[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 22 (Thursday, February 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1527-S1528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 16--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT 
   THE GEORGE WASHINGTON LETTER TO TOURO SYNAGOGUE IN NEWPORT, RHODE 
  ISLAND, WHICH IS ON DISPLAY AT THE B'NAI B'RITH KLUTZNICK NATIONAL 
JEWISH MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, D.C., IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EARLY 
STATEMENTS BUTTRESSING THE NASCENT AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEE OF 
                           RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

  Mr. CHAFEE (for himself and Mr. Reed) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.

                            S. Con. Res. 16

       Whereas George Washington responded to a letter sent by 
     Moses Seixas, warden of Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode 
     Island, in August 1790;
       Whereas, although Touro Synagogue, the oldest Jewish house 
     of worship in the United States, and now a national historic 
     site, was dedicated in December 1763, Jewish families had 
     been in Newport for over 100 years before that date;
       Whereas these Jews, some of whom were Marranos, came to the 
     United States with hopes of starting a new life in this 
     country, where they could practice their religious beliefs 
     freely and without persecution;
       Whereas they were drawn to the Colony of Rhode Island and 
     the Providence Plantations because of Governor Roger 
     Williams' assurances of religious liberty;
       Whereas the letter from Touro Synagogue is the most famous 
     of many congratulatory notes addressed to the new president 
     by American Jewish congregations;
       Whereas Seixas articulated the following principle, which 
     Washington repeated in his letter: ``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'';
       Whereas this was the first statement of such a principle 
     enunciated by a leader of the new United States Government;
       Whereas this principle has become the cornerstone of United 
     States religious and ethnic toleration as it has developed 
     during the past two centuries;
       Whereas the original letter is on display as part of the 
     permanent collection of the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National 
     Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.; and
       Whereas Americans of all religious faiths gather at Touro 
     Synagogue each August on the anniversary of the date of the 
     letter's delivery and at the Klutznick Museum on George 
     Washington's birthday to hear readings of the letter and to 
     discuss how the letter's message can be applied to 
     contemporary challenges: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the George Washington letter to Touro Synagogue in 
     Newport, Rhode Island, in August 1790, which is on display as 
     part of the permanent collection of the B'nai B'rith 
     Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., is one 
     of the most significant early statements buttressing the 
     nascent American constitutional guarantee of religious 
     freedom; and
       (2) the text of the George Washington letter should be 
     widely circulated, serving as an important tool for teaching 
     tolerance to children and adults alike.

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague from Rhode 
Island, Senator Chafee, in introducing a resolution commemorating the 
letter sent by President George Washington to Touro Synagogue in 
Newport Rhode Island, the oldest Jewish house of worship in the United 
States.
  When Roger Williams came to Rhode Island in the 1630s, an 
individual's right to worship without government interference was 
unknown in other colonies or countries of the world. He made religious 
tolerance the core principle of his new settlement, and it became a 
beacon of hope for those suffering from persecution.
  By the middle of the 17th century, 15 Jewish families, who knew the 
pain of intolerance firsthand, arrived in Newport to reclaim their 
faith and rebuild their lives. This group included Jews from Spain and 
Portugal who had been forced to become Christian converts to escape 
persecution. Rhode Island's lively experiment promised a new beginning.
  The 18th century say many steps toward the realization of this 
promise, as increasing trade and religious tolerance spurred the growth 
of Newport and its Jewish community. By 1759, with about 75 families 
totaling some 300 people, the Congregation turned to the construction 
of a permanent house of worship. Four years later, this Synagogue was 
dedicated in a service led by Reverend Isaac Touro, the spiritual 
leader of the Congregation.
  As this country's first President, George Washington was the leader 
of a nation still crafting its ideals and identity. Although the new 
Constitution had won ratification, many Americans feared that its 
concentration of power in a federal government threatened the 
individual liberties for which they had so recently gone to war. To 
alleviate these fears, Washington began a nationwide tour in support of 
a Bill of Rights that would explicitly protect basic freedoms of 
Americans against government intrusion.
  This tour brought Washington to Newport in August 1790. During his 
visit, Washington received an eloquent letter from Moses Seixas, the 
warden of Touro Synagogue. Seixas commended the President for his work 
and leadership in establishing a government that respected the 
inalienable rights of all citizens.
  Washington's response embraced Seixas' simple, elegant phrases to 
renew his and the nation's commitment to Rhode Island's founding 
principle. Addressing a Congregation dedicated to religious liberty in 
a state based on this ideal, Washington reaffirmed religious freedom as 
essential to the new nation's identity.
  When Washington declared that ``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

[[Page S1528]]

good citizens,'' he made Rhode Island's history of religious liberty a 
model for the nation. ``To bigotry no sanction.'' It is for good reason 
that these words continue to resonate today, as we confront the 
challenges of an ever more closely linked, yet endlessly diverse 
community of nations. We all know too well the destruction that bigotry 
causes, and this plague is still with us. The fight for tolerance is as 
necessary now as in the days of President Washington or Roger Williams.
  This fight for tolerance is the reason the original letter sent by 
George Washington remains on permanent display at the B'nai B'rith 
Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. This fight for 
tolerance is also the reason Americans of all religious faiths gather 
at the Klutznick Museum each February and at Touro Synagogue each 
August to hear readings of the letter. It is my hope these 
commemorations inspire us to follow the examples set by Roger Williams 
and President Washington and continue to fight for religious and 
personal liberty for all.

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