332 WHAT WASHINGTON THOUGHT OF A THIRD TERM. grounds upon which Washington feels at liberty to excuse himself from further service, the words alluding to rotation are these, and that they are inserted, whether by Madison or by Washington, in a doubtful mood,is indicated by parenthesis—" and as the spirit of the government may render a rotation in the elective officers of it more congenial with the ideas the people have of liberty and safety I take my leave of them as a public man.” (Sparks, vol. xii, p. 383.) When this modest suggestion of deference to the supposed inclinations of the people came back from the hand of Madison in a new draft it was somewhat amplified and developed. But as we are not concerned with Madison’s views of rotation but only with Washington’s, and as the suggestion was destined never in any form to see the light again with Washington’s sanction, it is only necessary to show the disfavor into which it fell. Hamilton’s History (vol. vi, pp. 494 and 510) explains how, through the agency of Madison, it got into the rough draft, and how it got no further, no hint of it being found in the address as finally signed and issued by Washington in September, 1796. And Binney tells us (Inquiry into the Formation of the Address, pp. 98-100) how it got out of the draft, " Hamilton thinking, no doubt, that mere rotation without regard to circumstances was unreasonable and restrictive of the Constitution.” No farewell address had been issued during Washington’s first term. He accepted, "much against his inclination,” a second term and, towards the close of it, on a visit of Hamilton to Philadelphia in May, 1796, the President, having set his face firmly against a further continuance in office, and having had differences with Madison, asked Hamilton’s aid in reducing the rough 7 o o draft to a presentable form, giving him, as he had given Madison before, the broadest license. Rotation in office was never heard of again in connection with Washington’s retirement. So far from indicating a doubt about the propriety of accepting a third term, the Farewell Address is largely made up of considerations tending to vindicate him from a possible charge of lack of patriotism and public spirit in declining a third term. So far from indicating a conviction of the necessity for rotation,
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