Comments on and links to George Washington's Farewell Address

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KingdomOfGoodHope
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Comments on and links to George Washington's Farewell Address

Post by KingdomOfGoodHope »

https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp

the above is a link to the text of it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wa ... ll_Address

the above is the wikipedia article on it

Originally, President Washington had not intended to run for a second term, but, at the urging of some of the country's leaders, he was elected to a second term of office.

The address is "a classic statement of republicanism, warning Americans of the political dangers which they must avoid if they are to remain true to their values. It was almost immediately reprinted in newspapers around the country, and later in pamphlet form".

I will list some of a summary of key points in the address, and also look to see how well we are doing in following his advice

President George Washington says that :

He has some deep concerns for the welfare of the American people, and with considerable thought, feels that his conscience mandates that he give them heartfelt and candid advice - though later in his speech, he is resign to the fact that his advice may not be taken.

The American people need no reminder to love liberty, as it is present in the people "with every liberty of your hearts".

Do we still love liberty today? Clearly, some do not. At the same time, some who proclaim liberty really mean license. They have a confused and chaotic understanding of liberty, which is wholly impractical. There is a constant call of "liberty for me, but not for thee". And people demand more and more from the central government, with a consequent diminishment of character and liberty of the people.

The "unity of government" for the United States of America is a "main pillar in the edifice" for the defense of Americans (1) Independence (2) Domestic Tranquility (3) Peace Abroad (4) Safety (5) Prosperity (6) Liberty

Washington warns that from different causes and quarters, there will be efforts to weaken the union

Clearly, we have seen the troubles resulting in the war of the 1860s. A small number of people caused the worst war in American history. Most Southerners did not initially support secession, but the "fire - eaters" took over state conventions with rhetoric. Also, in the preceding years, Northern "abolitionists" would sometimes denounce the Constitution, and a union with the South. Remarkably, America had some reconciliation in the latter 19th century.

He advises Americans to put the patriotism of the name "American" above local feeling

He notes that Americans with slight shades of difference have similar "religion, manners, habits and political principles" -

this is also referenced in John Jay's "Federalist #2", urging ratification of the Constitution ... clearly, there are now major changes in the "religion, manners, habits and political principles" of America. Many people reject the Founders political principles in favor of bureaucratic despotism, socialism, and cultural marxism. The manners and morals of our day and age have decayed as well. There is a huge divide in the country on moral questions, such as abortion. Some people in America today are very pious, others are seemingly pious, and others live an openly disolute lifestyle - with bad results for themselves and the wider society.

He notes that Americans of all regions - North, South, Atlantic and Western - have benefited from the union

I do think that this is still true today - although some Western states have legitimate land and resource grievances. We should note that we have the best natural resources in the world. Our country comprises almost every climate on the planet. We have access to both of the two major oceans.

He lists some of the dangers of dis-union, and states that an alliance system, as opposed to a federal government, is not adequate to avoid many dangers and troubles - as to the union he notes that the states "must derive from the union an exemption from those broils and wars between themselves, which so frequently afflict neighboring countries not tied together by the same governments, which their own rivalships alone would be sufficient to produce, but which opposite foreign alliances, attachments and intrigues would stimulate and embitter". Washington also notes that a federal union would keep in check the need for large scale militaries, which are dangerous to liberty.

I think there is evidence in this in seeing what the fate of the Latin American governments has been since their independence movements. They have constantly been in turmoil and wars with each other - somewhat like the Indians of the pre - Columbian times as well. The military rule in those countries goes without saying, as does a cycle of anarchy, tyranny and revolution.

He also argues that for an efficient and permanent union, "a government for the whole is indispensable".

He notes that American political principles allow for changes in government, but changes must not be made by usurpation, and that unless and until those changes are made, Americans are bound to follow the established government.

Washington also counsels us to "resist with care innovation upon the principles" of which our government is founded.

In our day, and to some extent sense the "Progressive" era , there has been a major innovation on principles, and even a hostility to the principles of the Founders, and their great work. This is seen, for example, most explicitly, in the demands to remove statues and memorials of these men, and rejection of their principles on the grounds that they are just "dead white men".

Next he warns against the dangers of factions, political parties and most especially on factions or parties organized by region.

He then counsels that "if, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment ... but not by usurpation" - irregular changes might be beneficial in one instance, but is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.

The Progressives initially tried to amend the Constitution. But when they could not get there way - as was often the case - they then resorted to what has become known as the "living and breathing Constitution", which is an Orwellian language process. Instead they revise the Constitution under the guise of interpreting it - this is most commonly seen through the Supreme Court.

He then continues: "of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports ... reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles" and that "virtue is a necessary spring of popular government" ...

Notice that this is a huge contrast between Washington's words of advice, and the course which we have been taking in the post - world war 2 era as regards to religion and morality - most especially in the rulings of the Courts. It is possible that the current Court will make some rulings less hostile to religion, but, essentially, over the last 60 years, there has been a major aggressive secularization of the country's life. Additionally, the Court's have been hostile to state and local governments holding to moral standards. We seldom hear the politicians emphasizing the importance of virtue these days. It is all "eat, drink and be merry"!

As regards to borrowing money , and to debt, Washington states that America should "cherish public credit" and "use it as sparingly as possible".

Contrast this with the enormous deficits and debts we have been accumulating. Instead of balancing our budgets, we have been told that "deficits don't matter".

On the subject of taxes, Washington says "there must be taxes ... no taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant".

