Washington

George Washington

George Washington , in his 1796 Farewell Address to the Nation , spoke to the people as a benevolent father figure , warning the fledgling nation of dangers he feared would become pitfalls . Among other warnings given by the beloved Father of his Country , Washington cautioned American citizens of "the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party (Washington 1796 . Washington was held in much the same regard as the Emperor Augustus of ancient Rome had once been held . Had machinery been in place to do so , he would likely have been deified . Still

, he was the most respected man of his age in the United States and his advice should be considered today . He is saying to the people that there lies a very real danger to the nation should it become mired in political ideology and begin to support the party above the national interest . An example of this tragedy would be if , say , radical rabid right wing fanatics of some Christian group banded together to put their puppet in power , giving Americans a president of limited mental prowess whose regime then perpetuated itself through eight years of ruinous appointment of his party 's demagogues , shredding our constitution and ruling by fiat . St George protect us

In the decade of the 1790s Washington saw the beginnings of the political party system begin to form . The government began to fracture along party lines , with some backing James Hamilton and others backing Thomas Jefferson . More than a cult of leadership , it was a real schism that was caused by genuine differences of opinion as to what direction the nation should take . Washington remained above the fray , being so powerful as to be above party politics , but he was to be the last American president who was so able . At the time of Washington 's speech war was brewing and he feared the opposing party factions would drag the young United States into it , realizing that Hamilton favored England while Jefferson favored France (Richardson 1907 . He wanted the nation to remain neutral , pro-American and united behind one government

Works Cited

Richardson , J . 1907 Compilation of Messages and s of the Presidents , vol .1 Retrieved 4-4-08 from

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Washington , G . 1796 Farewell Address Retrieved 4-4-08 from

HYPERLINK "http /usa .usembassy .de /etexts /democrac /49 .htm http /usa .usembassy .de /etexts /democrac /49 .htm...