“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.”
~ Thomas Paine ~
Question, sir: What's wrong with this picture?
p.s.
(PLEASE CLICK FOR FULL CAPTION OR YOU WILL MISS POINT ENTIRELY)
~ Thomas Paine ~
NOTE TO READERS: I concede that it is long (over 3500 words) but, since I’m essentially trying to tell the incoming 45th president of the United States how to do his job (PER HIS REQUEST), it's not something to be taken, or given, lightly. I have to give him all the information I have available with complete backup to sources. Actually, it’s not me telling the man how to do his job at all. All I'm really doing is relaying --along with comments of other notable figures in the U.S. Government to substantiate the greatness and magnitude of-- the DIRECTIONS that the Founding-Father-In-Chief and FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES left to posterity for him, as well as Members of Congress, the Federal Judiciary, etc. for how to do their jobs.
Dear Mr. President-elect;
Congratulations on your stunning upset victory! I was both moved and inspired by your first address as our next president -- particularly how you humbly reached out to us, the people, for “our guidance and our help.” Therefore, I consider it my civic duty as an American to implore you and your team to intimately familiarize yourselves with what I refer to simply as “the directions” that our Founding-Father-In-Chief and first president left to us for posterity on how to conduct the affairs of government and relations with other nations.
To the best of my knowledge, not since the days of Andrew Jackson have ANY American presidents paid proper and dignified tribute to, and recognition of, President Washington's Farewell Address. In his own equally brilliant farewell, President Jackson said;
“The lessons contained in this invaluable legacy of Washington to his countrymen should be cherished in the heart of every citizen to the latest generation; and perhaps at no period of time could they be more usefully remembered than at the present moment; for when we look upon the scenes that are passing around us and dwell upon the pages of his parting address, his paternal counsels would seem to be not merely the offspring of wisdom and foresight, but the voice of prophecy, foretelling events and warning us of the evil to come.”
Any questions?
“MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN?”
OK, sir, I'm with you 220%! (1% for each year since the Farewell was written) However, I don't believe there is ANY humanly way that can possibly be done without first getting back to our roots. In particular, those roots being the fundamental principles of THE Founding Father himself -- restoring his vision for our republican “experiment” as well as his standard of integrity to the Office of President of the United States. It is my deepest hope that your administration, under your leadership you, sir, will be the president to finally break the pattern of negligence and wanton disregard for his principles so that the pride, dignity, and honor of the name of Washington can be restored to its former glory. (I don't feel the need to elaborate on how the once-glorious name of Washington --glory that future president Abraham Lincoln described as having been as bright as the sun-- has been horrifically stained and besmirched by its having been reduced to the level of association with the political establishment and general government in the District of Columbia. What did you call it? Oh yeah, that's right, a swamp that needs to be drained.)
Now, sir, considering the fact that it is an irrefutable truth you are immensely proud of your father and the Trump family name, it goes without saying that you would be absolutely livid if “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men” (and women) who pretend to be patriots were running that name into the swamp and the principles it once represented into the ash-dump of history in the farthest corner of the back lot. Well, guess what, brother? George Washington was our National Father and it's time to step up and defend his honor --our NATIONAL HONOR-- for Washington IS essentially our national family name!
Again, whereas I refer to it as “the directions,” the Honorable John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the United States, referred to it as;
“... a last effort to impress upon his countrymen those great political truths which had been the guides of his administration, and could alone, in his opinion, form a sure and solid basis, for the happiness, the independence, and the liberty of the United States.” [The Life of George Washington]
In his book, U.S. Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission Director General, the Honorable Sol Bloom, declared that;
Repeat: “... KEEPING IN THE PATH!”
“Among the many valuable state papers of the nation, two are most intimately connected with the Constitution. These are The Declaration of Independence, which opened the way for it, and Washington’s Farewell Address on keeping in the path” [The Story of the Constitution]
It's been 20 years since I first became aware of the existence of His Excellency's final words to the American people. I was both astonished and embarrassed that its bicentennial anniversary passed by unnoticed by our nation and government -- particularly after considering all the parades, flag-waving, fireworks, commemorative stamps and coins, etc. that were done for the aforementioned Charters of Freedom back in 1976 and 1987-89. The first President Bush even issued a Proclamation in observance of his inauguration in which he said; “(President Washington) set standards that every President since has hoped to emulate.” In fact, that year our government went so far as to hire a troupe of actors in dressed in period garb to travel by horse and carriage to re-enact his journey from Mount Vernon to Federal Hall and, knowing you, it is my conjecture that you, sir, were in attendance at the celebration when they arrived. (For info on Farewell centennial vs. bicentennial, please CLICK HERE and, for exceptionally dramatic comparison, see THIS PAGE)
The following year, in an attempt to assuage the abject shame and embarrassment I continue to suffer as a U.S. Citizen over this colossal lapse, I applied for and was granted a permit to publicly pay tribute to this forgotten national treasure on the grounds of the Washington Monument. I even tried reaching out to President Clinton to speak and render assistance but was turned down, Sadly, the event was a flop for then, as now, the George Washington Farewell Address Revivification and Preservation Project is a low-budget, one-man operation.
