George Washington

And His Condemnation of Factionalism

George Washington's Farewell Address (https://www.georgewashington.org/farewell-address.jsp) use to be read in Congress (as still done in the Senate) since the Civil War, but stopped during the 1980s. This speech condemned factionalism and partisanship as dangers to the new republic. The message is relevant now as it was then.

Can you get Congressman Bacon to introduce legislation to resurrect such a reading? It seems perfect for his take on politics and would give him notoriety. Please note, according to the Charter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), the Congressional Charter of the SAR states "to carry out the purposes expressed in the preamble to the Constitution of our country and the injunctions of Washington in his farewell address to the American people."

The George Washington Farewell Address was written largely by Alexander Hamilton (https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/george-washington-s-farewell-address) and was provided at the end of Washington’s second term in 1796.

Washington cautioned about factionalism, partisanship, and sectionalism tearing the new country apart. When the Civil War commenced, the people of Philadelphia petitioned Congress to open each session with the Farewell address as a matter of celebrating the 130th anniversary of Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1732 (https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2013/02/washingtons-farewell-address/). The House started the tradition in 1862 and the Senate followed in 1899. While the Senate has continued the tradition, the House abandoned it in 1984.

To continue to commemorate George Washington’s birthday, please contact
your Congressman and ask them to reintroduce the presentation of Washington’s Farewell Address to Congress. Contact information can be found at the links below:

Congressman Don Bacon
https://bacon.house.gov/contact

Congressman Mike Flood
https://flood.house.gov/contact

Congressman Adrian Smith

https://adriansmith.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact