罗斯福第一任总统就职演说.docx

罗斯福第一任总统就职演说.docx

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罗斯福第一任总统就职演说

罗斯福第一任总统就职演说

　SATURDAY,MARCH4,1933

　　IamcertainthatmyfellowAmericansexpectthatonmyinductionintothePresidencyIwilladdressthemwithacandorandadecisionwhichthepresentsituationofourNationimpels.Thisispreeminentlythetimetospeakthetruth,thewholetruth,franklyandboldly.Norneedweshrinkfromhonestlyfacingconditionsinourcountrytoday.ThisgreatNationwillendureasithasendured,willreviveandwillprosper.So,firstofall,letmeassertmyfirmbeliefthattheonlythingwehavetofearisfearitself——nameless,unreasoning,unjustifiedterrorwhichparalyzesneededeffortstoconvertretreatintoadvance.Ineverydarkhourofournationallifealeadershipoffranknessandvigorhasmetwiththatunderstandingandsupportofthepeoplethemselveswhichisessentialtovictory.Iamconvincedthatyouwillagaingivethatsupporttoleadershipinthesecriticaldays.

　　Insuchaspiritonmypartandonyourswefaceourcommondifficulties.Theyconcern,thankGod,onlymaterialthings.Valueshaveshrunkentofantasticlevels;taxeshaverisen;ourabilitytopayhasfallen;governmentofallkindsisfacedbyseriouscurtailmentofincome;themeansofexchangearefrozeninthecurrentsoftrade;thewitheredleavesofindustrialenterpriselieoneveryside;farmersfindnomarketsfortheirproduce;thesavingsofmanyyearsinthousandsoffamiliesaregone.

　　Moreimportant,ahostofunemployedcitizensfacethegrimproblemofexistence,andanequallygreatnumbertoilwithlittlereturn.Onlyafoolishoptimistcandenythedarkrealitiesofthemoment.

　　Yetourdistresscomesfromnofailureofsubstance.Wearestrickenbynoplagueoflocusts.Comparedwiththeperilswhichourforefathersconqueredbecausetheybelievedandwerenotafraid,wehavestillmuchtobethankfulfor.Naturestilloffersherbountyandhumaneffortshavemultipliedit.Plentyisatourdoorstep,butageneroususeofitlanguishesintheverysightofthesupply.Primarilythisisbecausetherulersoftheexchangeofmankind'sgoodshavefailed,throughtheirownstubbornnessandtheirownincompetence,haveadmittedtheirfailure,andabdicated.Practicesoftheunscrupulousmoneychangersstandindictedinthecourtofpublicopinion,rejectedbytheheartsandmindsofmen.

　　Truetheyhavetried,buttheireffortshavebeencastinthepatternofanoutworntradition.Facedbyfailureofcredittheyhaveproposedonlythelendingofmoremoney.Strippedofthelureofprofitbywhichtoinduceourpeopletofollowtheirfalseleadership,theyhaveresortedtoexhortations,pleadingtearfullyforrestoredconfidence.Theyknowonlytherulesofagenerationofself-seekers.Theyhavenovision,andwhenthereisnovisionthepeopleperish.

　　Themoneychangershavefledfromtheirhighseatsinthetempleofourcivilization.Wemaynowrestorethattempletotheancienttruths.Themeasureoftherestorationliesintheextenttowhichweapplysocialvaluesmorenoblethanmeremonetaryprofit.

　　Happinessliesnotinthemerepossessionofmoney;itliesinthejoyofachievement,inthethrillofcreativeeffort.Thejoyandmoralstimulationofworknolongermustbeforgotteninthemadchaseofevanescentprofits.Thesedarkdayswillbeworthalltheycostusiftheyteachusthatourtruedestinyisnottobeministereduntobuttoministertoourselvesandtoourfellowmen.

　　Recognitionofthefalsityofmaterialwealthasthestandardofsuccessgoeshandinhandwiththeabandonmentofthefalsebeliefthatpublicofficeandhighpoliticalpositionaretobevaluedonlybythestandardsofprideofplaceandpersonalprofit;andtheremustbeanendtoaconductinbankingandinbusinesswhichtoooftenhasgiventoasacredtrustthelikenessofcallousandselfishwrongdoing.Smallwonderthatconfidencelanguishes,foritthrivesonlyonhonesty,onhonor,onthesacrednessofobligations,onfaithfulprotection,onunselfishperformance;withoutthemitcannotlive.

　　Restorationcalls,however,notforchangesinethicsalone.ThisNationasksforaction,andactionnow.

　　Ourgreatestprimarytaskistoputpeopletowork.Thisisnounsolvableproblemifwefaceitwiselyandcourageously.ItcanbeaccomplishedinpartbydirectrecruitingbytheGovernmentitself,treatingthetaskaswewouldtreattheemergencyofawar,butatthesametime,throughthisemployment,accomplishinggreatlyneededprojectstostimulateandreorganizetheuseofournaturalresources.