I stood alone on the stage of the Sylvan Theater and read, over the PA system I had brought, the Declaration of Independence and the Farewell Address in their entirety, select passages from the Federalist Papers and Thomas Jefferson's letters, and discussed their significance while two of my compatriots distributed related literature I had prepared to the few interested passersby. But, at the end of the day, I could at least look in the mirror and feel good about myself knowing that AT LEAST I TRIED. Had I known about President Jackson's Farewell Address at the time, I would've most certainly read it in its entirety and explained how the two are intertwined with one another and Federalist 47.
Around that same time, rather than send a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, I figured it'd be more fitting to write to the chairman himself to express my dismay. To my surprise and delight, I got this answer.
(click on image to enlarge)
Think about it a minute, sir, how many times in the history of our republic do you think the chairman of the board of a major metropolitan newspaper has written --personally by hand, no less-- a letter of apology for something that his publication did or --in my case-- did not print?
Not long after I first became aware of the U.S. Senate's annual tradition of reading the Farewell Address on his birthday, I personally hand-delivered my appeals for assistance for my George Washington Farewell Address Revivification and Preservation Project to all 100 senators' offices. All I got was this half-hearted reply from only one from my state. However, along the way, I stumbled into the Senate Historical Office and made acquaintance with one Dr. Richard A. Baker who was MOST sympathetic to my cause. I later brought to his attention several mistakes they had in their official version and facilitated the necessary corrections as well as a special exception to the Senate's long-standing rule that forbids reading material of any kind in the gallery.
(click on image to enlarge)
Anyway, eleven years ago I moved to rural West Virginia and had a chance meeting with my then-state senator. What followed is documented along with my proposed resolution for it to be read before a Joint Session of Congress --unlike in a nearly empty chamber as it has been all these years-- in which you will find a compilation of quotes from various individuals in prominent positions attesting to the greatness of President Washington's farewell. Here is one by U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez that's short and to the point;
“Every citizen of the United States should consider it a duty to read Washington’s Farewell Address.”
In tying back to that, I cite this statement that the New York Times reported on its centenary commemoration;
“Dr. Thompson said that the Farewell Address had the moral force of an amendment to the Constitution and it should constantly be read in our public schools.”
I lament that it was a hope that has, tragically, never been realized -- else realized and long since abandoned as it was in the House of Representatives. I trust you find that as disturbing and unacceptable as I do.
Question, sir: What's wrong with this picture?
(click on image to enlarge)
Well, it's easy to see that one book is missing from its space but I'm pretty certain it's not the one in question here for, as a matter of routine on several occasions over the past twenty years, I have made the rounds in the shops in the National Archives, Library of Congress (which is where I think I took that picture), U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, etc. and they have, like, NEVER had any copies of President Washington's Farewell Address in inventory. And it's not like it's not in print. It's included in a series of little leatherette books of American wisdom by the same publisher and is available online and --wouldn't you know it-- not only do they have the date wrong (like the U.S. Senate did), they even say that it “was delivered to the assembled Members of Congress” when, in fact, it was not. I have reached out to them to correct it.
Anyway, my guess is, is that it's the Declaration of Independence that's missing. Actually, now I'm sure that was it because I just checked the date of the pic and it was taken in July not long after National Picnic, Barbecue, and Fireworks Day.
Anyway, my guess is, is that it's the Declaration of Independence that's missing. Actually, now I'm sure that was it because I just checked the date of the pic and it was taken in July not long after National Picnic, Barbecue, and Fireworks Day.
For years, my project has foundered --for organizational skills and team-building are not among my strong points BUT THEY ARE YOURS-- and that is why I am reaching out to you for your help. I've been languishing as our country --under these past several administrations and Congresses-- keeps sinking ever-deeper into the abyss as our government strays ever further off the “path” that Sol Bloom described. But, now that you've been elected under the auspices of “making America great again,” I believe that I might finally have a powerful ally in Washington, the city, who can help me revive the principles, hopes, and vision of Washington, THE MAN. Please, sir, help me help you in this vital mission.
