On this day in history, Sept 19, 1796, President George Washington issues Farewell Address

On this day in history, Sept. 19, 1796, President George Washington issues Farewell Address
Father of the country spoke proudly of young American nation, prophetically warned of dangers of party politics
A prophetic father of his country, President George Washington issued his Farewell Address as he approached the end of his second term in office on this day in history, Sept. 19, 1796.

He triumphantly celebrated the burgeoning young nation and his role in its creation, while soberly warning of the threat posed by regional and sectarian division.

"In looking forward to the moment which is intended to terminate the career of my public life, my feelings do not permit me to suspend the deep acknowledgment of that debt of gratitude which I owe to my beloved country for the many honors it has conferred upon me," wrote Washington in an address that first appeared in the American Daily Advertiser, a newspaper in Philadelphia.