美国历届总统就职演讲稿.docx
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美国历届总统就职演讲稿
FirstInauguralAddressofGeorgeWashington
THECITYOFNEWYORK
THURSDAY,APRIL30,789
FellowCitizensoftheSenateandoftheHouseofRepresentatives:
Amongthevicissitudesincidenttolifenoeventcouldhavefilledmewithgreateranxietiesthanthatofwhichthenotificationwastransmittedbyyourorder,andreceivedonthe4thdayofthepresentmonth.Ontheonehand,IwassummonedbymyCountry,whosevoiceIcanneverhearbutwithvenerationandlove,fromaretreatwhichIhadchosenwiththefondestpredilection,and,inmyflatteringhopes,withanimmutabledecision,astheasylumofmydecliningyears—aretreatwhichwasrenderedeverydaymorenecessaryaswellasmoredeartomebytheadditionofhabittoinclination,andoffrequentinterruptionsinmyhealthtothegradualwastecommittedonitbytime.Ontheotherhand,themagnitudeanddifficultyofthetrusttowhichthevoiceofmycountrycalledme,beingsufficienttoawakeninthewisestandmostexperiencedofhercitizensadistrustfulscrutinyintohisqualifications,couldnotbutoverwhelmwithdespondenceonewho(inheritinginferiorendowmentsfromnatureandunpracticedinthedutiesofciviladministration)oughttobepeculiarlyconsciousofhisowndeficiencies.InthisconflictofemotionsallIdareaveristhatithasbeenmyfaithfulstudytocollectmydutyfromajustappreciationofeverycircumstancebywhichitmightbeaffected.AllIdarehopeisthatif,inexecutingthistask,Ihavebeentoomuchswayedbyagratefulremembranceofformerinstances,orbyanaffectionatesensibilitytothistranscendentproofoftheconfidenceofmyfellowcitizens,andhavethencetoolittleconsultedmyincapacityaswellasdisinclinationfortheweightyanduntriedcaresbeforeme,myerrorwillbepalliatedbythemotiveswhichmisleadme,anditsconsequencesbejudgedbymycountrywithsomeshareofthepartialityinwhichtheyoriginated.
SuchbeingtheimpressionsunderwhichIhave,inobediencetothepublicsummons,repairedtothepresentstation,itwouldbepeculiarlyimpropertoomitinthisfirstofficialactmyferventsupplicationstothatAlmightyBeingwhorulesovertheuniverse,whopresidesinthecouncilsofnations,andwhoseprovidentialaidscansupplyeveryhumandefect,thatHisbenedictionmayconsecratetothelibertiesandhappinessofthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesaGovernmentinstitutedbythemselvesfortheseessentialpurposes,andmayenableeveryinstrumentemployedinitsadministrationtoexecutewithsuccessthefunctionsallottedtohischarge.IntenderingthishomagetotheGreatAuthorofeverypublicandprivategood,Iassuremyselfthatitexpressesyoursentimentsnotlessthanmyown,northoseofmyfellowcitizensatlargelessthaneither.NopeoplecanbeboundtoacknowledgeandadoretheInvisibleHandwhichconductstheaffairsofmenmorethanthoseoftheUnitedStates.Everystepbywhichtheyhaveadvancedtothecharacterofanindependentnationseemstohavebeendistinguishedbysometokenofprovidentialagency;andintheimportantrevolutionjustaccomplishedinthesystemoftheirunitedgovernmentthetranquildeliberationsandvoluntaryconsentofsomanydistinctcommunitiesfromwhichtheeventhasresultedcannotbecomparedwiththemeansbywhichmostgovernmentshavebeenestablishedwithoutsomereturnofpiousgratitude,alongwithanhumbleanticipationofthefutureblessingswhichthepastseemtopresage.Thesereflections,arisingoutofthepresentcrisis,haveforcedthemselvestoostronglyonmymindtobesuppressed.Youwilljoinwithme,Itrust,inthinkingthattherearenoneundertheinfluenceofwhichtheproceedingsofanewandfreegovernmentcanmoreauspiciouslycommence.
BythearticleestablishingtheexecutivedepartmentitismadethedutyofthePresident"torecommendtoyourconsiderationsuchmeasuresasheshalljudgenecessaryandexpedient."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,stakedontheexperimententrustedtothehandsoftheAmericanpeople.
