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VOL. XII.
pARCH 25,
797-
CN0534.3
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P H I LAD L L P H I A, Mircb 6
DN Satur Jay, at twelve o'clock, agreeably
to the notification which he gave to both
-Koufes-u CongrelVfooa - afteiv tws-clecVion,-
ed States, attended in the Clumber of the
lloale of Representatives, to ta1:e his Oath
of Office, according to thejiirecions of die
Conft'ijution. Oh his entrance as,lwell as
Jil UH, Ulilttliw ' ' -J .
V.flVl AV..Tpr;i,I.,-H-sr-VNI rliP XT,rt Pr,
iideiit, loud and reiterated applatife involun
.jv.rily biuvt from the audience- -The Prefi
deht having tukn liis feat - on the elevated
chair of "the Speaker of the Hbufe of Repre
sentatives, the vice-rrelident, the late Pre
fidcnr, and the Secretary 'of the Senate on
his ri'Tbt, the Speaker an4 Clerk of the Hcafe
of Representatives on his left, and the Chiefs
ju(t;ce of the United 'states and Aiiociate"
' Judges at a table in the centre, all the Fo.
rein Miniiters and Arnbufladors, the heads
of departments, .General v iikuilon, .Thfe
Commander in Chief, and a very crowded
auditory of the principal k habitants of .this"
city being pvefent, the Prelident phxeeded
to deliver the folloAving
s P E E C II:
" WHEN it wis f.rft perceived in early
times, that no mid i courfe for America,
remained between unlimited iubaiillioii to a
Foreign LegiQature, and a total indepen-
lefs apprehenlive of danger,, from the for.ju
dable power of Ilcers and armies ; they muit
determine to refht,- than from thol'e.conteits
and diflentions, which would certainly, arife.
concerning the fiirms of Government to be
inft tuted over the whole and 6ver the parts
of this etenfiveountry. Relying, howe
. very on the purity of their intentions', the
' juiVce of their caufe, and tne integrity and
intelligence of the people under un overrul
ing Piiovidknce, whic'.iJwd.f ligiully pro
tected this country from -th&jirli, The Rcpre.
' fentat'tves of this nation, thin tmjijiing of lit.
tlf inoff than half its trtfent numbers, not oh.
ly broke to pieces the chains w '.H'h id. re for.
er ;ro f I''zn tt 'tyif lifted up r
but fraMv cut aunder the ties which hud hund
:hcm, and hunched into an ocean of uKcer tim.
" The ieil and ardour of ihc peopl?,
during the Revolutionary War, Supplying
the rl-tce of Govtnument commanded a de
cree of order, fuilicicnt at leutk for the tem
porary prefcrvatioii of Society. The confe-
dcraion, w huh was early felt to be uetrfla
ry, was prepared from the models of the lia
taviau and Helvetic confederacies the only
examples which remain with any d;'uil and
preci.ion, in hiltory, and certainly the only
ones, which the people at large had ever
timfiJcred. , liut ftllcct'mg on the Jlriking
di'.u rente, in fo many particulars, between
this cou.itry and thole whirc a courier may
go from the cat of Government ro liie Fron-t'-:r
in a finV day, it was then certainly
forefemby tome wj.o afliftcd in Congrefsut
the formation of it, that it could not b dura-
, b!c. . ' '
' " NVgllgencc cf its regulations, inattcn.
tion to its reco!nmendatio.i, if not tl.foiKdi.
cnct to its authority, not only it) individuals
lv.jt inlVitcs, foo;) appeared v. Uh their me.
