-r '. ' ' .- .. "v ; . .:v" TT-"-"" ; rTTr"TT7 ... - VOL. XII. pARCH 25, 797- CN0534.3 Y s A T u 1R D : Y, : t , -1 r ' 1 . " - -' . iii i r - 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 ... X . . 4 ' t . I 5 1 I i

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