Besidestheordinaryobjectssubmittedtoyourcare,itwillremainwithyourjudgmenttodecidehowfaranexerciseoftheoccasionalpowerdelegatedbythefiftharticleoftheConstitutionisrenderedexpedientatthepresentjuncturebythenatureofobjectionswhichhavebeenurgedagainstthesystem,orbythedegreeofinquietudewhichhasgivenbirthtothem.Insteadofundertakingparticularrecommendationsonthissubject,inwhichIcouldbeguidedbynolightsderivedfromofficialopportunities,Ishallagaingivewaytomyentireconfidenceinyourdiscernmentandpursuitofthepublicgood;forIassuremyselfthatwhilstyoucarefullyavoideveryalterationwhichmightendangerthebenefitsofanunitedandeffectivegovernment,orwhichoughttoawaitthefuturelessonsofexperience,areverenceforthecharacteristicrightsoffreemenandaregardforthepublicharmonywillsufficientlyinfluenceyourdeliberationsonthequestionhowfartheformercanbeimpregnablyfortifiedorthelatterbesafelyandadvantageouslypromoted.
TotheforegoingobservationsIhaveonetoadd,whichwillbemostproperlyaddressedtotheHouseofRepresentatives.Itconcernsmyself,andwillthereforebeasbriefaspossible.WhenIwasfirsthonoredwithacallintotheserviceofmycountry,thenontheeveofanarduousstruggleforitsliberties,thelightinwhichIcontemplatedmydutyrequiredthatIshouldrenounceeverypecuniarycompensation.FromthisresolutionIhaveinnoinstancedeparted;andbeingstillundertheimpressionswhichproducedit,Imustdeclineasinapplicabletomyselfanyshareinthepersonalemolumentswhichmaybeindispensablyincludedinapermanentprovisionfortheexecutivedepartment,andmustaccordinglypraythatthepecuniaryestimatesforthestationinwhichIamplacedmayduringmycontinuanceinitbelimitedtosuchactualexpendituresasthepublicgoodmaybethoughttorequire.
Havingthusimpartedtoyoumysentimentsastheyhavebeenawakenedbytheoccasionwhichbringsustogether,Ishalltakemypresentleave;butnotwithoutresortingoncemoretothebenignParentoftheHumanRaceinhumblesupplicationthat,sinceHehasbeenpleasedtofavortheAmericanpeoplewithopportunitiesfordeliberatinginperfecttranquillity,anddispositionsfordecidingwithunparalleledunanimityonaformofgovernmentforthesecurityoftheirunionandtheadvancementoftheirhappiness,soHisdivineblessingmaybeequallyconspicuousintheenlargedviews,thetemperateconsultations,andthewisemeasuresonwhichthesuccessofthisGovernmentmustdepend.
SecondInauguralAddressofGeorgeWashington
THECITYOFPHILADELPHIA
MONDAY,MARCH4,793
FellowCitizens:
IamagaincalleduponbythevoiceofmycountrytoexecutethefunctionsofitsChiefMagistrate.Whentheoccasionproperforitshallarrive,IshallendeavortoexpressthehighsenseIentertainofthisdistinguishedhonor,andoftheconfidencewhichhasbeenreposedinmebythepeopleofunitedAmerica.
PrevioustotheexecutionofanyofficialactofthePresidenttheConstitutionrequiresanoathofoffice.ThisoathIamnowabouttotake,andinyourpresence:
ThatifitshallbefoundduringmyadministrationoftheGovernmentIhaveinanyinstanceviolatedwillinglyorknowinglytheinjunctionsthereof,Imay(besidesincurringconstitutionalpunishment)besubjecttotheupbraidingsofallwhoarenowwitnessesofthepresentsolemnceremony.
InauguralAddressofJohnAdams
INAUGURALADDRESSINTHECITYOFPHILADELPHIA
SATURDAY,MARCH4,797
Whenitwasfirstperceived,inearlytimes,thatnomiddlecourseforAmericaremainedbetweenunlimitedsubmissiontoaforeignlegislatureandatotalindependenceofitsclaims,menofreflectionwerelessapprehensiveofdangerfromtheformidablepoweroffleetsandarmiestheymustde