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华盛顿第一届就职演说2005-11-7THECITYOFNEWYORKTHURSDAY,APRIL30,1789Fellow-CitizensoftheSenateandoftheHouseofRepresentatives:Amongthevicissitudesincidenttolifenoeventcouldhavefilledmewithgreateranxietiesthanthatofwhichthenotificationwastransmittedbyyourorder,andreceivedonthe14thdayofthepresentmonth.Ontheonehand,IwassummonedbymyCountry,whosevoiceIcanneverhearbutwithvenerationandlove,fromaretreatwhichIhadchosenwiththefondestpredilection,and,inmyflatteringhopes,withanimmutabledecision,astheasylumofmydecliningyears——aretreatwhichwasrenderedeverydaymorenecessaryaswellasmoredeartomebytheadditionofhabittoinclination,andoffrequentinterruptionsinmyhealthtothegradualwastecommittedonitbytime.Ontheotherhand,themagnitudeanddifficultyofthetrusttowhichthevoiceofmycountrycalledme,beingsufficienttoawakeninthewisestandmostexperiencedofhercitizensadistrustfulscrutinyintohisqualifications,couldnotbutoverwhelmwithdespondenceonewho(inheritinginferiorendowmentsfromnatureandunpracticedinthedutiesofciviladministration)oughttobepeculiarlyconsciousofhisowndeficiencies.InthisconflictofemotionsallIdareaveristhatithasbeenmyfaithfulstudytocollectmydutyfromajustappreciationofeverycircumstancebywhichitmightbeaffected.AllIdarehopeisthatif,inexecutingthistask,Ihavebeentoomuchswayedbyagratefulremembranceofformerinstances,orbyanaffectionatesensibilitytothistranscendentproofoftheconfidenceofmyfellow-citizens,andhavethencetoolittleconsultedmyincapacityaswellasdisinclinationfortheweightyanduntriedcaresbeforeme,myerrorwillbepalliatedbythemotiveswhichmisleadme,anditsconsequencesbejudgedbymycountrywithsomeshareofthepartialityinwhichtheyoriginated.SuchbeingtheimpressionsunderwhichIhave,inobediencetothepublicsummons,repairedtothepresentstation,itwouldbepeculiarlyimpropertoomitinthisfirstofficialactmyferventsupplicationstothatAlmightyBeingwhorulesovertheuniverse,whopresidesinthecouncilsofnations,andwhoseprovidentialaidscansupplyeveryhumandefect,thatHisbenedictionmayconsecratetothelibertiesandhappinessofthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesaGovernmentinstitutedbythemselvesfortheseessentialpurposes,andmayenableeveryinstrumentemployedinitsadministrationtoexecutewithsuccessthefunctionsallottedtohischarge.IntenderingthishomagetotheGreatAuthorofeverypublicandprivategood,Iassuremyselfthatitexpressesyoursentimentsnotlessthanmyown,northoseofmyfellow-citizensatlargelessthaneither.NopeoplecanbeboundtoacknowledgeandadoretheInvisibleHandwhichconductstheaffairsofmenmorethanthoseoftheUnitedStates.Everystepbywhichtheyhaveadvancedtothecharacterofanindependentnationseemstohavebeendistinguishedbysometokenofprovidentialagency;andintheimportantrevolutionjustaccomplishedinthesystemoftheirunitedgovernmentthetranquildeliberationsandvoluntaryconsentofsomanydistinctcommunitiesfromwhichtheeventhasresultedcannotbecomparedwiththemeansbywhichmostgovernmentshavebeenestablishedwithoutsomereturnofpiousgratitude,alongwithanhumbleanticipationofthefutureblessingswhichthepastseemtopresage.Thesereflections,arisingoutofthepresentcrisis,haveforcedthemselvestoostronglyonmymindtobesuppressed.Youwilljoinwithme,Itrust,inthinkingthattherearenoneundertheinfluenceofwhichtheproceedingsofanewandfreegovernmentcanmoreauspiciouslycommence.BythearticleestablishingtheexecutivedepartmentitismadethedutyofthePresidenttorecommendtoyourconsiderationsuchmeasuresasheshalljudgenecessaryandexpedient.ThecircumstancesunderwhichInowmeetyouwillacquitmefromenteringintothatsubjectfurtherthantorefertothegreatconstitutionalcharterunderwhichyouareassembled,andwhich,indefiningyourpowers,designatestheobjectstowhichyourattentionistobegiven.Itwillbemoreconsistentwiththosecircumstances,andfarmorecongenialwiththefeelingswhichactuateme,tosubstitute,inplaceofarecommendationofparticularmeasures,thetributethatisduetothetalents,therectitude,andthepatriotismwhichadornthecharactersselectedtodeviseandadoptthem.InthesehonorablequalificationsIbeholdthesurestpledgesthatasononesidenolocalprejudicesorattachments,noseparateviewsnorpartyanimosities,willmisdirectthecomprehensiveandequaleyewhichoughttowatchoverthisgreatassemblageofcommunitiesandinterests,so,onanother,thatthefoundationofournationalpolicywillbelaidinthepureandimmutableprinciplesofprivatemorality,andthepreeminenceoffreegovernmentbeexemplifiedbyalltheattributeswhichcanwintheaffectionsofitscitizensandcommandtherespectoftheworld.Idwellonthisprospectwitheverysatisfactionwhichanardentloveformycountrycaninspire,sincethereisnotruthmorethoroughlyestablishedthanthatthereexistsintheeconomyandcourseofnatureanindissolubleunionbetweenvirtueandhappiness;betweendutyandadvantage;betweenthegenuinemaximsofanhonestandmagnanimouspolicyandthesolidrewardsofpublicprosperityandfelicity;sinceweoughttobenolesspersuadedthatthepropitioussmilesofHeavencanneverbeexpectedonanationthatdisregardstheeternalrulesoforderandrightwhichHeavenitselfhasordained;andsincethepreservationofthesacredfireoflibertyandthedestinyoftherepublicanmodelofgovernmentarejustlyconsidered,perhaps,asdeeply,asfinally,stakedontheexperimententrustedtothehandsoftheAm