#Farewell Address

[aswithasunbeam]

Hey! As you know a lot about the time period I’m wondering if I can ask you a question. From what I’ve seen, John Hamilton’s biography of his father was criticised because it claimed that Hamilton authored many of Washington’s letters (and I gather he was criticised by people who admired Hamilton). Did Hamilton actually author many of the papers under Washington’s name - did people just not want to believe it because of Washington’s reputation or for political reasons?

Hamilton definitely authored a good number of Washington's papers. During the Revolution, Hamilton's job as Washington's aide de camp included the duty to pen letters for George Washington. A quick search of Hamilton's papers on Founders Online shows a total of 889 letters written in Hamilton's handwriting that were sent under George Washington's signature.

What brought much more political controversy was Hamilton's involvement in the drafting of Washington's famous Farewell Address. All those years as Washington's aide meant Hamilton had a great knack for writing in Washington's voice. When Washington determined to step down from the presidency, he sent Hamilton a draft for a Farewell Address that James Madison had worked on four years previously (See Hamilton to Washington, 10 May 1796). Hamilton reviewed Madison's work, but decided instead to send his own version of what he thought Washington ought to say to the public. (See Hamilton to Washington, 30 July 1796). Washington ultimately tweaked Hamilton's draft and also passed it around to members of his cabinet for input, but much of the Farewell Address was in fact authored by Alexander Hamilton.

Because Washington generally tried to remain above the party politics of the time, it being widely known that his beloved last words to the public were penned by Alexander Hamilton would have started a political firestorm.

When Hamilton passed away in 1804, Rufus King went through his papers and took the draft of the Farewell Address that would have proved his authorship, fearing Hamilton's family would publish it to give Hamilton credit for the work. Eliza Hamilton spent years attempting to reclaim the document. She even visited Mount Vernon at one point to look through Washington's papers to see if there was a copy of Hamilton's draft there (see The Life and Correspondence of Bushrod Washington, v. VI, pp.617-18). Ultimately, she had to file a lawsuit against King in 1825 to reclaim the document. Eliza did not, as King feared, immediately make it widely known that Hamilton had authored the Farewell Address. However, she did record a statement to be released after her death where she detailed her own personal knowledge that Hamilton had drafted the Address for Washington. In that statement, she related the following amusing anecdote: "Shortly after the publication of the address, my husband and myself were walking in Broadway, when an old soldier accosted him, with a request of him to purchase General Washington’s Farewell address, which he did and turning to me said, ‘That man does not know he has asked me to purchase my own work.'" (Elizabeth Hamilton’s Statement as to Washington’s Farewell Address, as published in The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton). Her statement was one of the many, many ways Eliza worked during her life to help preserve Hamilton's legacy.

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Samuel's Farewell Address Warning

But if you do not listen to the LORD’S voice, but rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you [to punish you], as it was against your fathers. — 1 Samuel 12:15 | Amplified Bible (AMP) The Amplified Bible Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Cross References: Leviticus 26:14-15; Joshua 24:20; 1 Samuel 5:9; 1 Samuel 12:9; Isaiah 1:20; Lamentations 1:18

[uwmspeccoll]

Milestone Monday

On this date, September 19 in 1796, George Washington's Farewell Address (which was dated two days before) was printed in the American Daily Advertiser as an open letter to the public, and subsequently published across America that year and reprinted innumerable times over the next two centuries. It is is considered to be one of the most important documents in American history, and every year since 1896, the Senate has observed Washington's birthday by selecting one of its members, alternating parties, to read the 7,641-word statement in legislative session. 

Washington’s address identifies several issues confronting America’s political future. Perhaps the one most relevant for us at this moment is his warning about political factionalism. He warns that factions may seek to obstruct the execution of federal laws or prevent the branches of government from exercising the powers provided them by the constitution. Such factions may claim to be trying to answer popular demands or solve pressing problems, but their true intentions are to take the power from the people and place it in the hands of unjust men:

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.

We hold two early copies of the Farewell Address, shown here. The first, printed in Boston for the State of Massachusetts by William Manning and James Loring in 1805, was intended as a classroom textbook and also included printings of the Massachusetts Constitution, the U. S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. The second, was printed in Exeter, New Hampshire by Charles Norris, and was published along with a printing of the U. S. Constitution. 

View our other Milestones.

[filosofablogger]

A Prescient Warning From 227 Years Ago

Yesterday, a timely article in History.com caught my attention.  It delved into George Washington’s farewell speech in September 1796, just prior to the end of his second term in office.  At that time, there were no term limits and President Washington could have run for a third term and likely won.  But he had been in poor health for some time, and he felt that if he sought a third term, then…

[we-never-stop-fighting-kb]

Hamilton interpretation of Farewell Address

GW: "friends and fellow citizens"

AH, writing: "...friends...fellow citizens...and Jefferson"

GW: no

[aceof-stars]

What I really want is a case where Phoenix's client is truly guilty of the crime they’re being accused of and there isn’t anyone blackmailing him to get an acquittal.

