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WASHINGTON CITY,
'Wednesday, March 4, 1801.
PRESIDENTS SPEECH,
THIS DAY at twelve o’clock,
THOMAS JEFFERSON,
Prefidenr of the United States,
:00k the oath required by the
Conflitution, in the Senate
Chamber, in the prefence of
ihe Senate, the members of
the Houfc ofßeprefentatives,
the Public Officers, and a large
concourfe of citizens.
Prevtoufly to which be delivered
the following Addrefs :
tRLENDS & FELLOW CITIZENS,
CALLED upon to undertake
the duties of die firft Executive
Office of our country, I avail
myfelf of the prefence of that
portion of my fellow citizens
which is here afternbled to ex
prefs my grateful thanks for die
favor which they have been plea
fed to look towards me, to de
clare a fincere confcioufnefs that
the talk is above my talents,
and that I approach it.with thofe
anxious and awful prefentiments
which the greatnefs of the charge
-and the weaknefs of my powers
fo juftly infpire. A rifing nati
on fpread over a wide and fruit
ful land, traverfmg all the Teas
with the rich productions of their
induftry, engaged in commerce
with nations who feel power
and forget right, advancing ra
pidly to deftinies beyond the
reach of mortal eye ; when I
contemplate thefe tranfeendant
objedfs, and fee the honor, the
happincfs, and the hopes of this
beloved country committed to
the ilfue and the aufpices of this
day, I Hi rink from the contem
plation and humble myfelfbc
fore the magnitude of the un
taking. Utterly indeed fhould
I defpare, did not the pre
fence of many, whom I here
fee, remind me, that, in the 0-
ther high authorities provided
by our Conllitution, I fhall find
refources of wifdom, of virtue,
and of zeal, on which to rely
tinder ail difficulties. To you,
then, gentlemen, who arc charg
ed with the fovereign functions
of legiflation, and to thofe affio
«iated with you, I look with en
couragement for that guidance
and fupport which may enable
ps to freer with fafety the vcffel
in which we are all embarked,
amidft the conflicting elements
a troubled world.
During the ccntefr of opinion
trough which we have pafr,
animation of difeuffions and
°f exertions has fometimes worn
Sn afpedt which might impofe
0n ft rangers unufed to think free-
THE LOUISVILLE GAZETTE;
AND
REPUBLICAN trumpet
SATURDAY, Mafc b h 28, iSot.
LIBERTY IS OUR MOTTO D TRUTH OUR GUIDE
ly, and to fpcak and to write
what they think j but this being
now decided by the voice of the
nation, announced according to
the rules of the Conllitution, all
will ofcourfe arrange themfelves
under the will of the law, and
unite in common efforts for the
common good. All too will
bear in mind this facied princi
ple, that though the will of the
majority is in all cafes tn prevail
that will, to be rightful, mull
be redfonable ; that the minori
ty poflefs their equal rights,
which equal law? mull protect,
and to violate would be
flert. Let us then, fellow' citi
zens, unite with one heart & one
mind, let us refrore to focial in
tercourfe that harmony and af
fcdlicn without which liberty,
and even life itfelf are but drea
ry things. And let us reflect
that having banifhed from our
land that religious intolerance,
under which mankind fo long
bled and fuffered, we have yet
gained little, if we countenance
a political intolerance, as des
potic, as wicked, and capable
of as bitter and bloodyperfecu
tions. During the throes and
conVulfions of the ancient world,
during the agonizing ipafms of
infuriated fnan, Peeking through
blood and (laughter his lon# lofr
D O
liberty, it was not wonderful
that the agitation of the billows
fhould reach even this difrant
and peaceful fhorc : that this
fhould be more felt and feared
by feme and lefs by others : and
fhould divided opinions as to
meafures of fafety ; but every
difference of opinion is not a
difference of principle. We have
called by different names brethren
of the fame principles. vVeare
all republicans : We are all fe
deralifts. If there be any among
us who would wifh to diffolve
the union, or to change its re
publican form, let them fraud
undifrurbed as monuments of
the fafety with which error of
opinion may be tolerated, where
reafon is left free to combat it.
I know indeed that fomc honefr
men fear that a republican go
vernment cannot be ftrong—-
that this government is not ftrong
enough. But would the honefr
patriot, In the full tide of fuo
cefsful experiment, abandon a
government which has fo far
kept us free and Arm, On the
theoretic and vifionary fear, that
this government, the worlds befr
hope, may by poffibility, want
energy, to preferve itfelf ? 1
truft not. I believe this on the
contrary, the ftrongefr govern
ment on earth. I believe it the
only one, where every man, at
the call of the law, would fly
to the landard of tire law ;
and would meet invafions of the
public order as his own perfonal
concern Sometimes it is faid
that mar cannot be trufted with
the government of himfclf. Can
he then lie trufted with the go
vernmen: of others ? Or have
wc found angels in the form of
kings, to govern him ? Let hif
tory anfwer this quefrion.
