Washington's birthday

Today is the date for the traditional holiday celebrating George Washington's birthday.  In the modern style, it has been recast as Presidents' Day -- a holiday celebrating the various holders of that office, noble and ignoble alike, from Washington to our current president.  Washington State, named for President Washington himself, has unfortunately capitulated to the new style.  Well, here at Libertas et Memoria, the policy of the blog is to celebrate the traditional holiday and leave for another time the honoring of presidents like John Tyler, Franklin Pierce, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

On this day celebrating the life and work of the Father of Our Country, it might be a wise idea to read and ponder the summation of his public life, his majestic Farewell Address, issued by Washington as his final statement to the nation at the end of his presidency.  Written by Washington with some input by his long-time advisor Alexander Hamilton, the Farewell Address is one of the great documents of American political thought.  You can read it here.

Washington's First Inaugural Address is worth reading as well.