Was Emperor Norton Channeling George Washington?
On the verge of leaving office in March 1797, George Washington in September 1796 issued a Farewell Address — initially published in a Philadelphia paper and thereafter widely distributed. Washington's overriding concern in the address was the danger of factions and what he called "the spirit of party."
Sixty-four years later, in February 1860 — in the nearest thing to an "inaugural" address for his nascent Empire — Emperor Norton sounded the same themes.
Indeed, by 1856, Joshua Norton was showing the interest and inclination towards "independent" and "No Party" platforms and candidates that would shape his reign as Emperor.
But, there are other parallels between Norton and Washington — the date each chose to issue a defining statement for publication; their use of the same key words and phrases — that make it worth asking whether the Emperor's apparent echo of Washington is more than a coincidence.
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