George-Washington‘s-Farewell-Address---乔治华盛顿告别演说(英

WASHINGTON’SFAREWELLADDRESSTOTHEPEOPLEOFTHEUNITEDSTATES106THCONGRESS2NDSESSIONSENATEDOCUMENTNO.106–21,WASHINGTON,2000Cover1—Prints(Covers2,3&4Blank)Cover*067-155*WashFarewell.qrk3/29/016:18AMPage1IntroductionPage(Nopagefolio)ForsalebytheSuperintendentofDocuments,U.S.GovernmentPrintingOfficeInternet:bookstore.gpo.govPhone:(202)512–1800FAX:[phone]Mail:StopSSOP,Washington,D.C.20402–0001WASHINGTON’SFAREWELLADDRESSTOTHEPEOPLEOFTHEUNITEDSTATES106THCONGRESS2NDSESSIONSENATEDOCUMENTNO.106–21,WASHINGTON,2000067-155*WashFarewell.qrk3/29/016:16AMPage1IntroductionPage(Nopagefolio)INTRODUCTIONPreparedbytheUnitedStatesSenateHistoricalOfficeInSeptember1796,wornoutbyburdensofthepresidencyandattacksofpoliticalfoes,GeorgeWashingtonannouncedhisdecisionnottoseekathirdterm.WiththeassistanceofAlexanderHamiltonandJamesMadison,Washingtoncomposedina“FarewellAddress”hispoliticaltestamenttothenation.Designedtoinspireandguidefuturegenera-tions,theaddressalsosetforthWashington’sdefenseofhisadministra-tion’srecordandembodiedaclassicstatementofFederalistdoctrine.Washington’sprincipalconcernwasforthesafetyoftheeight-year-oldConstitution.HebelievedthatthestabilityoftheRepublicwasthreatenedbytheforcesofgeographicalsectionalism,politicalfaction-alism,andinterferencebyforeignpowersinthenation’sdomesticaf-fairs.HeurgedAmericanstosubordinatesectionaljealousiestocom-monnationalinterests.Writingatatimebeforepoliticalpartieshadbecomeacceptedasvitalextraconstitutional,opinion-focusingagen-cies,Washingtonfearedthattheycarriedtheseedsofthenation’sde-structionthroughpettyfactionalism.AlthoughWashingtonwasinnosensethefatherofAmericanisolationism,sinceherecognizedthene-cessityoftemporaryassociationsfor“extraordinaryemergencies,”hedidcounselagainsttheestablishmentof“permanentallianceswithothercountries,”connectionsthathewarnedwouldinevitablybesub-versiveofAmerica’snationalinterest.WashingtondidnotpubliclydeliverhisFarewellAddress.Itfirstap-pearedonSeptember19,1796,inthePhiladelphiaDailyAmericanAdvertiserandtheninpapersaroundthecountry.InJanuary1862,withtheConstitutionendangeredbycivilwar,athou-sandcitizensofPhiladelphiapetitionedCongresstocommemoratetheforthcoming130thanniversaryofGeorgeWashington’sbirthbyprovid-ingthat“theFarewellAddressofWashingtonbereadaloudonthemorn-ingofthatdayinoneortheotheroftheHousesofCongress.”BothhousesagreedandassembledintheHouseofRepresentatives’chamberonFebruary22,1862,whereSecretaryoftheSenateJohnW.Forney“ren-dered‘TheFarewellAddress’veryeffectively,”asoneobserverrecalled.ThepracticeofreadingtheFarewellAddressdidnotimmediatelybe-comeatradition.Theaddresswasfirstreadinregularlegislativeses-sionsoftheSenatein1888andtheHousein1899.(TheHousecontinuedthepracticeuntil1984.)Since1893theSenatehasobservedWashington’sbirthdaybyselectingoneofitsmemberstoreadtheFarewellAddress.Theassignmentalternatesbetweenmembersofeachpoliticalparty.Attheconclusionofeachreading,theappointedsena-torinscribeshisorhernameandbriefremarksinablack,leather-boundbookmaintainedbythesecretaryoftheSenate.TheversionoftheaddressprintedhereistakenfromtheoriginalofthefinalmanuscriptintheNewYorkPublicLibraryprovidedcourtesyofThePapersofGeorgeWashington.Theonlychangeshavebeentomodernizespelling,capitalization,andpunctuation.067-155*WashFarewell.qrk3/29/016:16AMPage1[1]WASHINGTON’SFAREWELLADDRESSTothepeopleoftheUnitedStates❧FriendsandFellow-Citizens:Theperiodforanewelectionofacitizentoadministertheexecu-tivegovernmentoftheUnitedStatesbeingnotfardistant,andthetimeactuallyarrivedwhenyourthoughtsmustbeemployedindesignatingtheper-sonwhoistobeclothedwiththatimportanttrust,itappearstomeproper,especiallyasitmaycon-ducetoamoredistinctexpressionofthepublicvoice,thatIshouldnowappriseyouoftheresolu-tionIhaveformed,todeclinebeingconsideredamongthenumberofthoseoutofwhomachoiceistobemade.Ibegyouatthesametimetodomethejusticetobeassuredthatthisresolutionhasnotbeentakenwithoutastrictregardtoalltheconsiderationsap-pertainingtotherelationwhichbindsadutifulciti-067-155*WashFarewell.qrk3/29/016:16AMPage1zentohiscountry—andthat,inwithdrawingthetenderofservicewhichsilenceinmysituationmightimply,Iaminfluencedbynodiminutionofzealforyourfutureinterest,nodeficiencyofgrate-fulrespectforyourpastkindness,butamsup-portedbyafullconvictionthatthestepiscompat-iblewithboth.Theacceptanceof,andcontinuancehithertoin,theofficetowhichyoursuffrageshavetwicecalledmehavebeenauniformsacrificeofinclinationtotheopinionofdutyandtoadeferenceforwhatap-pearedtobeyourdesire.Iconstantlyhopedthatitwouldhavebeenmuchearlierinmypower,consis-tentlywithmotiveswhichIwasnotatlibertytodis-regard,toreturntothatretirementfromwhichIhadbeenreluctantlydrawn.Thestrengthofmyin-clinationtodothis,previoustothelastelection,hadevenledtothepreparationofanaddresstodeclareittoyou;butmaturereflectiononthethenperplexedandcriticalpostureofouraffairswithforeignnations,andtheunanimousadviceofper-sonsentitledtomyconfidence,impelledmetoabandontheidea.Irejoicethatthestateofyourconcerns,external[2]WASHINGTON’SFAREWELLADDRESS067-155*WashFarewell.q