propriety of holding myself totally disengaged, will apologize for my
not enlarging farther on the subject.

"Though I am sensible that the public suffrage which places a man in
office, should prevent him from being swayed, in the execution of it,
by his private inclinations, yet he may assuredly, without violating
his duty, be indulged in the continuance of his former attachments."

[Sidenote: Meeting of the first congress.]

The impotence of the late government, added to the dilatoriness
inseparable from its perplexed mode of proceeding on the public
business, and to its continued session, had produced among the members
of congress such an habitual disregard of punctuality in their
attendance on that body, that, although the new government was to
commence its operations on the 4th of March, 1789, a house of
representatives was not formed until the first, nor a senate until the
6th day of April.

At length, the votes for the president and vice president of the
United States were opened and counted in the senate. Neither the
animosity of parties, nor the preponderance of the enemies of the new
government in some of the states, could deprive General Washington of
a single vote. By the unanimous voice of an immense continent, he was
called to the chief magistracy of the nation. The second number of
votes was given to Mr. John Adams. George Washington and John Adams
were therefore declared to be duly elected president and vice
president of the United States, to serve for four years from the 4th
of March, 1789.[41]

[Footnote 41: The reluctance with which General Washington
assumed his new dignity, and that genuine modesty which was
a distinguished feature of his character, are further
illustrated by the following extract from a letter to
General Knox. "I feel for those members of the new congress,
who, hitherto, have given an unavailing attendance at the
theatre of action. For myself, the delay may be compared to
a reprieve; for in confidence, I tell _you_ (with the
_world_ it would obtain _little credit_,) that my movements
to the chair of government will be accompanied by feelings
not unlike those of a culprit who is going to the place of
his execution; so unwilling am I in the evening of life,
nearly consumed in public cares, to quit a peaceful abode
for an ocean of difficulties, without that competency of
political skill, abilities, and