I et us then with courage and
Confidence, purfue our own fe
deral and republican principles;
our attachment to union and rt~
prefentativt go\ eminent. Kind
ly leparated by nature and wide
oCean from the exterminating
havoc of one quarter ofthe globe
—too high minded to endure
the degradations of the others ;
poflefrmg achofen country, with
room enough for our defeend
ants to the thoufanclth and thou -
fandth generation, enteitaining
a due lenfe of our equal right to
the ufe of our own faculties, to the
acquiution of our own induftry,
to honor and confidence from
our fellow citizens, refultingnot
from birth, but from our adtions
and theif fenfc of them, enligh
tened by a benign religion, pro
fefie cl indeed and praclib d in
various forms, yet all of them
inculcating honefty, truth, tem
perance, gratitude, and the love
of man, acknowledging and £-
do rn i n g a n o v c r r u 1 i n g p r o v ide n ce
—which by all its difpenfaiions
proves that it delights in the
happinefs of man htie, and his
greater happinefs hereafter—
with all thefe bleflings what
mbre is neceffary to make us a
happy and profperous people ?
Still one thing more, fellow cit
izens, a wife and frugal govern
ment, which man drain men
from injuring one another, fnall
leave them ntherwife five, to
regulate their own purfuits of
induftry and improvement, and
fnall not take from the mouth
of labour the bread it has earn
ed. This is the fum of good go
vernment ; and this is neceffary
to ciofc the circle of our felici
ties.
About to enter, fellow citi
zens, on the exercife of duties
which comprehend every thing
dear and valuable to you, it is
proper you fhould underftand
what 1 deem the efTential prin
ciples of our government, and
confequently thofe which ought
to fhape its adminiftration. I
will comprcfs them within the
tawe ft compafs they will bear,
Hating the general principle,
but not all its limitations. Equal
and exaft jufticc to all men, of
whatever ftate or perfuafion, re
ligious or political: peace,com
merce, and honed friendfhip
with all nations—entangling
liances with none ;—the fup
port of the ftate
in all their rights as the mofl'
competent adminiftrations for
our domeftic concerns, and the
In re ft bulwarks againft anti-rc~
publican tendencies •> s -thc
iervation of the general govern
ment in its whole conftitutional,
vigour, as the fhett anchor of
our peace at home, and fafety
abroad : a jealous care of the
right of election by the people,
a mild and fafe corrective ofa
bufes which are lopped by the
iword of revolution w here peace
able remedies are unprovided :
abfolute acquicfcence inthedc
cifions of the majority, the vita!
principle of republics, from
which is no appeal but to foreci
the vital principle and immedi
ate parent of defpotifm :—a well
difciplineti militia, cur beft re
liance in peace, and for the firft
moments of war, till regulars
may relieve them : —the lupre
rnacy of the civil over the mili
tary authority crconomy In
the public expence, that labour
may be lightly bvrthcned : —the
Itoheft payment of our debts and
facred preservation of the public
faith ;—encouragement of agri-
Cultuie, and of commerce as its
handmaid ;—the diftufionof in
formation, and arraignment of
all abufes at the bar of the pub
lic reafon :—freedom of rciigir
on :-“freedom of the prefs
and freedom of perfon under the
protection of the J labeas Corpus t
and trial by juries impartially
feleCtcd. Thefe principles form
the bright confle llation, which
has gone before us, and guided
our fteps through an age of re
volution and reformation. The
wifdom of our fages and blood
of our heroes, have been devot
ed to their attainment :—they
fhould be the creed of our poa
litical faith ; fhe text of civic
inftrwCtion, the touch-ftone by
which to try the fervicesof chofc
we truft ; and fhould we wander
from them in moments of error
or of alafrn, let us haften to re
trace our fteps, and to regain the
road which alone leads Co peace,
liberty and fafety.
f repair then fellow citizens,
to the poft you have afagnedme.
With experience enough in fuhr
ordinate offices to have feen the
difficulties of this the grcaceft of
ail, I have learnt td expeCl that
it will rarely fall to the lot ofim
perfcCc man to retire from this
nation, with the reputation, and
favour which bring him into it.
Without precenfions''tothat high,
confidence you repofed in our
firft and greaceft revolutionary
character whofe preeminent fcf-*
[No* in.