The addresses are separated by three asterisks: ***
Dates of addresses by George Washington in this eBook:
January 8, 1790
December 8, 1790
October 25, 1791
November 6, 1792
December 3, 1793
November 19, 1794
December 8, 1795
December 7, 1796
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State of the Union Address
George Washington
January 8, 1790
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives:
I embrace with great satisfaction the opportunity which now presents itselfof congratulating you on the present favorable prospects of our publicaffairs. The recent accession of the important state of North Carolina tothe Constitution of the United States (of which official information hasbeen received), the rising credit and respectability of our country, thegeneral and increasing good will toward the government of the Union, andthe concord, peace, and plenty with which we are blessed are circumstancesauspicious in an eminent degree to our national prosperity.
In resuming your consultations for the general good you can not but deriveencouragement from the reflection that the measures of the last sessionhave been as satisfactory to your constituents as the novelty anddifficulty of the work allowed you to hope. Still further to realize theirexpectations and to secure the blessings which a gracious Providence hasplaced within our reach will in the course of the present important sessioncall for the cool and deliberate exertion of your patriotism, firmness, andwisdom.
Among the many interesting objects which will engage your attention that ofproviding for the common defense will merit particular regard. To beprepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.
A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end auniform and well-digested plan is requisite; and their safety and interestrequire that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render themindependent of others for essential, particularly military, supplies.
The proper establishment of the troops which may be deemed indispensablewill be entitled to mature consideration. In the arrangements which may bemade respecting it it will be of importance to conciliate the comfortablesupport of the officers and soldiers with a due regard to economy.
There was reason to hope that the pacific measures adopted with regard tocertain hostile tribes of Indians would have relieved the inhabitants ofour southern and western frontiers from their depredations, but you willperceive from the information contained in the papers which I shall directto be laid before you (comprehending a communication from the Commonwealthof Virginia) that we ought to be prepared to afford protection to thoseparts of the Union, and, if necessary, to punish aggressors.
The interests of the United States require that our intercourse with othernations should be facilitated by such provisions as will enable me tofulfill my duty in that respect in the manner which circumstances mayrender most conducive to the public good, and to this end that thecompensation to be made to the persons who may be employed should,according to the nature of their appointments, be defined by law, and acompetent fund d