Seeking the peace and tranquility which stems out of retirement from public life, a certain old gentlemen, a politician, who had served his country a great many years, now longing to see his beloved home in Virginia once again, penned his final address to his fellow countrymen. This gentleman was none other than President George Washington, a man who had done more than his share to help retain the independence the American colonies were now privileged to possess.
In light of the fact that President Obama will be delivering his State of the Union Address this evening, I thought it appropriate to revisit the wise words of our first president. This post attempts to summarize some of the key points Washington made in his Farewell Address; points which our nation should never forget.
As he passes the baton on to the next generation of leaders, Washington pens what is known as The Farewell Address. Commencing with his reasons for retirement and concluding with his final farewells, Washington warns his fellow Americans in his address to strive to carry on the national unity America had acquired, both politically and socially. He wrote clearly on the all importance of religion (religion being Christianity) and how it relates to the morality of the American people, and the nature of American foreign policy; calling all Americans to maintain the unmatched form of government they struggled to achieve.
Through the duration of his address, President Washington made numerous references to the significance of retaining unity in the governing system of America. “The unity of government which constitutes you one people is also now dear to you.” Washington stated, “It is justly so, for it is a main pillar...” (Washington’s Farewell Address 1796). This “main pillar” (unity) gives every state something in common with other states; common religion, manners, habits, and political principles are just a few that Washington himself mentioned; knowing full well that it was only through the unity of the states that the nation could survive. Should every state resolve to remain committed, not only to their respective state, but also to the nation as a whole, the resources of the union would then increase, its security would enhance and its strength would abound. Without a doubt, Washington understood the importance of retaining the unity that so many had fought and debated to achieve, but what of the nation’s religion?
“And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion....reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” (Washington’s Farewell Address 1796). Religion and morality are inseparable; one cannot be gained without the other. Nor can government be maintained without them; they are foundational to all that government is, because ultimately government is an elaborate institution established by God to the end that a civilization can live and thrive together. Government’s chief goal is to maintain morality in its people, since at the root of every evil is some sinful deed, and because the understanding of the nature of sin comes from the Bible, then how can morality be maintained apart from religion? With wisdom, Washington proclaimed that, “...religion and morality are indispensable supports.” (Washington’s Farewell Address 1796) In other words, religion and morality should be respected and irreplaceable components of government, not neglected and replaceable ones. Certainly, our nation should strive to maintain a standard of morality inside our nation, but President Washington believed that our Faith should be reflected in our foreign policy.
In his address, Washington spent a considerable amount of time discussing foreign policy. In a father-like tone, Washington warned his fellow Americans that too close of an attachment with other nations will undoubtedly produce all forms of evil such as unjust war, and “...concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others.” (Washington’s Farewell Address 1796) As a husband is to be jealous over his wife, so the citizens of this great nation are to be unreservedly jealous over the unassailable liberties they are privileged to enjoy in the vast country in which they reside. For what purpose are we to be jealous? Because, in the words of President Washington, “...foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.” (Washington’s Farewell Address 1796) America cannot be too careful in its relations with the outside world, lest its government fall victim to the negative influences of greedy foreigners. Thus, America is to have a very limited connection with foreigners, at least politically speaking. In fact, Washington advocates that alliances should not be formed with foreign nations, instead, America is to do its utmost to fend for itself, only making alliances with foreign nations should a colossal national crisis occur; too big for America to tackle on its own (i.e. Alliance with the French during the war for independence). President Washington was very wise and confident in his views on foreign policy, and as such, it was right for him to dedicate an entire portion of his address to ensure the continued felicity of America.
Maintaining unity of government and implementing good foreign policy are both essential aspects of achieving good government, but the greatest significance is found in neither of these. Of Washington’s three main points, religion and morality seem to be the most important. Why? Simply put, if there is no religion, then how can there be good government? Government depends on religion because government is an institution established by God, so apart from religion, government is futile. Certainly foreign policy is good, but how can America know good foreign policy apart from bad foreign policy without religion? It can’t. Good foreign policy depends on knowing the difference between right and wrong, it depends on knowing how far government should go in its relations with the rest of the world, and the only true answer is discovered in the Word of God. In my mind, Washington’s Farewell Address is an irreplaceable piece of work which all Americans, especially our politicians, would do well to read.
Josh
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