Pardon me, sir, why settle for just making America great again? Why not raise the bar and kick it up a few notches and MAKE AMERICA GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE? And the way to do that can be found in the parting words of George Washington and Andrew Jackson. Let's get these principles permanently embedded in the ways of thinking in the District of Columbia and never let them become diminished EVER again! Oh, and lest we forget about President Eisenhower's Farewell Address which, fortunately, is not entirely absent from our national conscience.
I'm sure you've no doubt heard the saying;
“When all else fails, READ THE DIRECTIONS!”
Well, sir, that time is NOW!
To expand upon the last words of the September 19, 1896 op-ed in Washington, DC's Evening Star, it is my assertion that it needs to be stepped up a notch --as highlighted-- and that the Farewell Address;
“... should be read and reread and thoroughly understood by every being who prides himself enough to hold a position for which they will STAND BEFORE THE AMERICAN FLAG AND SWEAR AN OATH TO THE PEOPLE’S CONSTITUTION!”
a virtual flag and
a link to the people's Constitution
And to be completely frank with you, sir, it is my most earnest and heartfelt belief that your decision as to whether to read --and follow-- “the directions” or not could, and might very well, be the determining factor as to whether you go down in American history as a great, fair-to-OK, bad, or worse, FORGETTABLE, president. I mean, seriously sir, in the 22nd Century and beyond, do you want the name Donald J. Trump to be as indelible a figure as, say, an Andrew Jackson --the man who exposed and beat down the moneychangers, eliminated the National Debt, and was totally aware of and inspired by President Washington's Farewell Address-- or as insignificant as one Chester A. Arthur?
Umm, uh... Chester A. ---WHO?
Well, well, well -- whaddya you know, sir... it just so happens that his presidency began on George Washington's Farewell Address Day, 1881. I can't not wonder if he had any knowledge of its existence. Of ALL the obscure presidents for me to pick at random, it had to be HIM! How's that for serendipity? Perhaps he might not be so forgotten if someone told him; “Mr. President, sir, check out this national treasure that the Father of Our Country left us, the people, on this day 85 years ago!” -- and had taken it to heart. Anyway, the decision is yours and yours alone, sir. Please think on it hard -- particularly since Chief Justice Marshall went on to say that;
“This interesting paper contains precepts to which the American statesman cannot too frequently recur.”
And since I'm back on the subject of SCotUS chiefs, it is my duty to inform you, sir, that #8, the Honorable Melville Weston Fuller, declared before a Joint Session of Congress that;
“If we turn to this remarkable document and compare the line of conduct therein recommended with the course of events during the century—the advice given with the results of experience—we are amazed at the wonderful sagacity and precision with which it lays down the general principles through whose application the safety and prosperity of the Republic have been secured.”
In addition, I would like to stress that, according to renowned author and U.S. presidential historian Richard Norton Smith, a man who could quite very well write a book about you and your administration after your time in office has expired -- and is a recipient of this letter, the
Oh yeah, then there are people who write about you now -- people like George F. Will, a man whose opinion I'd like to know on this subject as well as ask for his editorial assistance in better presenting this letter to the public via the newspapers. George Will... a man who, by the way, was one of the nicest guys you could ever have for a next-door neighbor. A neighbor who, back in the 1980s, created quite a spectacle on our block when he twice had Ronald and Nancy Reagan over for dinner and we welcomed members of his Secret Service detail to be positioned in our yard. George was nice enough to have President Reagan personally sign my souvenir inaugural program. Oh yeah, almost forgot, the second time he also hosted V.P. and Second Lady Bush and, had I known in advance, I'd have asked him to have GHWB sign it and he would've. Oh well, maybe if I'm lucky I can add a personally signed Trump-Pence inaugural program to the family archive.
Even if you are unable to respond to me personally, which is what I expect due to your extreme workload, my most realistic hope is that it will be circulated to as many in your team as possible and that dialog might be established between one or more of them and myself -- for I have many other ideas about promoting public awareness and appreciation of the Farewell Address. But, if my hopes and dreams are realized, I will someday shake your hand as you thank me for my “advice and guidance” at the dedication ceremony for the FINAL COMPLETION OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT as well as at the opening of my proposed Farewell Address exhibit at Federal Hall. That is, if you can help me get the New York Public Library to bring the original manuscripts out of storage -- while the rest can be loaned out for permanent display at Mount Vernon, Independence Hall, formal inclusion with America's Founding Documents in the National Archives' rotunda, and alongside the candle stand at the Smithsonian -- amongst other similar venues.
