With the assistance of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, he composed a "Farewell Address" to the nation designed "to inspire and guide future generations." His principal concern was for the safety of the eight-year-old Constitution, fearing that the stability of the Republic was threatened by "political factionalism."

"Writing at a time before political parties had become accepted as vital extraconstitutional, opinion-focusing agencies, Washington feared that they carried the seeds of the nation's destruction through petty factionalism," explains the Senate historian.

EXHORT AWAY, SIR

Friday's maiden speech on the Senate floor of newly elected Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado was uncommon, given the Democrat didn't speak about specific legislation, rather "the perils we face, and my sincere hope that we will address the critical issues … with less rancor … to bridge the partisan divide."

Mr. Udall bucked the tradition, as he put it, "in which freshmen senators took some considerable time before … opening their mouths, and hoping to enlighten their wiser and more experienced colleagues."

CARTER DEFENSE

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, in his recent exit-interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, sought to compare today's economic crisis to the "malaise" of the late 1970s, when Jimmy Carter ruled the roost.

"There was not a crisis," Mr. Carter now answers Mr. Blitzer. "There was a very bad international situation because Iraq invaded Iran. And the world lost all the oil that had been coming out of both of those countries so inflation was rampant and it was bad.

"But it wasn't any crisis like this with very high unemployment and the prospects of future very bad but also with the banks failing and major corporations going under and untold numbers of unemployed. And I think by the end of this year we'll probably see the unemployment rate go up more."