Washington's Farewell

Starred review from December 1, 2016
Why George Washington's last message proves apposite to our own time.After two terms as America's first president, Washington bid farewell by publishing in a daily newspaper a long, heartfelt address, warning his countrymen about the forces that could threaten democracy. Editor-in-chief of the Daily Beast and former speechwriter for Rudy Giuliani, Avlon (Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America, 2010, etc.) analyzes that address and other of Washington's writings to create a vivid portrait of the struggles that marked the nation's early years. Washington had been a reluctant first president, but his experiences as an army commander served him well as a peacetime strategist facing dissension among the prickly, squabbling members of his administration. Admired as a general, he was "pilloried" as president and saw the rise of opposing political parties, something the Founding Fathers had not foreseen. "There was an idealistic assumption among the founders," writes the author, "that elected representatives would reason together as individuals." Washington clearly saw the perils that the nation still faces: he believed that "partisan impulses needed to be restrained by a wise and vigilant citizenry" or risk the rise of demagogues. Liberal education was vital to an enlightened population who could participate responsibly in civic matters. He worried that self-interest and regional, rather than national, identity could lead to disunity. Citizens needed to recognize the benefits of a central government that provided "equal laws and equal protection." That protection extended to religion, ensuring pluralism so that no sect would "degenerate into a political faction." As for foreign policy, Washington advised independence but not isolationism. Avlon engagingly traces the afterlife of the address, showing how subsequent presidents cherry-picked ideas consistent with their own political views. He argues persuasively that the document deserves the serious reading that he offers. "Armed with a sense of perspective," he writes, "we can take some comfort that our domestic divisions too shall pass." A thoughtful consideration of Washington's wisdom that couldn't be timelier.

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Starred review from February 1, 2017

George Washington (1732-99) worked on his farewell address to the American people for nearly five years before stepping down as America's first president in 1796. It was a historic moment, a peaceful transfer of power, that would long endure in history. Avlon, editor in chief of The Daily Beast and author of Independent Nation, brings to light Washington's goodbye by elucidating what it meant not only during the early days of the republic, but its lasting effect through the centuries. For much of the 19th century, this speech was the most remembered and admired in American history. Avlon's thesis is that there is much to gain from reexamining this 6,000-word adieu. Within this final address, which was never actually spoken but printed in a national newspaper, Washington implores posterity to value moderation, fiscal discipline, and private virtue. Avlon expertly explores the document by examining Washington's shortcomings; he accrued debt in his youth, was not as educated as his contemporaries, and owned slaves. In time, Washington overcame such flaws, some might argue too late. The full text of the speech can be found in the appendix along with further reading. VERDICT A solid analysis of our first president and his farewell to the American people.--Keith Klang, Port Washington P.L., NY

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