Approaching Memorial Day, Flag Day and America’s Birthday, and witnessing the current moral, physical, political and spiritual decline seemingly permeating our National order, surely, our Country is again on the “brink of destruction”, in need of rescue from the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, therefore, I wanted to share this letter with you from George Washington. The brief context is that after the conclusion of the American Revolution, so many of the grateful American citizens wanted to bestow Thanks, Rewards and Congratulations to Washington, and he received many letters from the grateful citizens throughout the new United States. The following is his reply to one such letter:

General George Washington had resigned as Commander in Chief of the American Army December 23, 1783. The American Revolution had lasted almost 8 years. We can be so grateful, as American citizens and American Christians, that the vast part of his correspondence has been saved- for US.

“ To the Ministers, Elders, Deacons, and Members of the Reformed German Congregation of New York, George Washington wrote, December 27, 1783:

Gentlemen:

Disposed at every suitable opportunity to acknowledge publicly our infinite obligations to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for rescuing our Country from the brink of destruction, I cannot fail at this time to ascribe all the honor of our late success to the same glorious Being. And if my humble exertions have been made in any degree subservient to the execution of the divine purposes, a contemplation of the benediction of Heaven on our righteous Cause, the approbation of my virtuous Countrymen, and the testimony of my one Conscience, will be sufficient to reward and augment my felicity beyond anything which the world can bestow.

The establishment of Civil and Religious Liberty was the Motive which induced me to the Field; the object is attained, and it now remains to be my earnest wish and prayer, that the Citizens of the United States would make a wise and virtuous use of the blessings, placed before them; and the Reformed Congregation in New York; may not only be conspicuous for their religious character, but exemplary, in support of our inestimable acquisitions, as their reverend Minister has been in the attainment of them.”

Page 270, 271 George Washington, A Collection, Editor, W.B. Allen ©1988

Frankie Anderson

May God Save the Republic!