their liberties. Grand dinners were given-sparkling bumpers were filled-and standing up round the vast convivial board, with joined hands, and cheeks glowing with friendship and the generous juice, they rent the air with "health and fraternity to the sister republics of France and America."

Washington joined in the general hospitality to the stranger. He extolled the valour, and congratulated the victories of his brave countrymen. "Born, sir," said he, "in a land of Liberty, for whose sake. I have spent the best years of my life in war, I cannot but feel a trembling anxiety whenever I see an oppressed people drawing their swords and rearing aloft the sacred banners of freedom."

Enraptured at finding in America such a cordial spirit towards his country, Mr. Genet instantly set himself to call it into the fullest exertion. And by artfully ringing the changes on British cruelty, and French generosity, to the Americans, he so far succeeded as to prevail on some persons in Charleston to commence the equipment of privateers against the British. Dazzled by the lustre of false gratitude to one nation, they lost sight of their horrid injustice to another and during the profoundest peace between England and America, when the American planters, by their flour, rice, and cotton, were making money almost as fast as if they had mints upon their estates; and when, on the other hand, the British artisans were driving on their manufactures day and night for the Americans-in this sacred season and blissful state of things, certain persons in Charleston began to equip privateers against England.

Grieved that his countrymen should be capable of such an outrage against justice, against humanity, and every thing sacred among men; and equally grieved to see them so far forget, so far belittle themselves as to become willing cat's paws of one nation, to tear another to pieces, he instantly issued his proclama

tion, stating it as the "duty, and therefore the interest of the United States, to preserve the strictest neutrality between the belligerents: and prohibiting the citizens of the United States, from all manner of interference in the unhappy contest."

This so enraged Mr. Genet, that he threatened to appeal from the president to the people! i. e. in plain English, to try to overthrow the government of the United States!!

But, thank God, the American people were too wise and virtuous to hear these things without feeling and expressing a suitable indignation. They rallied around their beloved president; and soon gave this most inconsiderate stranger to understand, that he had insulted the sacred person of their father.

Washington bore this insult with his usual good temper! but at the same time took such prudent measures with the French government, that Mr. Genet was quickly recalled.

Having at length attained the acme of all his wishes-having lived to see a general and efficient government adopted, and for eight years in successful operation, exalting his country from the brink of infamy and ruin to the highest ground of prosperity and honour, both at home and abroad-abroad, peace with Britain-with Spain-and, some slight heart burnings excepted, peace with France, and with all the world at home, peace with the Indians—our shining ploughshares laying open the best treasures of the earth-our ships flying over every sea-distant nations feeding on our bread, and manufacturing our staples-our revenue rapidly increasing with our credit, religion, learning, arts, and whatever tends to national glory and happiness, he determined to lay down that load of public care which he had borne so long, and which, now in his 66th year, he found was growing too heavy for him. But feeling towards his countrymen the solicitude of a father for his children, over whom he had long watched, but

whom he was about to leave to themselves; and fearing, on the one hand, that they might go astray, and hoping, on the other, that from his long labours of love, he might be permitted to impart the counseis of his long experience, he drew up for them a farewell address, which the filial piety of the nation has since called "his Legacy."

As this little piece, about the length of an ordinary sermon, may do as much good to the people of America as any sermon ever preached, that Divine one on the mount excepted, I shall offer no apology for laying it before them; especially as I well know that they will all read it with the feelings of children reading the last letter of a once loved father now in his grave. And who knows but it may check for a while the fatal flame of discord which has destroyed all the once glorious republics of antiquity, and here now at length in the United States has caught upon the last republic that is left on the face of the

earth.

WASHINGTON'S LAST WORDS

TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.

September, 1796.

"Friends and Fellow Citizens,

"The period for a new election of a citizen, to administer the executive government of the United States, being not far distant-and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust-it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprise you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made.

"I beg you, at the same time, to do me the justice to be assured, that this resolution has not been taken without a strict regard to all the considerations appertaining to the relation which binds a dutiful citizen to his country; and that, in withdrawing the tender of service, which silence in my situation might imply, I am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future interest, no deficiency of grateful respect for your past kindness; but am supported by a full conviction, that the step is compatible with both.

"The acceptance of, and continuance hitherto in, the office to which your suffrages have twice called me, have been a uniform sacrifice of inclination to the opinion of duty, and to a deference for what appeared to be your desire. I constantly hoped, that it would have been much earlier in my power, consistently with motives which I was not at liberty

to disregard, to return to that retirement from which I had been reluctantly drawn. The strength of my inclination to do this previous to the last election, had even led to the preparation of an address to declare it to you. But mature reflection on the then perplexed and critical posture of our affairs with foreign nations, and the unanimous advice of persous entitled to my confidence, impelled me to abandon the idea.

"I rejoice that the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the pursuit of inclination incompatible with the sentiment of duty or propriety and am persuaded, whatever partiality may be retained for my services, that, in the present circumstances of our country, you will not disapprove my determination to retire.

"The impressions with which I first undertook the arduous trust, were explained on the proper occasions. In the discharge of this trust, I will only say, that I have, with good intentions, contributed towards the organization and administration' of the government, the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable. Not unconscious, in the outset, of the inferiority of my qualifications, experience in my own eyes, perhaps still more in the eyes of others, has strengthened the motives to diffidence of myself: and every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome. Satisfied that if any circumstances have given peculiar value to my services, they were temporary, I have the consolation to believe, that while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene, patriotism does not forbid it.

"In looking forward to the moment which is intended to terminate the career of my public life, my feelings do not permit me to suspend the deep acknowledgment of that debt of gratitude which I owe to my beloved country, for the many honours it