Details
WASHINGTON, GEORGE, President. Autograph manuscript fragment from the draft of the first inaugural address, consisting of pages 57 and 58, comprising about 320 words, n.p., n.d. [1789]. Two pages, 4to, written on both sides of a 4to leaf, paginated "57" and "58' by Washington in extreme left-hand corner of each page, two tiny, nearly invisible mends at extreme edge, otherwise in very good condition, left-hand margin of page 57 with inscription in Jared Sparks' hand: "Washington's handwriting."
ONE OF ONLY TWELVE SURVIVING LEAVES FROM THE DRAFT OF WASHINGTON'S UNDELIVERED FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS
In preparation for his inauguration, scheduled for April 30 in New York, Washington meticulously drafted a lengthy address, touching on the issues of the new Constitution, the organization of the judiciary, the nature of the office of President, the problems of national defense, trade and commerce, and other matters, and specifying the legislation needed from Congress in each area. As the great event drew nearer, Washington apparently decided the speech was too long, and perhaps, too radical for the occasion. Apparently assisted by James Madison, he drafted a new, far shorter address (see Papers, Presidential Series, ed. D. Twohig, 2:173-177 for that text). Nevertheless, the text of the unused address is of the highest interest and contains many striking passages which reveal a great deal about Washington's thoughts and avowed policies on the eve of his inauguration as President. A comparison of the text of the surviving fragments with the actual inaugural address reveals "an underlying similiarity of thoughts rather than words, although numerous recommendations to Congress appear in the unused draft. It is quite logical to assume...that the replacement was used for two strong reasons: the original spech with its multiple recommendations to Congress was too radical and far too long" (Nathaniel E. Stein, "The Discarded Inaugural Address of George Washington," in Manuscripts; The First Twenty Years, pp.239-254).
In the present fragment, the President considers the new nation's commerce, the foreign relations aspects of its growing export-import trade (with a striking allusion to the respect garnered for the new flag in foreign lands), the importance of internal improvements (roads and canals, specifically), better communications, an improved Postal service and wider distribution of the newspapers of the public press. He goes on to allude to the influx of new immigrants ("strangers"), and prophesies that the United States' economy will remain primarily agricultural for a long time, before manufacturing and industry become dominant.
"...of the soil and the Sea, for the wares and merchandize of other Nations is open to all. Notwithstanding the embarassments under which our trade has hitherto laboured, since the peace, the enterprising spirit of our citizens has steered our Vessels to almost every region of the known world. In some distant & heretofore unfrequented countries, our new Constellation [i.e., the stars on the new flag] has been received with tokens of uncommon regard. An energetic government will give to our flag still greater respect: While a sense of reciprocal benefits will serve to connect us with the rest of mankind in stricter ties of amity. But an internal commerce is more in our power; and may be of more importance. The surplus of produce in one part of the United States, will, in many instances, be wanting in another. An intercourse of this kind is well calculated to multiply Sailors, exterminate prejudices, diffuse blessings, and encrease the friendship of the inhabitants of one state for another. While [p.58] the individual States shall be occupied in facilitating the means of transportation, by opening canals & improving roads; you will not forget that the purposes of business & Society may be vastly promoted by giving cheapness, dispatch & security to communications through the regular Posts. I need not say how satisfactory it would be, to gratify the useful curiosity of our citizens by the conveyance of News Papers & periodical Publications in the public vehicles without expense.
ÿNotwithstanding the rapid growth of our population, from the facility of obtaining subsistence, as well as from the accession of strangers, yet we shall not soon become a manufacturing people. Because men are even better pleased with labouring on their farms, than in their workshops. Even the mechanics who come from Europe, as soon as they can procure a little land of their own, commonly turn Cultivators. Hence it will be found more beneficial, I believe to continue to exchange [end of page] our Staple commodities for the finer manufactures we may want, than to undertake them ourselves. [end of sentence supplied from Papers, 2:171].
