乔治华盛顿总统离职演说Word文档下载推荐.docx

1、but mature reflection on the then perplexed and critical posture of our affairs with foreign nations，and the unanimous advice of persons entitled to my confidence impelled me to abandon the idea.I rejoice，that the state of your concerns，external as well as internal，no longer renders the pursuit of i

2、nclination incompatible with the sentiment of duty，or propriety；and am persuaded，whatever partiality may be retained for my services，that，in the present circumstances of our country，you will not disapprove my determination to retire.The impressions，with which I first undertook the arduous trust，were

3、 explained on the proper occasion.In the discharge of this trust，I will only say，that I have，with good intentions，contributed towards the organization and administration of the government the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable.Not unconscious，in the outset，of the inferiorit

4、y of my qualifications，experience in my own eyes，perhaps still more in the eyes of others，has strengthened the motives to diffidence of myself；and every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more，that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome.Satisfied，t

5、hat，if any circumstances have given peculiar value to my services，they were temporary，I have the consolation to believe，that，while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene，patriotism does not forbid it.In looking forward to the moment，which is intended to terminate the career of my

6、public life，my feelings do not permit me to suspend the deep acknowledgment of that debt of gratitude，which I owe to my beloved country for the many honors it has conferred upon me；still more for the steadfast confidence with which it has supported me；and for the opportunities I have thence enjoyed

7、of manifesting my inviolable attachment，by services faithful and persevering，though in usefulness unequal to my zeal.If benefits have resulted to our country from these services，let it always be remembered to your praise，and as an instructive example in our annals，that under circumstances in which t

8、he passions，agitated in every direction，were liable to mislead，amidst appearances sometimes dubious，vicissitudes of fortune often discouraging，in situations in which not unfrequently want of success has countenanced the spirit of criticism，the constancy of your support was the essential prop of the

9、efforts，and a guarantee of the plans by which they were effected.Profoundly penetrated with this idea，I shall carry it with me to my grave，as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence；that your union and brotherly affection may be pe

10、rpetual；that the free constitution，which is the work of your hands，may be sacredly maintained；that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue；than，in fine，the happiness of the people of these States，under the auspices of liberty，may be made complete，by so careful a

11、preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing，as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause，the affection，and adoption of every nation，which is yet a stranger to it.Here，perhaps I ought to stop.But a solicitude for your welfare which cannot end but with my life，and the ap

12、prehension of danger，natural to that solicitude，urge me，on an occasion like the present，to offer to your solemn contemplation，and to recommend to your frequent review，some sentiments which are the result of much reflection，of no inconsiderable observation，and which appear to me all-important to the

13、permanency of your felicity as a people.These will be offered to you with the more freedom，as you can only see in them the disinterested warnings of a parting friend，who can possibly have no personal motive to bias his counsel.Nor can I forget，as an encouragement to it，your indulgent reception of my

14、 sentiments on a former and not dissimilar occasion.Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts，no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the attachment.The unity of Government，which constitutes you one people，is also now dear to you.It is justly so；for

15、 it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence，the support of your tranquillity at home，your peace abroad；of your safety；of your prosperity；of that very Liberty，which you so highly prize.But as it is easy to foresee，that，from different causes and from different quarters，much pains wil

16、l be taken，many artifices employed，to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth；as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively（though often covertly and insidiously）directed，it is of infinite m

17、oment，that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness；that you should cherish a cordial，habitual，and immovable attachment to it；accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and pros

18、perity；watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety；discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion，that it can in any event be abandoned；and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest，or to enfeeble the sacred ties

19、which now link together the various parts.For this you have every inducement of sympathy and interest.Citizens，by birth or choice，of a common country，that country has a right to concentrate your affections.The name of american，which belongs to you，in your national capacity，must always exalt the just

20、 pride of Patriotism，more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.With slight shades of difference，you have the same religion，manners，habits，and political principles.You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together；the Independence and Liberty you possess are the work of join

21、t counsels，and joint efforts，of common dangers，sufferings，and successes.But these considerations，however powerfully they address themselves to your sensibility，are greatly outweighed by those，which apply more immediately to your interest.Here every portion of our country finds the most commanding mo

22、tives for carefully guarding and preserving the Union of the whole.The North，in an unrestrained intercourse with the South，protected by the equal laws of a common government，finds，in the productions of the latter，great additional resources of maritime and commercial enterprise and precious materials

23、 of manufacturing industry.The South，in the same intercourse，benefiting by the agency of the North，sees its agriculture grow and its commerce expand.Turning partly into its own channels the seamen of the North，it finds its particular navigation invigorated；and，while it contributes，in different ways，

24、to nourish and increase the general mass of the national navigation，it looks forward to the protection of a maritime strength，to which itself is unequally adapted.The East，in a like intercourse with the West，already finds，and in the progressive improvement of interior communications by land and wate

25、r，will more and more find，a valuable vent for the commodities which it brings from abroad，or manufactures at home.The West derives from the East supplies requisite to its growth and comfort，and，what is perhaps of still greater consequence，it must of necessity owe the secure enjoyment of indispensabl

26、e outlets for its own productions to the weight，influence，and the future maritime strength of the Atlantic side of the Union，directed by an indissoluble community of interest as one nation.Any other tenure by which the West can hold this essential advantage，whether derived from its own separate stre

27、ngth，or from an apostate and unnatural connexion with any foreign power，must be intrinsically precarious.While，then，every part of our country thus feels an immediate and particular interest in Union，all the parts combined cannot fail to find in the united mass of means and efforts greater strength，greater resource，proportionably greater security from external danger，a less frequent interruption of their peace by foreign nations；and，what is of inestimable value，they must derive from Union an exemption from those broils and wars between themselves，which so frequently afflict ne