07/03/2026
Essential Fourth of July reading 🇺🇸, George Washington’s farewell address, co-written by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. The language is so stately, humble, and beautiful and he prophetically warns of the emergence of factions and tribal identity politics “sharpened by the spirit of revenge”, jealousy, and hatred, if transcendent and objective morality, virtue and religion decline. He also warns of the peril of large public debts and of entanglements in foreign conflicts.
The founders understood in depth the falls of both Greece and Rome and were more terrified by Mob Rule than monarchy. Most importantly they understood the brokenness of human nature as Saint Augustine did. A few quotes and then the entire address at the link from Yale in the comments. Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
“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. “
“Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
“It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?”
