In Sept. 1796, Philadelphia’s American Daily Advisor was the first to publish George Washington’s Farewell Address. In his final words, the father of our country extolled the virtues of our hard-won government and Constitution. He offered the following advice to the young nation:
Beware the dangers of Parties (here he emphasized geographical jealousies); avoid foreign entanglements; do not maintain a too powerful military; and finally cherish public credit… avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt.
Sorry, Dad, guess we should have paid better attention.