Lucholy confcqucnccs $ ci lA l.inour,
jcaloufics and rivalries of il. to, dcu.nc of
Navigation and Commerce ; diiuwra-t r.ient
of r.itllary Manufjctnjcs' ; unsverfai fjll ot
-he vuc' of land and their prodiucj (on
tempt of pi&i: and private fault 0fs cf ion'
fidey lion and rcdit with forcigi nations ;
rti)-J st ljnh, in d'.fcontcnts, animofaies,
cun.b'iu-tici:? partial conventions, and in.
fjirtcci'on, threatening (or.ic jct luiional
ca!;,iity. . '
' Iri.this-claniKerous crififc tUe people ot
America vbe horatiandojied, by their ufuaj
good fenle, preferce of mind, refolutn cf
integrity -iVleafures vere purtutd to conV
cert a pUn, fd form a more Per.on7
eftibl.m julticehiufe126me
provide lor the common defence, pron ote
the general welfare, and Secure the bltflirgs
of Liberty. 1 he public dilquifitiocs, difcuf:
fions and deliberations ifiued in the prefent
happy conftitution of govt rnment. :
" Employed in the Services of ray country'
abroad, during the whole courfe of thele
tranlaciions, 1 firft Saw the Conflitution of
tiie United btates in a foreign country. Ir
ritated by no literary alteration, animated
by no public debate, heatec! by no party a
nimofity, I read it with great fatisfadioni as
a r'efult of good hea'ds, prompt id by gobd
hearts as an experimestj . better adapted tp
the genius,, character, fituation, and relati."
6ns of this nation and country, than .any
which had ever been projpofec or fuggefted.
In its general principles and great outline?,
it was conformable to Such a lyftem of Go
vernment, as I had ever moft efteemed, and
in Some itates,"my own native Hate in par.
tiailar, had contributed to eftablilh. Claim
ing a right of Si lfrage, in common with my
-lellow citizens, in the adoption or rejection
of a Conltitunj'on-which was to ride me and
my poilerky, as well as them an'd their,' I
did no: hefitate to exprefsmy approbation
of jt oh all occa'iors, in public and private
h was not thCn, nor his bten Since, any
objection td it, in my rrlitid, that the Execu
tive and Senate wetc nbt more permanent
Nor h'uve I ever entertained a. thought ot
promoting any alteration in t, but fuch as
the people thevnfeU'es, in the cpujfe of their
experience fjioold Ste and Ttei- to necellary
or expedient, and by their Reprefentatives
in Congrefs and the Ste Legiflatures, ac
cording to the Conllitution itSelf adopt and
ordain. . .
" Returnins to the bofom of mv counrrv'
after a painful Separation from it, for ten
years, 1 had ths honour to be elected to a
Itation under the new Order of Things, and
have repeated y laid mylelf under the moft
Serious obligations to Support the Conftituti
on. The operation ot it has" equalled the
moft, Sanguine expectations on its friends ; and
from an habitual attention to it, fatisfa&ion
in its ;dmmiftfatton and delight in its effecls,
upon the Peace, Order, Prolpcrity and Hap
. pirefs of 'the Nation, 1 have acquired an
habitual attachment to it,- and veneration for
it.
" What other form of Government indeed
ca So well dcServe our efteem and love ?
"Th.-re may Ix: . liitle Solidity in an an
cient idea, that congregations of men into
Cit-cs ana iations, are the moft plcahi.g
objects in the Sight of Superior Intelligen.
ties $ tut this is very certain, that to a be
nevolent, .Human Mind, there can be no
Spetlac'.e prcfentcd by any Nation, more
plcaSmg rriorc noble, niajeflic or auguft,
than an Aflembly, like that which hai f& often
been Seen in this and the other Chamber of
Conprcfs, or a, Government, in which the
Executive Authority, as well as that of all'
'the branches of the Legiflature, are exer".
ifcd Cithcns fclrftcd, t regular periods,
by ihcir nv j;hbours, to nuke and exctute
lor tic general good. Can -any thing
c Hernial, any thing more than nferc orna.
mcr.t and decoration be added. to this by
Hcbcs or Diamonds I Can authority be more
,;tniab!c or refpeclalte, uhen it dr St ends
from accidents, cr inftitutionscCablinitd in
resretc r.nt;quity, than vhen it fpripgs frcfli
froiu the hearts and judgments of an honcft
and enlightened People i For it is the Peo.
pie only th-t arc reprefented : it is their
power tnd majefty that'is rcHeclcd and only
for Aw good. cveiyi.leate'1(3overnT-
nent,. imder whatever form it may appear.'
