Since the barbarous incursion by Hamas on October 7, antisemitic attacks and threats have reached unprecedented levels in the United States. Faced with such hatred, all Americans should recall and wholeheartedly embrace the principles expressed by our first president when he wrote about the rightful place of Jews in America.

In August of 1790, recently inaugurated President George Washington traveled to Rhode Island to acknowledge the state’s ratification of the Constitution on May 29, 1790. He arrived in Newport on August 17.

A group of prominent citizens assembled to greet the president. Politicians, business leaders, and representatives from various religious denominations presented letters of welcome. Moses Seixas, warden of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, was the author of one such letter.

Seixas sought assurance from the president that the rights of religious liberty and enfranchisement affirmed in the Constitution would apply to American Jews in the new republic. He wrote, with hope:                       

Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events behold a Government, erected by the majesty of the People—a Government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance—but generously affording to All liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship: deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language equal parts of the great governmental Machine. . . .

 On August 21, 234 years ago today, Washington eloquently replied to Seixas, and to all Americans:

The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy—a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.

It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

. . .

May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, . . . sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.

In his assurance to Seixas, Washington made clear to all Americans that American Jews were full participants in the new republic, not based on the tolerance of their fellow citizens, but based on the inherent natural rights they shared in common with their fellow citizens.

This was the profoundly significant result of the American Revolution and the meaning of our founding principles and institutions. All of us share a sacred humanity. All of us are alike in the only ways that matter. All of us deserve the respect of our fellow citizens, and all of us are entitled to the equal protection of our natural rights by the government under law. This is the idea of America and the essence of American exceptionalism.

In his letter to the Touro Synagogue, Washington looked to the future and noted:

If we have the wisdom to make the best use of the advantages with which we are now favored, we cannot fail, under the just administration of a good Government, to become a great and happy people.

This remains true for us today. If we continue to make the best use of the advantages, principles, and institutions bequeathed to us by the Founders, and if we give to bigotry no sanction and to persecution no assistance, then we can indeed continue to be a great and happy people.

Note from the Editor: The Federalist Society takes no positions on particular legal and public policy matters. Any expressions of opinion are those of the author. We welcome responses to the views presented here. To join the debate, please email us at [email protected].