"It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing [supporting] infidelity [disloyalty; unfaithfulness] to existing engagements. I hold the maxim [wise saying] no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. I repeat, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. But, in my opinion, it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them."
- Washington’s Farewell Address
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
What did Washington mean when he wrote that the maxim “honesty is the best policy” should be applied to foreign relations?
A. The United States should have announced that it was cutting off relations with other nations.
B. The United States should have terminated its formal relationships with European nations.
C. There was no need to be coy about U.S. intentions to avoid permanent alliances in the future.
D. The president should privately reassure foreign leaders that America stands with them but publicly maintain a separation from other nations’ policies.
C. There was no need to be coy about U.S. intentions to avoid permanent alliances in the future.
C. There was no need to be coy about U.S. intentions to avoid permanent alliances in the future.
To understand what Washington meant when he wrote that the maxim "honesty is the best policy" should be applied to foreign relations, we need to analyze the context provided in the excerpt from Washington's Farewell Address.
In the passage, Washington discusses the United States' policy of avoiding permanent alliances with foreign nations. He clearly states that the country should not engage in infidelity or disloyalty to existing engagements with other nations. This indicates that he advocates for honoring and respecting the agreements and alliances that the United States has already made.
However, Washington goes on to express his opinion that it is unnecessary and unwise to extend these alliances further. This suggests that he believed the United States should refrain from entering into new alliances with foreign nations.
Based on this information, we can deduce that the appropriate interpretation of Washington's application of the maxim "honesty is the best policy" in foreign relations is that there was no need to be coy or deceitful about the United States' intentions to avoid permanent alliances in the future. Therefore, the correct answer would be:
C. There was no need to be coy about U.S. intentions to avoid permanent alliances in the future.