George Washington, farewell address 1796

Posted: March 26th, 2020

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George Washington, farewell address 1796

            George Washington warned against the spirit of parties because it brought about a divide amongst the citizens of America and he had worked hard to unite them. The constitution was the base of this unity and allowed the citizens to interact and dwell in the constitution as well as to make amendments where they were needed. These amendments were for the people and not the authorities, even though he encouraged the people to respect them. George Washington had foreseen that the spirit of parties would lead to the division of the people in to geographical discriminations, the northerners, southerners, Atlantic and the western. He understood that allying oneself to a party was an inseparable natural passion, deep rooted that could not be avoided. He deeply discouraged this party spirit for other reason like, how it distracted the public council and weakened the public administration.

            This spirit also brought animosity to the public with ill-founded jealousy and false alarms leading to riots and violent uprising against the government. This party passion leads to the opening of doors to foreign influence leading to the introduction of foreign policies from one country to America. This is would lead to America falling back to the colonial rule of the British from which they had fiercely fought against and gained their independence. George Washington for this reason urged the people to try and separate themselves from the passions of the party spirit, maintain government union. The government is the offspring of the decisions of the people; it should be uninfluenced and not dreaded.

            Washington knew that the Europeans were jealous of the freedom that was given to the people of America and thus warned the people on allowing foreigners to influence their politics. He stated that the people should be impartial or else they would end up defending it. This statement meant that if the government over extended an olive leaf to one foreign nation then the problems of that nation would become the problems of America. He believed that the only alliance allowed between America and foreign nations were to be commercial only with as little politics as possible. George Washington also stated that Europe had viewed interest in America but had none or remote interests to the people. This meant that most of the controversies that the nation experience was mostly fueled by Europe so as to take the nation from under them whilst the people are fighting against themselves.

            George Washington in his retirement speech stated that being detached and distant from situations that invite foreign influence will enable the nation to take a different course. This allows the people to remain as one under a government that operates very efficiently and serving the people. Furthermore, there will come a time in the not so distant future that the nation will defy the material insults from those nations and still maintain a neutral stand, thus earning the deserved respect. When hostile nations under the impression they can make an acquisition at America they will not lightly face the danger of provoking the nation, whether we may choose war or peace. In the speech it clearly showed what he intended for the country, to be a force of nature where the people backed by the government would fight if provoked so as to defend their constitutional right and freedoms.