Life of George Washington, Volume 17G.P. Putnam, 1869 |
Common terms and phrases
Adams affairs American appeared appointed arms army arrived Britain British Bushrod Washington cabinet character Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Citizen Genet citizens Colonel command conduct Congress considered Constitution debt declared duties Edmund Randolph executive favor feel foreign France French Genet give Gouverneur Morris governor Hamilton happiness honor House Indians ington interest Jacobin club Jefferson John Adams justice Knox Lafayette letter liberty Madison March Marquis de Lafayette measures ment military militia mind minister monarchical Mount Vernon nation nomination object observed occasion opinion papers Paris party patriots peace person Philadelphia Pinckney political popular present President President's proclamation Randolph received regard reply republican retirement revolution seat of government Secretary Secretary of War Senate sentiments session sion spirit Talleyrand Tench Coxe Thomas Pinckney tion Treasury treaty troops Union United vessels Virginia Wash Washington wish writes York
Popular passages
Page 375 - The nation prompted by ill-will and resentment sometimes impels to war the government, contrary to the best calculations of policy. The government sometimes participates in the national propensity and adopts through passion what reason would reject; at other times it makes the animosity of the nation subservient to projects of hostility instigated by pride, ambition, and other sinister and pernicious motives. The peace often, sometimes perhaps the liberty, of nations has been the victim.
Page 366 - The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the constitution which at any time exists till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government.
Page 360 - But as it is easy to foresee, that from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment, that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union, to your collective...
Page 368 - I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you, in the most solemn manner, against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
Page 370 - There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty.
Page 360 - Union to your collective and individual happiness ; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it, accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned, and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our Country from the rest,...
Page 374 - OBSERVE good faith and justice towards all nations, cultivate peace and harmony with all ; religion and morality enjoin, this conduct ; and can it be that good policy does not equally enjoin it ? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and at no distant period a great nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence.
Page 375 - ... the latter, without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained; and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld.
Page 361 - The name of AMERICAN, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. — With slight shades of difference, you have the same Religion, Manners, Habits, and political Principles. — You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together. The independence and Liberty you possess are the work of joint councils, and joint efforts — of common dangers, sufferings and successes.
Page 377 - Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation ? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground ? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice?