Presidents’ Day was designated by Congress for loftier purposes than providing an opportunity for great furniture and mattress sales. It was established, first, to honor George Washington and, later, to pay homage to all U.S. presidents.
Washington and Abraham Lincoln are rightly regarded as our greatest presidents, both for what they did for our union and for the advice they left behind. We certainly should honor them on their day. But it is essential that we also take their sage words to heart.
Having led the Continental Army to victory against British forces and served two terms as president of our fledgling democracy, Washington had much to say about what Americans needed to do to preserve our form of government. His Farewell Address, much of which was penned by Alexander Hamilton, gave stark warning about the dangers of extreme political partisanship.
Washington warned that political parties can “become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.
