolutionists "Citizen" Genet represent
ing the French revolutionsts arrived here and
stirred the American people to frenzy of
sympathy with France. Washington issued neu-
trality proclamation which aroused a storm of
popular protest Genet's activities resulted in his
recall. In the meantime Great Britain was post
poning the surrender of British posts in the North
west, taking American sailors from American
pri+o
and so acting generally that large part of the
American people clamOred 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 Ad-
dress to the American people, September IL 1895
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, I 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 or prevent our
nation from running the course which has hitherto
marked the destiny of nations. But if may even
f1atter 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 warn against the mischiefs
of foreign intrigue, to guard against the i'm
postures of pretended patriOtiSn-thiS hope will
be full recompense for the socitude for your
welfare by which they have been dictated"
The part of the Farewell Address most used, of
course was those paragraphs toward its Close
which bear on foreign relations of the United
States These paragraphs were read into the
Congressional Record follows on several oc-
casions:
against the insdious wiles of foreign influence
Il conjure you to believe me, fellow citizens) 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.