Thursday, April 30, 2009

April 30: Washington's Dictum on Private Life (Vol. 43, pp. 225-228)

George Washington was inaugurated as our first president on this day in 1789, so we get his inaugural address today. He invokes the deity a lot in this speech, which alternates between deep humility for the honor of being this nation's first president and setting the standard for what our government should be.

"The foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality," said Washington, "and the pre-eminence of a free government exemplified by all the attributes, which can win the affections of its citizens, and command the respect of the world."

It's ideas like this that made this country great.

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