Title:  State of the Union Addresses of George Washington

Author:  George Washington

Release Date:  February, 2004 [EBook #5010] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 11, 2002] [Date last updated:  December 16, 2004]

Edition:  11

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

*** Start of the project gutenberg EBOOK of addresses by George Washington ***

This eBook was produced by James Linden.

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

***

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 itself of congratulating you on the present favorable prospects of our public affairs.  The recent accession of the important state of North Carolina to the Constitution of the United States (of which official information has been received), the rising credit and respectability of our country, the general and increasing good will toward the government of the Union, and the concord, peace, and plenty with which we are blessed are circumstances auspicious in an eminent degree to our national prosperity.

In resuming your consultations for the general good you can not but derive encouragement from the reflection that the measures of the last session have been as satisfactory to your constituents as the novelty and difficulty of the work allowed you to hope.  Still further to realize their expectations and to secure the blessings which a gracious Providence has placed within our reach will in the course of the present important session call for the cool and deliberate exertion of your patriotism, firmness, and wisdom.

Among the many interesting objects which will engage your attention that of providing for the common defense will merit particular regard.  To be prepared 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 a uniform and well-digested plan is requisite; and their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render them independent of others for essential, particularly military, supplies.

The proper establishment of the troops which may be deemed indispensable will be entitled to mature consideration.  In the arrangements which may be made respecting it it will be of importance to conciliate the comfortable support of the officers and soldiers with a due regard to economy.