" . . . in this letter, we hear the words of a champion of civil
rights." -- Zechariah Chafee
NEWPORT -- To the unfamiliar eye, it's a battered old letter, a piece of
mail noteworthy for its famous signature.
But this correspondence is more than just proof to the old refrain that
"George Washington visited here" -- which, by the way, he did; it's also
one of the most important documents in American history, a simple letter
making the not-so-simple guarantee that the new nation would be a place
of religious freedom, where no creed would be persecuted.
Yesterday, nearly 200 people were packed among the Corinthian columns of
America's oldest synagogue to hear the annual reading of the letter,
discuss its message, and ponder its additional relevance in light of the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The letter was read by author and Revson philanthropic foundation head
Eli Evans. It has been read at the Touro Synagogue every year since
1948, and all involved agreed that its message is more important now
than ever.
"The words take on new meaning as America prepares for the one-year
memorial to the destruction of dreams and lives in the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon. The Washington letter shines like a beacon
showing us the way," Evans said.
With terrorist violence so closely tied to religious hatreds, documents
such as the letter and the religious tolerance it represents must be
lauded that much louder, and the message of freedom and acceptance
spread at every opportunity, said U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy.
"The idea that was given birth by this congregation, the idea of
separation of church and state -- this is not something that can be
burned down, this is not something that can be destroyed or ransacked.
But it can be destroyed if we don't celebrate it," he said.
The idea contained in the letter was celebrated yesterday, to be sure.
But time was also taken to look at the letter as a piece of writing, and
as a window into history, to see what it can reveal about Washington as
a man and a leader.
His syntax was studied -- and commended -- but to Zechariah Chafee,
there representing his brother U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, the most
telling part of the letter is that it shatters the image of Washington
as the hands-off patriarch with no interest in shaping the laws and
civil liberties of the new nation. History has generally reserved those
honors for Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, relegating Washington to
the role of a doctrinal figurehead.
"And yet, in this letter, we hear the words of a champion of civil
rights," he said.
A more recent battle for civil liberties was also remembered yesterday,
when the congregation bestowed its annual Judge Alexander George Teitz
Award on Bernard LaFayette Jr., a veteran of the civil rights movement
of the 1960s and director of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace
Studies at the University of Rhode Island.
LaFayette, who has been arrested 27 times by his count, had just
returned from Colombia, where he was held captive by rebels fighting
against the government. He was moved by the award, and motivated by the
message of Washington's letter, he said.
"It's great to be an American, and it's great to be free. You have
stimulated and invigorated my determination to fight for freedom," he
said.
Washington visited the synagogue in April of 1790, when campaigning with
Thomas Jefferson for passage of the Bill of Rights. Months later, the
newly inaugurated president received a letter from the congregation,
wondering whether the new republic would tolerate religious minorities
now that the revolution had run its course.
In response, Washington sent the letter that historians have trumpeted
as his affirmation that America would be a place of religious freedom.
"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," Washington wrote.
Now, both the synagogue and the letter are cherished historical
artifacts, and possible terrorist targets, as well. Touro was closed on
Sept. 11, and locked again on July 4, for fear that it might be
attacked. Yesterday, there were police on hand, but officials said the
detail was no larger than normal. Although the synagogue has received
several threats this year, none specifically concerned the reading of
the letter.
