October 28, 2008
Excerpt from George Washington's Farewell Address: 1796
The Editors
All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests.
However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
Towards the preservation of your government, and the permanency of your present happy state, it is requisite, not only that you steadily discountenance irregular oppositions to its acknowledged authority, but also that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts. One method of assault may be to effect, in the forms of the Constitution, alterations which will impair the energy of the system, and thus to undermine what cannot be directly overthrown. In all the changes to which you may be invited, remember that time and habit are at least as necessary to fix the true character of governments as of other human institutions; that experience is the surest standard by which to test the real tendency of the existing constitution of a country; that facility in changes, upon the credit of mere hypothesis and opinion, exposes to perpetual change, from the endless variety of hypothesis and opinion; and remember, especially, that for the efficient management of your common interests, in a country so extensive as ours, a government of as much vigor as is consistent with the perfect security of liberty is indispensable. Liberty itself will find in such a government, with powers properly distributed and adjusted, its surest guardian. It is, indeed, little else than a name, where the government is too feeble to withstand the enterprises of faction, to confine each member of the society within the limits prescribed by the laws, and to maintain all in the secure and tranquil enjoyment of the rights of person and property.
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.
This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.
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. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.
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. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.
To read the entire address, click here.
meee , weee feel George Washington and the Famous Names DID an { Amazing " Feat " } Structuring the Foundation Base of THE THIRTEEN COLONIES TO FORM THIS COUNTRY! THEY THOUGHT AND WROTE " it " covering even "Extremes and Too little Detail ! meee weee WONDER though , there USE of " power " { SHOULD NOT } HAVE BEEN FORCED and ABUSED OR { EVEN EVER STARTED } ! POWER AN " EVIL " THAT SHOULD HAVE " NEVER " INTRODUCED TO THIS " NEW WORLD " ! ALL NATIONS BEFORE THIS ONE " FELL ", NO LONGER EXIST ! REASON " power " ! When power is FORCED, the Senses " GOD" " gifted " become " FRAZZLED" ! NOT CORRECT by { ANY MEANS } ! " EGO power " { IS } TRULY EVIL ! power IS ALWAYS " FIGHTING TO BE RIGHT ! NOT WORKING a TRUE POSITVE , SWEAT PHYSICAL ENERGY meee , weee are Striving in " 4WD DRIVE " { GODDRIVEN } to NOW , AT THIS " PRESENT TIME " 01-11-11 { TO CORRECT } THE MISTAKES ALL HUMANITY HAS FOREVER MADE IN THE PAST ! EVER SINCE , ADAM AND EVE , THE BUSH OF WIDOM, NOT OBEYING " GOD ' S " simple command ! DO NOT EAT , THE " FORBIDDEN FRUIT " ! WELL, power = it = SATAN = Devil = negativity ! " it " , THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL ! GOD IS TO HELP weee ALLL ! The Choice IS UP TO EACH INDIVIDUAL of this BEAUTIFUL LAND ! "granted" COMMUNICATION " IS " number 2 PRIORItY of weee the TRUE small people, without EXTREME LARGE EGOS, NOT GREEDY { ones with CLOSE TO ZERO monies, barely enough to survive comfortably and others SUFFERING , basically very CLOSE to Zero or in the "negative" } ! of this NEW WORLD, still young, 234 1/2 years old ,weee call AMERICA ! power calls " it " united States , weee and power know weee are MOSTLY DIVIDED ! , George and forefathers in meee HEART, mind, and SOUL were INCORRECT . . . meee, weee CANNOT PASS JUDGEMENT ! ONLY """ GOD """ by HIS . . . " WILL " ! JUDGEMENT DAY , in the FUTURE ! as for NOW and in the FUTURE , weee TRUE AMERIKANS , ALLL small people nowwithin< and outside. OW R FAMILIES, hurting , HOMES the Same , weee, to : TOOO CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN, then our Cities, Counties, STATES ! weee to ALL BEGINNING to COMING HOME ! GOD TO LEAD !!! GET READY FOR THE " MOST TRUE JOURNEY ! TIME IS ON " GOD'S CLOCK ! GOD IN meee , weee , families, weee A TEAM ! meee battle with HARDWORK and SWEAT ! NOT FIGHT and sit on meee, BUTT fighting IS FOR " POWER " ... STRENGTH " IS " WITH """ GOD """ !!! meee,brian, BRIAN means STRONG !!! THANK YOU ! OH , THE REASON FOR THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS THAT meee is GIVING BLAME TOO " power=SATAN=DEVIL or " it " " TO meee, our forefathers, HAD CHOICES , " THEY " CHOSE TO SWIPED this GREAT LAND FROM THE TRUE NATIVES OF THIS LAND ! ALL NATIVE INDIAN and MEXICAN TRIBES " existing at the Time, THIS LAND IS THEIRS ! JUST at THE BEGINNING OF THIS COUNTRY A SIGN FROM " GOD " ! a "cracked" or "flawed" or BROKEN { liberty bell } !!! True liberties and FREEDOMS , ARE NOT !!! , NEVER HAD !!! ESPECIALLY NOW AND EVERY SECOND IN THE FUTURE ! BIG BOTHER !!! weee, know this , NOT A secret . GODIN meee , weee Ateam !!! 01-12-2011, WEDNESDAY, 3:17 am Pacific TIME , meee, battle born , January 25th, 1957 on a FRIDAY, 11:33am
posted by: brian lee lucius fleming
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 06:19 AM
