Moses Seixas (1744–1809), warden of Touro Synagogue, welcomed President George Washington to Newport, Rhode Island, and, with the newly adopted Bill of Rights in mind, praised the new Federal Union for promoting civil and religious liberty. It was a Government which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance, asserted Seixas. Washington responded: It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it was an indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.