Today we are feeling the un-pleasantness of taxes on a large scale. The "Tea Party" movement was evidence of this. While in the early days of the republic, it may have been necessary to stress the importance of the limited taxes then prevailing, that today it is the exact opposite. We are being taxed to the max - and here is a key point: Those who are "insiders" are able to rig the system to pay far less in taxes then persons who are not. Thereafter, they are not afflicted with the burdens that they impose on others. Think of how our tax system and moral corruption resembles the wicked King Noah that Abinadi testified against.

Washington also has good counsel on foreign policy, stating "observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all ... nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded ... a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of ills ... and it gives to ambitious, corrupted or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation), facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion ... the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption or infatuation". He then goes on to state that "foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy must be impartial", and that "our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government, the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance".

It is obvious that we are far from this conduct today, and this has been the rule to a large extent for a long time. In Cleon Skousen's "The Naked Communist", he records how so many American government officials were agents and spies of the Soviet Union, and the disastourus impact that this has had on the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. Also, there has been a massive infiltration by Chinese spies in our day. How about Ukraine today? We here non-stop about the importance of Ukraine - though perhaps it is an example of "ambitious, corrupt or deluded citizens" who want to see world war 3. Think of the huge number of wars and military intervention that the United States has been involved in since the "Progressive" movement developed. Woodrow Wilson - a true example of a "amibitious, corrupt or deluded citizen" - was convinced that he would create world peace after a defeat of the Central Powers. We are continually giving up more and more of our independence and sovereignty to international organizations. To his credit, Donald Trump has reversed this in some places. However, we have military bases today in over 100 countries, grant "most favored nation" trading status to countries that cheat America, maintain countless bizarre (and in some cases, probably secret) alliances. Country's are continually wanting to use America's military for their own selfish ends. And all to often, we go along with it. The sanctions regime also often mis-fires. Think of the sanctions on Japan in World War 2, that helped lead to the Pearl Harbor attacks. We have been abandoning the Monroe Doctrine, all of the while the Book of Mormon says of America that “whatsoever nation shall possess [this land] shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12).

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Craig Johnson
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Posts: 1991
Location: Washington State.

Re: Comments on and links to George Washington's Farewell Address

Post by Craig Johnson »

KingdomOfGoodHope wrote: December 16th, 2022, 11:08 am
Originally, President Washington had not intended to run for a second term, but, at the urging of some of the country's leaders, he was elected to a second term of office.

The address is "a classic statement of republicanism, warning Americans of the political dangers which they must avoid if they are to remain true to their values. It was almost immediately reprinted in newspapers around the country, and later in pamphlet form".

Washington also has good counsel on foreign policy, stating "observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all ... nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded ... a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of ills ... and it gives to ambitious, corrupted or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation), facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion ... the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption or infatuation". He then goes on to state that "foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy must be impartial", and that "our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government, the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance".

It is obvious that we are far from this conduct today, and this has been the rule to a large extent for a long time. In Cleon Skousen's "The Naked Communist", he records how so many American government officials were agents and spies of the Soviet Union, and the disastourus impact that this has had on the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. Also, there has been a massive infiltration by Chinese spies in our day. How about Ukraine today? We here non-stop about the importance of Ukraine - though perhaps it is an example of "ambitious, corrupt or deluded citizens" who want to see world war 3. Think of the huge number of wars and military intervention that the United States has been involved in since the "Progressive" movement developed. Woodrow Wilson - a true example of a "amibitious, corrupt or deluded citizen" - was convinced that he would create world peace after a defeat of the Central Powers. We are continually giving up more and more of our independence and sovereignty to international organizations. To his credit, Donald Trump has reversed this in some places. However, we have military bases today in over 100 countries, grant "most favored nation" trading status to countries that cheat America, maintain countless bizarre (and in some cases, probably secret) alliances. Country's are continually wanting to use America's military for their own selfish ends. And all to often, we go along with it. The sanctions regime also often mis-fires. Think of the sanctions on Japan in World War 2, that helped lead to the Pearl Harbor attacks. We have been abandoning the Monroe Doctrine, all of the while the Book of Mormon says of America that “whatsoever nation shall possess [this land] shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12).
There are a lot of differences in how the original government was organized and how it is organized now. Meaning that back then they did not pay taxes like we do now, there was not really a two-party system like there is now and on and on, ad infinitum. In those days, had it occurred to them they would have written more into our constitution about moral requirements and they would have made it plainer. A survey of their lives does not support many Supreme Court decisions, therefore the Supreme Court has willfully interpreted per their own desires for power, because all members of the Supreme Court know of the morality types of the framers. They weren't perfect but see if you can look at Roe vs Wade for instance and convince yourself any member of the framing group would have supported that decision.
In the Book of Mormon we learn that the Gadiantons did something that put the power of the government solely into their hands and then they took that power, mingled it with their filthy apostasy and eventually destroyed the entire Nephite civilization.
What they did is what we see members of the two-party system DOING.
They are ALTERING the laws, with the help of the Supreme Court so that MORALITY is being erased from a once pretty much Christian nation. This does not bode well, but it was predicted and we were warned against it.
We are not going to escape the consequences of this and we are powerless to stop it at this point. We are on the downhill slide and the corruption in our government is not going to correct ITSELF, it will continue to get worse though the speed of our falling off the end is variable.
The best we can do is to live the commandments of Jesus Christ individually and encourage others to do so also. Vote for the best person that you can discern.
Those who do so will be protected, yes, some of us will die, but for the most part we will be protected.

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