George Washington / Moments of Reflections

George Washington

Soon I will announce my retirement. Then we shall see the hungry pack of political dogs tearing at one another for the most favorable position in a race for this thankless post. I never truly wanted to be president; it was thrust upon me. How is it that we always hasten to feed and reserve our choicest meats for the very ones who have never missed a meal.

Should I favor any single one of these aspiring leaders? I should perhaps give my support to Adams for his loyalty. He thinks deeply, writes convincingly but lacks the atavistic drive that a nation's leader must have. His schooling greatly exceeds my own but schooling alone is not enough. I doubt he would ever use the whip to keep his antagonists at bay. He might try to outsmart them with a clever turn of phrase but in the end, he would be devoured.

This country has a need to idolize its soldiers. My own failures in combat exceed my victories. But I stand tall on foot and taller upon my steed. I am not unpleasant to gaze upon and know when silence is more powerful than discourse. Having had a fortune of my own that Martha graciously added to and our impressive stretches of land did not do damage to my profile. Adams has never been a soldier but I've seen him separate a man's head from his wits with a single declarative sentence. 

What I see in Hamilton is a great desire to succeed me but that will never happen. He has served me well in providing words that would elegantly hang together for an adoring audience. He lacks the experience of a seasoned diplomat. He has few friends and cares not a fiddle for the human race. Were he not my devoted assistant, I should fear him. He has served me well in dealing with ideas but not with people. He is a stricter federalist than Adams and would perpetuate our philosophy, but he will not ever be president.

The one with verve and intelligence, with ambition and the fearlessness to use the whip is not a federalist. This man received from my hand a most prestigious appointment to my cabinet but resigned that post, as though I had asked him to empty the cuspidor. This democrat republican resigned because I had decided to keep this country out of war by declaring neutrality.

We would not side with France in its continuous battles with England despite the enormous assistance France gave to us during our war of independence. This man - Thomas Jefferson is almost as popular as I. So much in a hurry is he that I feel him stepping on the back of my boots. He will be president by and by, but he must wait his turn. Adams will be my choice and I must let the American people know that.