History for the day, properly celebrated

Courtesy of Peterman's Eye, this about today's holiday:

It's more than a little confusing what to call this day. It's commonly known as Presidents Day (sometimes spelled Presidents' Day or President's Day), combining Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays. Some say it should be simply Washington's birthday, which is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February. Even though his actual birthday is tomorrow, the 22nd of February.
Now, that I haven't cleared that up, I'm going to ignore all that and talk about George Washington's farewell speech. Which actually wasn't a speech, since it was never actually delivered orally by Washington. By his own arrangement, it first appeared in a newspaper, The Independence Chronicle.
It's a long "speech", well worth reading in its entirety. It's in two parts; in the first, Washington declines a third term, gives his reasons, and acknowledges a debt of gratitude for the support of the people. In the second, more important, part he presents his thoughts on the new government he was so instrumental in creating:

"The unity of government...is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence...of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize."

He warns against what the two-party system could lead to:

"It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration... agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one... against another... it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption... thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."

The general who hated war warns about an over-powerful military establishment:

...avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty.

On the need for stable public credit:

...cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible...avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt....it is essential that you...bear in mind, that towards the payments of debts there must be Revenue, that to have Revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised, which are not...inconvenient and unpleasant...

On an honest evaluation of his own administration:

Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors.

In saying farewell to the new nation he helped create, Washington pointed out:

The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism...

He closed by saying:

I anticipate with pleasing expectation that retreat, in which I promise myself to realize, without alloy, the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow-citizens, the benign influence of good laws under a free government, the ever favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors, and dangers.

To the great soldier, statesman, and leader, it is never too late to say farewell and thank you.