On April 30, Washington took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York, and Chancellor Robert R. Livingston shouted to the crowd, "Long live George Washington, President of the United States!" The President bowed and returned to the Senate Chamber. "...After a pause, he got on his feet to read his inaugural address. All spectators rose with him and, after he had bowed again, sat down intently. 'Fellow Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives,' Washington began in a deep, low voice, and with manifest embarassment." When he had finished, "folded his papers and bowed and sat down, his audience was as much moved as he had been. He had fumbled once or twice with the sheets and had not shown grace of movement in the single gesture he had made as speaking...In spite of this and perhaps, in part, because of his manifest lack of familiarity with rhetorical tricks, he had stirred deeply the feelings of most of those who had listened. This was not because of the content of the speech any more than because of the delivery: the earnestness of the man, his sincerity, his simplicity and the memories that he personified, more than all, set hearts to beating faster and blurred responsive eyes...." (D.S. Freeman, George Washington, 6:195).
The manuscript of Washington's undelivered address originally consisted of 64 pages. In 1827 it passed into the hands of Jared Sparks (1789-1866), editor of The Writings of George Washington, (1834-1837) in connection with his research. At some later date, Sparks began to break up the manuscript, giving away separate leaves and, when these began to run out, half-leaves and small strips, to those who requested from him an example of the first President's handwriting. Most of these, sadly, are now lost. According to the most thorough register of surviving fragments and leaves, only twelve complete leaves, including the Spiro leaf, are now traceable. These comprise pages 5-6, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24, 27-28, 33-34, 45-46, 47-48, 57-58, 59-60 and 61-62. Stein's earlier (1958) census records 11 leaves, 12 half-pages and two three-line fragments. Of the twelve extant leaves, at least five are in permanent instututional collections.
Provenance:
1. Jared Sparks (1789-1866), of Cambridge, Massachusetts, editor, historian and manuscript collector. In 1827, Sparks borrowed from Bushrod Washington (who shared in the profits from the book) as many as eight cartons of Washington's original manuscripts from Mount Vernon for his research. When George Corbin Washington, the heir of Justice Washington, sold the public papers of the President to United States, in 1837, Sparks was given permission to keep 'a few autographs,' which undoubtedly included the manuscript of the undelivered speech.
2. Forest H. Sweet, who assembled six sheets from the manuscript over the period of 25 years, according to Nathaniel Stein (ibid., p.239).
3. Nathaniel E. Stein, who purchased the Sweet fragments en bloc, sometime prior to 1958, when he published his article on the manuscript (sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 30 January 1979, the fragments sold individually as lots 179-191, the present leaf as lot 188, illustrated).
ONE OF ONLY TWELVE SURVIVING LEAVES FROM THE DRAFT OF WASHINGTON'S UNDELIVERED FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS
In preparation for his inauguration, scheduled for April 30 in New York, Washington meticulously drafted a lengthy address, touching on the issues of the new Constitution, the organization of the judiciary, the nature of the office of President, the problems of national defense, trade and commerce, and other matters, and specifying the legislation needed from Congress in each area. As the great event drew nearer, Washington apparently decided the speech was too long, and perhaps, too radical for the occasion. Apparently assisted by James Madison, he drafted a new, far shorter address (see Papers, Presidential Series, ed. D. Twohig, 2:173-177 for that text). Nevertheless, the text of the unused address is of the highest interest and contains many striking passages which reveal a great deal about Washington's thoughts and avowed policies on the eve of his inauguration as President. A comparison of the text of the surviving fragments with the actual inaugural address reveals "an underlying similiarity of thoughts rather than words, although numerous recommendations to Congress appear in the unused draft. It is quite logical to assume...that the replacement was used for two strong reasons: the original spech with its multiple recommendations to Congress was too radical and far too long" (Nathaniel E. Stein, "The Discarded Inaugural Address of George Washington," in Manuscripts; The First Twenty Years, pp.239-254).
In the present fragment, the President considers the new nation's commerce, the foreign relations aspects of its growing export-import trade (with a striking allusion to the respect garnered for the new flag in foreign lands), the importance of internal improvements (roads and canals, specifically), better communications, an improved Postal service and wider distribution of the newspapers of the public press. He goes on to allude to the influx of new immigrants ("strangers"), and prophesies that the United States' economy will remain primarily agricultural for a long time, before manufacturing and industry become dominant.
