A Letter from George Washington

To the Citizens of These United States
Mount Vernon (in spirit), June 2025

My Fellow Countrymen,

Though I am long departed from the world of mortal affairs, I write now in the manner of reflection and caution, as one who once stood at the threshold of a new republic and now observes the tremors within it.

You have inherited a government forged not in ease, but in trial. Ours was an age of uncertainty—our union a fragile compact, not of blood or crown, but of shared conviction. That conviction, born in the Preamble of your Constitution, begins with a sacred promise: We the People.

It is not a declaration of perfection, but of purpose.

Yet permit me to ask, as a father might ask his children: Have you kept faith with the spirit of that compact?

In my Farewell Address, I warned against the rise of factions, those unyielding attachments that would render the common good subordinate to the passions of party or tribe. I cautioned that foreign influence and domestic division would threaten the experiment we began.

And now, from my distant vantage, I behold a people too often turned against themselves—not by arms, but by suspicion and scorn.

Let me remind you: Liberty is not the fruit of noise and discord, but of virtue, education, and steady devotion to the whole. The republic cannot survive on outrage and convenience—it demands sacrifice, restraint, and faith in your fellow citizens.

You are the stewards now. Not kings, nor generals, but citizens. The Constitution gives you no guarantees—only an opportunity.

Cherish it. Guard it. Rise above the extremes that seek to undo what was built not for factions, but for freedom.

Let the Middle not be ground trampled beneath the heels of opposing forces, but a place of resolve—a plain where reason dwells and hope gathers.

Remember the Preamble, not as mere words, but as inheritance.

And so I remain, in spirit and in duty,
Your humble and obedient servant,
George Washington

Remember the Preamble

Explore More About George Washington: