Hamilton would prepare a draft for him. Mr.
Hamilton did so, and the address was written principally at such
times as his office was seldom frequented by his clients and
visitors, and during the absence of his students to avoid
interruption; at which times he was in the habit of calling me to
sit with him, that he might read to me as he wrote, in order, as he
said, to discover how it sounded upon the ear, and making the
remark, "My dear Eliza, you must be to me what old Moliere's nurse
was to him."
The whole or nearly all the "address" was read to me by him, as he
wrote it, and the greater part if not all was written in my
presence. The original was forwarded to General Washington, who
approved of it with the exception of one paragraph; of, I think,
from four to five lines, which, if I mistake not, was on the
subject of the public schools; which was stricken out. It was
afterward returned to Mr. Hamilton who made the desired alteration,
and was afterward delivered to General Washington, and published in
that form, and has since been known as "General Washington's
Farewell Address.
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