"...of the soil and the Sea, for the wares and merchandize of other Nations is open to all. Notwithstanding the embarassments under which our trade has hitherto laboured, since the peace, the enterprising spirit of our citizens has steered our Vessels to almost every region of the known world. In some distant & heretofore unfrequented countries, our new Constellation [i.e., the stars on the new flag] has been received with tokens of uncommon regard. An energetic government will give to our flag still greater respect: While a sense of reciprocal benefits will serve to connect us with the rest of mankind in stricter ties of amity. But an internal commerce is more in our power; and may be of more importance. The surplus of produce in one part of the United States, will, in many instances, be wanting in another. An intercourse of this kind is well calculated to multiply Sailors, exterminate prejudices, diffuse blessings, and encrease the friendship of the inhabitants of one state for another. While [p.58] the individual States shall be occupied in facilitating the means of transportation, by opening canals & improving roads; you will not forget that the purposes of business & Society may be vastly promoted by giving cheapness, dispatch & security to communications through the regular Posts. I need not say how satisfactory it would be, to gratify the useful curiosity of our citizens by the conveyance of News Papers & periodical Publications in the public vehicles without expense.
ÿNotwithstanding the rapid growth of our population, from the facility of obtaining subsistence, as well as from the accession of strangers, yet we shall not soon become a manufacturing people. Because men are even better pleased with labouring on their farms, than in their workshops. Even the mechanics who come from Europe, as soon as they can procure a little land of their own, commonly turn Cultivators. Hence it will be found more beneficial, I believe to continue to exchange [end of page] our Staple commodities for the finer manufactures we may want, than to undertake them ourselves. [end of sentence supplied from Papers, 2:171].
On April 30, Washington took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York, and Chancellor Robert R. Livingston shouted to the crowd, "Long live George Washington, President of the United States!" The President bowed and returned to the Senate Chamber. "...After a pause, he got on his feet to read his inaugural address. All spectators rose with him and, after he had bowed again, sat down intently. 'Fellow Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives,' Washington began in a deep, low voice, and with manifest embarassment." When he had finished, "folded his papers and bowed and sat down, his audience was as much moved as he had been. He had fumbled once or twice with the sheets and had not shown grace of movement in the single gesture he had made as speaking...In spite of this and perhaps, in part, because of his manifest lack of familiarity with rhetorical tricks, he had stirred deeply the feelings of most of those who had listened. This was not because of the content of the speech any more than because of the delivery: the earnestness of the man, his sincerity, his simplicity and the memories that he personified, more than all, set hearts to beating faster and blurred responsive eyes...." (D.S. Freeman, George Washington, 6:195).
The manuscript of Washington's undelivered address originally consisted of 64 pages. In 1827 it passed into the hands of Jared Sparks (1789-1866), editor of The Writings of George Washington, (1834-1837) in connection with his research. At some later date, Sparks began to break up the manuscript, giving away separate leaves and, when these began to run out, half-leaves and small strips, to those who requested from him an example of the first President's handwriting. Most of these, sadly, are now lost. According to the most thorough register of surviving fragments and leaves, only twelve complete leaves, including the Spiro leaf, are now traceable. These comprise pages 5-6, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24, 27-28, 33-34, 45-46, 47-48, 57-58, 59-60 and 61-62. Stein's earlier (1958) census records 11 leaves, 12 half-pages and two three-line fragments. Of the twelve extant leaves, at least five are in permanent instututional collections.
Provenance:
1. Jared Sparks (1789-1866), of Cambridge, Massachusetts, editor, historian and manuscript collector. In 1827, Sparks borrowed from Bushrod Washington (who shared in the profits from the book) as many as eight cartons of Washington's original manuscripts from Mount Vernon for his research. When George Corbin Washington, the heir of Justice Washington, sold the public papers of the President to United States, in 1837, Sparks was given permission to keep 'a few autographs,' which undoubtedly included the manuscript of the undelivered speech.
2. Forest H. Sweet, who assembled six sheets from the manuscript over the period of 25 years, according to Nathaniel Stein (ibid., p.239).
3. Nathaniel E. Stein, who purchased the Sweet fragments en bloc, sometime prior to 1958, when he published his article on the manuscript (sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 30 January 1979, the fragments sold individually as lots 179-191, the present leaf as lot 188, illustrated).