On this date, September 19 in 1796, George Washington's Farewell Address (which was dated two days before) was printed in the American Daily Advertiser as an open letter to the public, and subsequently published across America that year and reprinted innumerable times over the next two centuries. It is is considered to be one of the most important documents in American history, and every year since 1896, the Senate has observed Washington's birthday by selecting one of its members, alternating parties, to read the 7,641-word statement in legislative session.
Washington’s address identifies several issues confronting America’s political future. Perhaps the one most relevant for us at this moment is his warning about political factionalism. He warns that factions may seek to obstruct the execution of federal laws or prevent the branches of government from exercising the powers provided them by the constitution. Such factions may claim to be trying to answer popular demands or solve pressing problems, but their true intentions are to take the power from the people and place it in the hands of unjust men:
they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
We hold two early copies of the Farewell Address, shown here. The first, printed in Boston for the State of Massachusetts by William Manning and James Loring in 1805, was intended as a classroom textbook and also included printings of the Massachusetts Constitution, the U. S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. The second, was printed in Exeter, New Hampshire by Charles Norris, and was published along with a printing of the U. S. Constitution.
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