　　Handinhandwiththiswemustfranklyrecognizetheoverbalanceofpopulationinourindustrialcentersand,byengagingonanationalscaleinaredistribution,endeavortoprovideabetteruseofthelandforthosebestfittedfortheland.Thetaskcanbehelpedbydefiniteeffortstoraisethevaluesofagriculturalproductsandwiththisthepowertopurchasetheoutputofourcities.Itcanbehelpedbypreventingrealisticallythetragedyofthegrowinglossthroughforeclosureofoursmallhomesandourfarms.ItcanbehelpedbyinsistencethattheFederal,State,andlocalgovernmentsactforthwithonthedemandthattheircostbedrasticallyreduced.Itcanbehelpedbytheunifyingofreliefactivitieswhichtodayareoftenscattered,uneconomical,andunequal.Itcanbehelpedbynationalplanningforandsupervisionofallformsoftransportationandofcommunicationsandotherutilitieswhichhaveadefinitelypubliccharacter.Therearemanywaysinwhichitcanbehelped,butitcanneverbehelpedmerelybytalkingaboutit.Wemustactandactquickly.

　　Finally,inourprogresstowardaresumptionofworkwerequiretwosafeguardsagainstareturnoftheevilsoftheoldorder;theremustbeastrictsupervisionofallbankingandcreditsandinvestments;theremustbeanendtospeculationwithotherpeople'smoney,andtheremustbeprovisionforanadequatebutsoundcurrency.

　　Therearethelinesofattack.IshallpresentlyurgeuponanewCongressinspecialsessiondetailedmeasuresfortheirfulfillment,andIshallseektheimmediateassistanceoftheseveralStates.

　　Throughthisprogramofactionweaddressourselvestoputtingourownnationalhouseinorderandmakingincomebalanceoutgo.Ourinternationaltraderelations,thoughvastlyimportant,areinpointoftimeandnecessitysecondarytotheestablishmentofasoundnationaleconomy.Ifavorasapracticalpolicytheputtingoffirstthingsfirst.Ishallsparenoefforttorestoreworldtradebyinternationaleconomicreadjustment,buttheemergencyathomecannotwaitonthataccomplishment.

　　Thebasicthoughtthatguidesthesespecificmeansofnationalrecoveryisnotnarrowlynationalistic.Itistheinsistence,asafirstconsideration,upontheinterdependenceofthevariouselementsinallpartsoftheUnitedStates——arecognitionoftheoldandpermanentlyimportantmanifestationoftheAmericanspiritofthepioneer.Itisthewaytorecovery.Itistheimmediateway.Itisthestrongestassurancethattherecoverywillendure.

　　InthefieldofworldpolicyIwoulddedicatethisNationtothepolicyofthegoodneighbor——theneighborwhoresolutelyrespectshimselfand,becausehedoesso,respectstherightsofothers——theneighborwhorespectshisobligationsandrespectsthesanctityofhisagreementsinandwithaworldofneighbors.

　　IfIreadthetemperofourpeoplecorrectly,wenowrealizeaswehaveneverrealizedbeforeourinterdependenceoneachother;thatwecannotmerelytakebutwemustgiveaswell;thatifwearetogoforward,wemustmoveasatrainedandloyalarmywillingtosacrificeforthegoodofacommondiscipline,becausewithoutsuchdisciplinenoprogressismade,noleadershipbecomeseffective.Weare,Iknow,readyandwillingtosubmitourlivesandpropertytosuchdiscipline,becauseitmakespossiblealeadershipwhichaimsatalargergood.ThisIproposetooffer,pledgingthatthelargerpurposeswillbinduponusallasasacredobligationwithaunityofdutyhithertoevokedonlyintimeofarmedstrife.

　　Withthispledgetaken,Iassumeunhesitatinglytheleadershipofthisgreatarmyofourpeoplededicatedtoadisciplinedattackuponourcommonproblems.

　　Actioninthisimageandtothisendisfeasibleundertheformofgovernmentwhichwehaveinheritedfromourancestors.OurConstitutionissosimpleandpracticalthatitispossiblealwaystomeetextraordinaryneedsbychangesinemphasisandarrangementwithoutlossofessentialform.Thatiswhyourconstitutionalsystemhasproveditselfthemostsuperblyenduringpoliticalmechanismthemodernworldhasproduced.Ithasmeteverystressofvastexpansionofterritory,offoreignwars,ofbitterinternalstrife,ofworldrelations.

　　Itistobehopedthatthenormalbalanceofexecutiveandlegislativeauthoritymaybewhollyadequatetomeettheunprecedentedtaskbeforeus.Butitmaybethatanunprecedenteddemandandneedforundelayedactionmaycallfortemporarydeparturefromthatnormalbalanceofpublicprocedure.

　　Iampreparedundermyconstitutionaldutytorecommendthemeasuresthatastrickennationinthemidstofastrickenworldmayrequire.Thesemeasures,orsuchothermeasuresastheCongressmaybuildoutofitsexperienceandwisdom,Ishallseek,withinmyconstitutionalauthority,tobringtospeedyadoption.

　　ButintheeventthattheCongressshallfailtotakeoneofthesetwocourses,andintheeventthatthenationalemergencyisstillcritical,Ishallnotevadetheclearcourseofdutythatwillthenconfrontme.IshallasktheCongressfortheoneremaininginstrumenttomeetthecrisis——broadExecutivepowertowageawaragainsttheemergency,asgreatasthepowerthatwo