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George Washington's Farwell Address Summary

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In the twenty-first century, the United States is predominately a two-party political system. In George Washington’s Farwell Address (1796) he said, “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism” (para. 22). In this speech, Washington cautioned his fellow Americans about the risks of political parties; he claimed the partisanship would lead to inter-political discord, divide the nation, and give rise to instances of tyranny. Although a two-party system has the potential to not be detrimental to the country, with people following the examples of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson Americans have a tendency to put their personal political associations ahead of what may be best for the country. Both Hamilton and Jefferson were brilliant, but they were human nonetheless, and sometimes their emotions would come to effect the formation of the country. Washington …show more content…

Washington looked to his cabinet to advise if they should provide aid to France or remain neutral. Hamilton responded in his predictable fashion: writing a string of essays titled “Pacificus” defending neutrality. In these essays, Hamilton stated “if the Legislature have a right to make war on the one hand—it is on the other the duty of the Executive to preserve Peace till war is declared” (Pacificus, 1793). Hamilton argued that the President should not bring the country to the brink of destruction to meddle in a military mess where France is Queen and Kingless. Hamilton and the Federalists pleaded with Washington to declare the treaty with France suspended because they made a treaty with a King who no longer lived. Hamilton’s leading objective was to sustain a peaceful affiliation with Britain, in hopes of supporting the American

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