Farewell My Turnabout is the only case where a guilty verdict is the good ending and the only case that challenged Phoenix’s entire worldview. (Correct me if I'm wrong though because I haven't played the Apollo Justice trilogy). I wouldn't change anything about that case but I still think another case could have been taken further. Because 2-4, at the end of the day, is still about saving someone; it's about the value of trust and partnership in fighting for the truth because that is what will save someone.

But I want a case where there really isn’t anyone who can be or needs to be saved. Phoenix’s client is guilty, and there are no kidnapped loved ones or anyone forcing him to get a verdict either way. Even better if the defendant is a sympathetic killer like Acro. And there is no huge impossible decision/moral dilemma about who to save, it’s just realizing that doing the right thing means accepting a loss.

I always found it ironic that Edgeworth taking a loss in the name of truth is seen as an important sign of his redemption, but Phoenix almost never does the same thing. I know Phoenix gets to choose his cases and Miles doesn't but it just seems kind of hypocritical to me.

And I still want the case to have a happy ending because Phoenix still helped his client by giving them a proper defense. I don’t want Phoenix to come out of this demoralized. I just really need a case to finally hammer home to Phoenix that he should not be hinging his entire worth and motivation for being a defense attorney on if he can save people (because clearly 2-4 did not do that).

[deelaundry]

(via GIPHY)

[dimeadoesnt]

I’ll never forget one time before the bot crisis was addressed how i played with this one group for a few matches, and we got pretty quick at booting bots. We recognized most of their names at that point, and almost as soon as we heard the same music they would play over VC one of us would call a vote. it worked pretty well, up until this specific occasion where one of them started playing music, we got to voting, and someone said

‘guys no he’s not a bot he’s just playing shitty music’

we, of course, did not believe him since the bot was on his team and continued to vote. Then right before the vote went through, we just got a message in text chat from the “bot” that said

‘:(‘

[yr-obedt-cicero]

"James A. Hamilton and John C. Hamilton proved particularly helpful. All three wrote to Hamiltons contemporaries for materials, took frequent trips to talk with owners of Hamiltons manuscripts, and did not hesitate to use flattery or threats to attain their objectives."

They really were their father's sons weren't they 😂

I believe they got into a squabble with John Jay, and had to fight tooth and nail to get some documents from Rufus King — so the threats part is definitely true.

[thewakecloud]

That man on stage was no Barak Obama.

[epicdogymoment]

well i think mobcop has everything to do with hijikata being an alivegirl

[quotesfromall]

We now stand ten years past the midpoint of a century that has witnessed four major wars among great nations. Three of these involved our own country. Despite these holocausts America is today the strongest, the most influential and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address

[akechi-if-he-slayed]

my apple music expired yesterday and so the only music i had downloaded on my phone that i could listen to while lifting was hamilton.

[achingly-shy]

when middle school me memorizing the entirety of one last time finally comes in handy

[homunculus-argument]

A fantasy/soft sci-fi story that features a race of creatures who are apparently - for no really sensible reason - all male. And upon encountering humans for the first time, one of them discovers that women exist. And this is an epiphany, and the most splendid news in the entire world as he knows it. Holy shit, women. It takes him some time before he stops making sure that every human he encounters is aware that women exist, it would be a pity if they wouldn't. They do, all of them do, and some of the ones that he addresses are women, who apparently come in a far wider range of appearances than he had previously been aware of. This, too, is amazing.

Neglecting whatever duties he was supposed to be performing while among humans, he focuses mainly on learning more about women. This leads to learning about human romantic relationships, which leads to discovering polyamorous relationships, and the LGBT community. All of which are splendid discoveries.

Eventually, after having not heard anything of their duty-neglecting emissary for months, the people receive one letter that basically goes "I am ceasing my mission and relinquishing my position in order to make a home here. Do not try to seek me, I am currently living in a household of seven women including myself, and I will fight you if you try to remove me. Farewell."

And these people, relieved to finally get a confirmation that they can get someone else on the task, just look at this letter like "what the fuck is a woman."

[alabs1]

Buhari To Address Nigerians In Farewell Broadcast On Sunday

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will, on Sunday, address the country in a nationwide broadcast. According to the statement by Femi Adesina, presidential aide, the broadcast will be Buhari’s farewell speech to the country’s citizens. The address is billed for 7 am and will be aired on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Radio Nigeria. “President Muhammadu Buhari will make a farewell…