My ultimate hope and dream for the future of our great country would be for you, sir, on 20th January, to tell us, the American people and the world, that you intend to make the George Washington Farewell Address Revivification & Preservation Project the centerpiece of your administration and legacy -- and that you have accepted my appointment for you to be its president. The two jobs should go together like hand-in-glove. Should you decide to accept, sir, your compensation will be one picture of George Washington engraved on UNITED STATES NOTES per year. Should none be available, we can discuss that --as well as my sister project for Andrew Jackson's Farewell Address-- later.
I'm sorry this letter keeps getting longer all the time but, just today, I read your new priority is to “heal this divided country ... find common ground, and we will get the job done properly.” With that, sir, I direct you to the U.S. Senate's Farewell Address Notebook. Republican or Democrat, If there is one thing --perhaps the only thing-- on which they will ALWAYS agree, that is the subject of my passion. Please read the senators' personal remarks ASAP, for you will derive great inspiration and even more love of country as do I.
If you really want to take wind from the sails of your critics and political enemies, I suggest following the directions. To govern in violation of the principles of George Washington is, to put it bluntly--and exactly, UN-AMERICAN. And, although I'm a registered Republican, I have voted exclusively for Libertarian candidates for PotUS since 1992. Gary Johnson even used quotes from the Farewell Address in some of his communications so there was no surprise there. I admit I was critical and skeptical of your candidacy but, on election-night, your humble words and professed love of country changed my views entirely. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to rally support for your administration and re-election under the banner of being America's #1 champion for Our Founding Father-in-Chief and put your opponents in their place -- ideally our side.
As you are well aware, President Kennedy implored us, the people, to ask ourselves what we could do for our country. And just because he was ruthlessly gunned down on that dreadful day in Dallas 53 years ago doesn't mean I take his request any less seriously than when he first made it. Well, sir, this is my answer, at least for the moment. Hope that it “may be productive of some partial benefit” as His Excellency wished. Thank you for your prompt attention.
Respectfully yours,
William P. Perry
Founder and Director
ON FACEBOOK: George Washington's Farewell Address
e-mail: gwashington1796@yahoo.com
p.s.
If Hillary had won, because of my previous experience with a Clinton White House and them not wanting any part of reviving President Washington's Farewell, I would've considered a letter such as this an absolute and totally pointless exercise in futility. I was even considering expatriation but all that changed in the early morning hours of November 9th when those words that came from your mouth struck a resounding chord deep in the core of my very soul. I believe you may very well be our LAST HOPE TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! (correction: better than EVER BEFORE!) Please don't let us down, sir. We, the People, are counting on YOU to --in President Washington's words-- “prevent our Nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the Destiny of Nations.”
cc:
U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito
Detective John Baeza (ret.) NYPD
Eric Trump
Ben Domenech, The Federalist
Heather Hemline, The Inter-Mountain
souvenirs from Mount Vernon
p.p.s.
As you may notice, the composition of this letter this letter began on Veteran's Day. For the record, despite the fact I have no family there, I have walked amongst the gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery on more than four occasions and plan to again. Ditto for Gettysburg National Military Park at which I even saw a ghost which, by the way, frightened me not. Quite the contrary, I was actually relieved it was not a park police officer approaching to evict and cite me since it was after nightfall. I go there for meditation and inspiration.
I can think of no single group of people that are angered by people who disrespect our flag more than veterans. Presently, there is very hot news about how to deal with people who burn “Old Glory.” Needless to say, I too, have VERY STRONG feelings about the subject. The question I ask is, “Umm, uh, what is it that makes people want to desecrate our national flag in the first place?” It is my contention that a major reason is, is that is the people who pose in front of it inside government buildings surrounded by barricades and phalanxes of armed guards in the District of Columbia have FORSAKEN THEIR OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION and are NOT FOLLOWING “THE DIRECTIONS.”
(PLEASE CLICK FOR FULL CAPTION OR YOU WILL MISS POINT ENTIRELY)
And then there's another question I like to ask; “Why pledge allegiance to the flag?”
NOTE TO READERS: As this is an open letter, all those who are in agreement are encouraged to co-sign in the comments section below (will then be removed from comments and listed in chronological order).
CO-SIGNED by:
Danny A. Gray, Patriot, Tooele, UT
Wow, I am completely ashamed to be an American
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