Political Events – Authorities sources
“I’ve already intimated to you the hazard of events within the State, with explicit reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a extra complete view, and warn you in essentially the most solemn method towards the baneful results of the spirit of occasion typically.
“This Spirit, sadly, is inseparable from our nature, having its root within the strongest passions of the human thoughts. It exists below completely different shapes in all governments, kind of stifled, managed, or repressed; however in these of the favored kind, it’s seen in its biggest rankness and is really their worst enemy.
“The alternate domination of 1 faction over one other, sharpened by the spirit of revenge pure to occasion dissension, which in several ages and nations has perpetrated essentially the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. However this leads at size to a extra formal and everlasting despotism. The issues and miseries which end result steadily incline the minds of males to hunt safety and repose within the absolute energy of a person, and eventually the chief of some prevailing faction, extra in a position or extra lucky than his rivals, turns this disposition to the needs of his personal elevation onthe ruins of public liberty.
“With out trying ahead to an extremity of this sort (which nonetheless ought to not be fully out of sight), the widespread and continuous mischiefs of the spirit of occasion are adequate to make it the curiosity and obligation of a clever individuals to discourage and restrain it.
“It serves at all times to distract the general public councils and enfeeble the general public administration. It agitates the group with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of 1 half towards one other; foments often riot and rebellion. It opens the door to overseas affect and corruption, which discover a facilitated entry to the federal government itself by means of the channelsof occasion ardour. Thus the coverage and the desire of 1 nation are subjected to the coverage and can of one other.” – George Washington’s Farewell Deal with, 19 September 1796
