OCR Text |
Show 426 INAUGURAL AND FAREWELL ADDRESSES. me for the pa~t ; and my future solicitude will be, to rel ain the good opunon of Lhosc who have bc,lowed it in advance to conciliate that of others by doing them all the ~ood i~ my powce, and to UC! ins!rumcntai to the hnppine sand free. ~om of all. Rclyino-, then, on tho patronage of you r good will, r advance with obedience to the work, ready to retire frolll ii wheneve1· you become sen, ible how much better choice ·t . . I ISm your power to make. And may that Infinite }>ower which rules the destinies of the universe, lead our councils to what is best, and gi vc them a favorable issue for your peace and prosperity. INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF THOMAS .JEFFERSON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ' At his second term of offiee, llfarch 4, 1805. Proceeding, fellow-citizens, to that qualification which the . Oonsti tu tion req uit·es hcf ore my en tran cc on the charge agam conferre~ on m:, it is my duty to express the deep sense I en tertam of th1s uew proof of confidence from m fellow-citizens at 1 arge, and the zeal with which i i ins pi t•e; me so to conduct myself as may best satisfy their just expectations. On taking this station, on a former occasion, I declared the prit~tiplcs on which I believed it my duty to administer the nifatrs of our commouweahh. My conscience tel!s me I have, on every occasion, aclcd up to that dcclat·atiun according to its obvious import, and to tl10 undersLandinO' of every candid mind. o In the transaction of your foreign affairs, we have cncleav. orcd to culii vate the fri e11 d.-hip of all n a tiollR, and eape· c_Ially of those with which we have the most important relatiOns. W c have done them justice on a11 occasions favor ~here favor was lawful, and chel'ished mutual interes~s and Intercourse on fair and equal terms. We are firmly eon- INAUGURAL AND F AHl~\\"ELL ADDRESSES. 427 vm. ce d ' an d we act on that conviction, that wi th nat.i ons as wit l1 l·l l tl ·Iv ·t(1u('d · ' our intcrc,·t ' Hound ly calc. ulated, will . ever be found inseparable from onr ~noral <.~ull~s; aud lnsto_ry bears WI·1,1 l 10 s to the f·<1 e t. , that a JUSt uat10n 1s trusted on• 1ls wore] wI 1 011 l·ccourse is had to armameuts and wars to bndle others. At home, fell ow-citizens, yon best know whether '<VC have done well or ill. 'The suppression of tlltHCce ary offi~cs, of use 1c s S establishments and expenses enabled us to disco·n h-t. tle our internal taxefl. These, covering our laud w1t Ill . . . } d officers, and opening our doors t~ YlCtr Intru~IOnH, ·1~t n. Ir ca dy beoo -un thaL l>rocc ·s of dotmctlm. ry vcxattorr w l11·c h, once e11 tel·ecl , is scurcel •v to be restmmcd from rcachlllg SUCCCSS·l Ye ly , cvct·y article of })l'Opcrty and produce. If, among thc!:ic taxes, Rome minot' ones fell, which ba.u not been iucon vc nicnt, it was because their amount would n ~t have paid Lhe officers who collected them, and because, If they bad any meri t, the State authorities migh t adopt thorn instead of others less approved. . The remain iug rev en uc, on the consumption of foreign articles, is paid chiefly by those who can_ afforcl to add foreign luxuries to dome. tic comforts.. Bemg collec:ed on our seaboard and frouticrs only, and Incorporated. with the transactions of our mercantile ci tizens, it may be the pleasure and. the pritle of an .American to ask, whaL farmer, what mechanic, what laborer, ever sees a tax-gatherer of the United States? These coutributions enable .us.to snp~)ort the current expenses of the government; t~ fulf_d conltac~s with foreign nations; to ex tin o-uish the nati vc n ght of sotl within our limi ts; to extend those limits; and to apply' uc_h a surplus to our public debts a. places at a hort day then· final redemption; and that redem ption once e~c.ctet1, th_e revenue thereby li. berate d may, b Y a J.U t reJ1artltlOl1 Of It among th e States, and a corresponding amend. ment of thIse Constitution, be applied, in tinl-e of peace, to n vers, can a , |