Liberate the Letter! (George Washington on Religious Tolerance)

The Jewish Daily Forward ^ | 15 July 2011 issue | Editorial Staff

[Vigilanteman]

When Ron Chernow was travelling the country last year to talk about his new biography of George Washington, he was often asked about Washington’s 1790 letter to the Jews of Newport, R.I. — the one that famously promised that the United States government would give “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”

“There were very few speeches that I made where people didn’t ask about that letter,” Chernow recalled. “I can vouch for the fact that there’s tremendous curiosity out there.”

He’s curious, too. Even though Chernow spent six years reading through Washington’s papers to research his book, and was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for his effort, he’s never seen the original letter. In the last decade, hardly anyone has.

Read more: http://www.forward.com/articles/139510/

[Vigilanteman]

Superb article on a great document from America's founding days which many of us have heard quoted but none of us have seen . . . written by none other than the Father of Our Country.

[Wu]

Excellent book.

[muawiyah]

B’nai B’rith has, in recent years, given up on the “no persecution” part. i don’t think they agree with that anymore they they used to.

[Wuli]

I hope some “angels” convince (pay) the holders of this letter to give it up and I hope those “angels” donate it to some place that can maintain public access to it. If I win the Loto tonite, maybe I’ll try to do that (after I pay my bills).

[KingLudd]

Geo.Washington’s papers online. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html

Library of Congress also has 12 maps in Washington’s hand. LOC considers Washington not only president, but surveyor and map maker. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gwmlst.html

[JWinNC]

Decent article from what appears to be a very lib-regressive website.

[donna]

His [Washington] famous answer, assuring his fellow citizens “of the Stock of Abraham” that the new American republic would give “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution not assistance,” is seen here in the copy from Washington’s letterbook.

George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in New Port, Rhode Island
Page 1
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/vc006484.jpg
Page 2
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/vc006485.jpg

Comments
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06.html

[StonyBurk]

See also George Washington :Writings Library of America ,John Rhodehamel Editor, third printing ,1977 pp766-767- To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport Rhode Island Aug.18,1790

[AnalogReigns]

The fact that the original letter hasn’t been available for years really doesn’t trouble me much at all...as we (all) have facsimiles of it, and we can know the content. Washington and the founders favored religious tolerance...and so do we—at least everyone but the far Left (and the tiny far right). What is the issue?

There are no known original copies of the Bible either...but that doesn’t prevent us from studying it and keeping its laws.

This is a scholar’s tempest in a teapot, IMHO.

[houeto]

Just curious but, what ‘tiny far right’ are you referring to when you say they have no religious tolerance?