George Washington on Bill of Rights

[Daniel Hoffman]

The address reads:  "I assure myself, that whilst you carefully avoid
every alteration which might endanger the benefits of a united and
effective government, or which ought to await the future lessons of
experience; a reverence for the characteristic rights of freemen, and a
regard for the public harmony, will sufficiently influence your
deliberations on the question, how far the former can be more
impregnably fortified, or the latter be safely and advantageously
promoted."

The interpretation of this statement as noncommittal is not Professor
Schwartz's but mine.
The sentence obviously does not literally urge or recommend anything.
It may be said that Washington thought it improper to do more than hint
at his position because the President has no formal role in the
amendment process.  But independent evidence of his support for the Bill
of Rights is needed to make this strained interpretation credible.  This
need is increased by the fact that Washington was later (1794-98) to
take a consistent hard line against seditious publications and
activities.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: guayiya.vcf
Type: text/x-vcard
Size: 294 bytes
Desc: Card for Daniel Hoffman
Url : http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/private/conlawprof/attachments/20010413/0c14c1d0/guayiya.vcf