Washington On What Will Tear Us Apart

Yesterday, we talked about George Washington’s view that our country was interwoven with the love of liberty and the unity of government helped insure this liberty. He warned of those who would divide us.

What was this unity Washington warned us to keep?

“The name of American, .........., must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles.”

He also warned us of what he saw as the most likely thing to tear our country apart:

“In contemplating the causes which may disturb our Union, it occurs as matter of serious concern that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by geographical discriminations, Northern and Southern, Atlantic and Western; whence designing men may endeavor to excite a belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views. One of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection.”

That is what has exactly happened to our country. Parties have created a platform to pollute our union, to give us fewer choices, to allow elites to speak for and divide us.