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Show 424 INAUGUHAL AND FAH.h:W.U:LL ADDHESSEs. happin ess lt erenft{'r- with all th rso bl rf's in gf-1, what more is necessary to make us a hnppy and p rosp cro u ~ peo ple? ~ lill one thing more, fellow-ei(izc nt) : a wi:c and f'rngal gov<•ntmeut, which 1'>ha1I re.· train lll cn froa1 irlj rtrill g- one anoth<T l:i hall lcarc th em otherwise f're<• to n ·g- ulate their own pur~ s uiL~ of industry rttH.l irHprovetncttl, and slt all not take from the mouth of Jab or the bread iL has earned. rCitis is the sum of good govcmmcnt, and this is neecssary to close the circle of out· feliciti es. About to enter, fellow-citizens, on the exercise of t1uties .which comprehend everythino- dear an<.l valuable to you, it 1 ~ propet· you should understand what I doom the c~sentinl principles of our govcmmcnt, and co nsequently, th o. o whi ·h 011ght to hapc its administration. J will co mpr<•ss them wi thin the Itarrowcst compasH I h<·y will bcnr-stat in g· tho general principle, but ttot all its lilllitations. J0q 11ai and exact justice to all men, of wltatcver ~tate or persuasion, rc. li?ious or p.oliticaJ; pea.ee, comnterce, an<l honest fri cnd.:;hip With all JH1tJOtr ', cuta.ngling a11iances with uone; the support of the State governments in all their rights, as tho most com. pcteni administrations for our domestic concerns, and tho surest bulwarks against anti·republicau tendencies ; the pre. servution of the general frovernmcnt iu its whole constitutional vigor, as tho sheet-anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad ; a j ealous care of the right of election by the people; n. mild and safe corrective of abuses which aro lopped by the sword of revolution, whore peaceable remedies arc unprovided; nb ol11tc ncquicscenee in the deeiHions of the mnjority, the vital principle of republic.·, from wltieh is no appenl bnt to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotil-3tn; a wcll·diseipliueclmilitia, our best reliance in peace, and for the first morn n ts of war, till regulars may relieve thorn ; the suvrcmacy of tho civil over tho military auihority; economy in the public expense, that labor way bo lighLJy burdened; the honest payment of our INAUGU IL\.L A ~ l> Jt' ,\ IU~\\' 1£ LL A l>J) JtESSES. 425 ocbt H, UtHl Sfi C'I'Ccl pre:-;<• rvnt inn of I he pub] i<' l'n i I h j Cll COtll'ng'<'nH' 11i of ap; ricul tun•, and Df' t•urtln len·c as its hand nJaitl ; the d i fl't 1 s i () ll 0 f' j II fo 1'111 :l t i 0 II , :l II tl :I I' I' a i g' IIlli C ll t 0 f' a] ] a h II S (' S :l l t lJ 0 lmr ol' tlt public' )'('!1.' 0 11 ; f'rc<•dnnt or n•lig ion, frcedonl of' th pres. , and fn•edom of' pt>r~on, uncl ('r the prol<'<'lioll of tho hnhr:ts corptt'; and tri al by j11ries impart ially :PI<·<·tl·d. 'L1hcsc prirl<'ipl cR form th' bright ·onst ·llation which hn.s gone before us, and g uided our st ·ps th rough an age or revolution and reformation. 'e!tc wiHllom of our sagcH aml uloocl of our heroes have b end voted to iheir n.Ltainmcnl. 'r h ·y should be th ere 'U of our poli tical faith, the text of civic instru cLion, the touch-. tone by which to try the services of those we trnsi ; UtHl should we wander from them in momcntf; of c·rror or of alarm, lei us hasten to ret race ou r . tcps, and to regain the road whi elt alone leads Lo p 'aec, liberty, and ·nfety. I repa ir, then, fcJJow-eiLizc ll s, to the po.·tyon ltavc assigned me. \Vi lh experi ence enough ill .. ll UO rdi nale ofliccs to havo seen the difticul tie ·of Litis, the g reatest of nil, I have lcurncd to cxpeet that it will rarely fall to the loL of imperfect man to retire from tltis station wi th the reputation and the favor which brought, him into it. vViLhoui pretensions to ih at high confl<lcnce you reposed in our fi rst nnd grcate t revolutionary character, whose pre-emin ent su r\' iccs had entitled him to the first, place in his country 'H love, and destined for hirn Ute fairest page in the volume of faithful histo ry, I ask so mnch confid ence only n mny g ive firm ness nnd e1fcet to tho legal admiuislraiion of your afl'ai r.·. I shall often go wrong, through def'eei or judgtuc ni. \Vhen r ight, I hull often be Lhotwht wrong by those whose poHitions will not command n view of the whole g round. I a, k your indulgence for my own errors, which will never be in tentional, and your support ngn.in si the error · of others, who may co ndemn what they would not if seen in all its parts. The approbaiion implied by your suffrage is a great consolation to |
