> Washington counseled Americans to avoid letting sentiment or emotion guide foreign policy, and his neutral stance in the war between Britain and France in the late 18th century likely saved the young republic. In his Farewell Address to the nation, Washington warned against permanent alliances with any country but acknowledged that temporary alliances based on specific circumstances would sometimes be necessary — but only based on America's interests. > Adams, likewise, advised his countrymen that the United States is the champion and guarantor only of her own liberty and freedom, and he warned against the temptation to go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. As the principal author of the Monroe Doctrine, Adams understood the importance of geography and the limitations it imposes on foreign policy. His approach to the world, Codevilla contended, epitomized "America First."