Gen. George Washington, commander-in-chief of the American Patriot forces, bid farewell to the Army on Nov. 2, 1783, at the close of a lengthy war that had, against all expectations, succeeded in achieving American independence from Great Britain. We can still draw lessons from his address today.
There are, in fact, many lessons which one could draw from Washington's farewell address. He urges reliance on the "God of Armies," gives recommendations for future careers, emphasizes the importance of the Union, and insists on the priority of paying off the national debt. But today, I'm going to focus on two passages.
The first passage touches briefly on all the many hardships and setbacks of the Revolution, and how the soldiers should remember these events only insofar as they add to the triumph of the present:
It is not the meaning nor within the compass of this Address, to detail the hardships peculiarly incident to our Service, or to discribe [sic] the distresses which in several instances have resulted from the extremes of hunger and nakedness, combined with the rigors of an inclement season. Nor is it necessary to dwell on the dark side of our past affairs. Every American Officer and Soldier must now console himself for any unpleasant circumstances which may have occurred, by a recollection of the uncommon scenes in which he has been called to act, no inglorious part; and the astonishing Events of which he has been a witness—Events which have seldom, if ever before, taken place on the stage of human action, nor can they probably ever happen again. For who has before seen a disciplined Army formed at once from such raw materials? Who that was not a witness could imagine, that the most violent local prejudices would cease so soon… becom[ing] but one patriotic band of Brothers?
Here, Washington reminds his men not to fixate too much on the causes for complaint, and to focus instead on how they have been victorious and can justify those victories going into the future. He hopes to see the local biases, irrational prejudices, laziness, and unprofessionalism of the troops in earlier days permanently supplanted by their painfully learned unity, liberal thinking, discipline, and professionalism. Those are qualities equally important in civilian and military life.
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Those qualities are also very important today and, unfortunately, not as common as they were in Washington’s Army. Americans now could use a little more self-discipline and much less obsession with sex and skin color.
The second passage of the November 1783 address which I want to touch on fits well with the first, and expands on the same theme:
In order to effect this desirable purpose, and to remove the prejudices which may have taken possession of the Minds of any of the good People of the States, it is earnestly recommended to all the Troops that with strong attachments to the Union, they should carry with them into civil Society the most conciliating dispositions; and that they should prove themselves not less virtuous and usefull [sic] as Citizens, than they have been persevering and victorious as Soldiers. …and let a conciousness of their atchievements [sic] and fame, still incite the Men who composed them to honorable Actions; under the persuasion that the private virtues of economy, prudence and industry, will not be less amiable in civil life, than the more splendid qualities of valour, perseverence [sic] and enterprise, were in the Field.
Here again, Washington reminds the soldiers to translate the lessons of the war into private life, and above all emphasizes that virtue is supremely important to a free people. Only men with standards of integrity, honesty, courage, and justice will be capable of staving off tyranny and preserving rights. Only if we have a strong sense of duty to our country and communities can we expect to flourish.
As we prepare for another holiday season, a major election, and a new year, we should take Washington's advice to heart so that America becomes greater and more admirable in the next 250 years than it has been even in the first 250.
