乔治华盛顿 第一次就职演讲.docx

乔治华盛顿 第一次就职演讲.docx

《乔治华盛顿 第一次就职演讲.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《乔治华盛顿 第一次就职演讲.docx（5页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

乔治华盛顿第一次就职演讲

乔治-华盛顿　　第一次就职演讲

美国人民的实验　　乔治-华盛顿　　第一次就职演讲　　纽约星期四,1789年4月30日　　参议院和众议院的同胞们：

　　在人生沉浮中，没有一件事能比本月14日收到根据你们的命令送达的通知更使我焦虑不安，一方面，国家召唤我出任此职，对于她的召唤，我永远只能肃然敬从；而隐退是我以挚爱心憎、满腔希望和坚定的决心选择的暮年归宿，由于爱好和习惯，且时光流逝，健康渐衰，时感体力不济，愈觉隐退之必要和可贵。

另一方面，国家召唤我担负的责任如此重大和艰巨，足以使国内最有才智和经验的人度德量力，而我天资愚饨，又无民政管理的实践，理应倍觉自己能力之不足，因而必然感到难以肩此重任。

怀着这种矛盾心情，我唯一敢断言的是，通过正确估计可能产生影响的各种情况来克尽厥职，乃是我忠贞不渝的努力目标。

我唯一敢祈望的是，如果我在执行这项任务时因陶醉于往事，或因由衷感激公民们对我的高度信赖，因而受到过多影响，以致在处理从未经历过的大事时，忽视了自己的无能和消极，我的错误将会由于使我误人歧途的各种动机而减轻，而大家在评判错误的后果时；也会适当包涵产生这些动机的偏见。

　　既然这就是我在遵奉公众召唤就任现职时的感想，那么，在此宣誓就职之际，如不热忱地祈求全能的上帝就极其失当，因为上帝统治着宇宙，主宰着各国政府，它的神助能弥补人类的任何不足，愿上帝赐福，侃佑一个为美国人民的自由和幸福而组成的政府，保佑它为这些基本目的而作出奉献，保佑政府的各项行政措施在我负责之下都能成功地发挥作用。

我相信，在向公众利益和私人利益的伟大缔造者献上这份崇敬时，这些活也同样表达了各位和广大公民的心意。

没有人能比美国人更坚定不移地承认和崇拜掌管人间事务的上帝。

他们在迈向独立国家的进程中，似乎每走一步都有某种天佑的迹象；他们在刚刚完成的联邦政府体制的重大改革中，如果不是因虔诚的感恩而得到某种回报，如果不是谦卑地期待着过去有所预示的赐福的到来，那么，通过众多截然不同的集团的平静思考和自愿赞同来完成改革，这种方式是不能与大多数政府的组建方式同日而语的。

在目前转折关头，我产生这些想法确实是深有所感而不能自已，我相信大家会和我怀有同感，即除了仰仗上帝的力量，一个新生的自由政府别无他法能一开始就事事顺利。

根据设立行政部门的条款，总统有责任“将他认为必要而妥善的措施提请国会审议”。

但在目前与各位见面的这个场合，恕我不进一步讨论这个问题，而只提一下伟大的宪法，它使各位今天聚集一堂，它规定了各位的权限，指出了各位应该注意的目标。

在这样的场合，更恰当、也更能反映我内心激情的做法是不提出具体措施，而是称颂将要规划和采纳这些措施的当选者的才能、正直和爱国心。

我从这些高贵品格中看到了最可靠的保证：

其一，任何地方偏见或地方感情，任何意见分歧或党派敌视，都不能使我们偏离全局观点和公平观点，即必须维护这个由不同地区和利益所组成的大联合；因此，其二，我国的政策将会以纯洁而坚定的个人道德原则为基础，而自由政府将会以那赢得民心和全世界尊敬的一切特点而显示其优越性。

我对国家的一片热爱之心激励着我满怀喜悦地展望这幅远景，因为根据自然界的构成和发展趋势，在美德与幸福之间，责任与利益之间，恪守诚实宽厚的政策与获得社会繁荣幸福的硕果之间，有着密不可分的统一；因为我们应该同样相信，上帝亲自规定了水恒的秩序和权利法则，它决不可能对无视这些法则的国家慈祥地加以赞许；因为人们理所当然地、满怀深情地、也许是最后一次把维护神圣的自由之火和共和制政府的命运，系于美国人所遵命进行的实验上。

　　我已将有感于这一聚会场合的想法奉告各位，现在我就要向大家告辞；但在此以前，我要再一次以谦卑的心情祈求仁慈的上帝给予帮助。

因为承蒙上帝的恩赐，美国人有了深思熟虑的机会，以及为确保联邦的安全和促进幸福，用前所未有的一致意见来决定政府体制的意向；因而，同样明显的是，上帝将保佑我们扩大眼界，心平气和地进行协商，并采取明智的措施，而这些都是本届政府取得成功所必不可少的依靠。

FirstInauguralAddressofGeorgeWashington　　THECITYOFNEWYORK　　THURSDAY,APRIL30,1789　　Fellow-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.　　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,sinceHehasbeenpleasedtofavortheAmericanpeoplewithoppo