-The exiftenceot Such a government as ours"
for any length oftiae, is a fullprcof of- -general
diflemination of knowledge and Vir '
tue, throughout wliole body of the peo- "
p e. Ai:d w hat cbjeft of consideration more
plealmg than this, can "be preSented tb the '
human mind Mf national pnde is ever justi
fiable or excuSable it-is .when itfprings not
frcm , Power or; Riches, Grandeui4r Glorv, '
but Irom conyiftion of national liucencc, . :
JntOrmation and Benevolence. '
In the midft bfthtfe pleafing ideas; we
Should be tinfaithful; to cUrSelves, if we
Should ever loSe light of the danger to cur
bcrties, ihmgovr: '
Should ;mfer the Purity; of pur Sree; fair,
vjrtuous and independent elisions. If an
election is to be determineaby a majority, cf
a Single vote; and that can be procured by a
Party, through Artifice-or Corruption, the.
Government may be the choice btfa Party
for its own ends not of the Nation for the
N ational Good. .If that folitary fuf&age can
be obtamed by Foreign-Nations by fittterv
or menaces, by terror, intriper venality,
the GovernQeiit may nbthe the choice of the
American People, but of Foreign Nations,
jt may not be Foreign Nations. who povern
'OUrlelves. And randiH Mp,v .' :n ff i ,
ledge, thatmSuchcafes Choice would have
little advantage to boaft of. nvir I
Chance, '
? Such is the amiable anil interefting Sv
ftem of Government fand fur h h
the abules to which it may be expoSed) which '
"rlv rvuici ltd uaye cxniDited to the
uuiuuti uu duxiciy 01 ine wile and virtu,
ous of all Nations,; for eight years, under
the Administration of a Citizen, w ho by a'
long courfe of 'great ailions, regulated by
Prudence, Jiiftice, Temperance, and Forti- .
tude ; cond6cling a People, jnfpired w ith the
fame virtues, and animated with the ardent
Patriotifm and love of Liberty-, to Indepen
dence and Peace, to bcreafmg Wealth and
unexampled' Profpefity ; , has merited the
Gratitude bf his Fellow Citizens, command,
ed the higheft praiSes of Foreign Nations' .
and Secured immortal Glory with Poilerity
" ln that retirement which is his voluntary'
choice, may he long live to enjojt the delici
ous recoIkcYibn of his Services, the gratitude
of Mankind ; the happy fruits of them to
himfelf and.the World which are daily increa
sing, andthat .fplcndcd profpcclof the fu-"
ture fortunes pf his Country, vhfch is open-
ing from year to year." His name be ftill a
rampart and the knowledge that he lives a
bulwark .igainft all open or Secret enemies of
his Country's Peace.
" This example has been recommended to
imuaiion en nn oucccuors, oy ooth Moufcs'
of Congrefs, and by the' voice of the Legifl.
turcs and the People throughout the nation
44 On this Subject it might become me
better to be filtnt, . orrtofjpeak yvithdifii.
dence. ' But as Something may bc .expetlcj
thcoccaHon, I hope, will' be admitted -aV on
apology, if 1 cnture to fay,' that ;
. " IV. rmicc, i.pon principles oYa
free lift uMican Governmrnt fmw,l .".
pnd.ffrious retlcclion, after a diligent and
impartial cntjuiry ?fter truth, if, an attach,
n ei-tto the Cot.Uitution ol the Cn'rcd States
ar d a confeicmif us determination to luppo'rt
it, tmiiUtfliall be altered by the judgment
and w Hhrs of the People, t xpreflird in' the "
mode pre ft riled in jt if, a re frcclfuf at-'
tentirn to theCrrftitutionsbf the lndiv:cual
States, ind a conliant caution and delicacy
low ards the i tate Govcmn ent s ; if, an t .
qual and impartial regard to the Higl.t, Jnl
tercfls, Honour and Happif efs or all liC
Jtatc in the Union, without prcferarce or
tegsrdto a Ntfthbn orfsouthcri w EalU
if1
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