9美国总统演讲之William Henry Harrison.docx

9美国总统演讲之William Henry Harrison.docx

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9美国总统演讲之WilliamHenryHarrison

InauguralAddressofWilliamHenryHarrison

THURSDAY,MARCH4,1841

CalledfromaretirementwhichIhadsupposedwastocontinuefortheresidueofmylifetofillthechiefexecutiveofficeofthisgreatandfreenation,Iappearbeforeyou,fellow-citizens,totaketheoathswhichtheConstitutionprescribesasanecessaryqualificationfortheperformanceofitsduties;andinobediencetoacustomcoevalwithourGovernmentandwhatIbelievetobeyourexpectationsIproceedtopresenttoyouasummaryoftheprincipleswhichwillgovernmeinthedischargeofthedutieswhichIshallbecalledupontoperform.

ItwastheremarkofaRomanconsulinanearlyperiodofthatcelebratedRepublicthatamoststrikingcontrastwasobservableintheconductofcandidatesforofficesofpowerandtrustbeforeandafterobtainingthem,theyseldomcarryingoutinthelattercasethepledgesandpromisesmadeintheformer.HowevermuchtheworldmayhaveimprovedinmanyrespectsinthelapseofupwardoftwothousandyearssincetheremarkwasmadebythevirtuousandindignantRoman,Ifearthatastrictexaminationoftheannalsofsomeofthemodernelectivegovernmentswoulddevelopsimilarinstancesofviolatedconfidence.

AlthoughthefiatofthepeoplehasgoneforthproclaimingmetheChiefMagistrateofthisgloriousUnion,nothingupontheirpartremainingtobedone,itmaybethoughtthatamotivemayexisttokeepupthedelusionunderwhichtheymaybesupposedtohaveactedinrelationtomyprinciplesandopinions;andperhapstheremaybesomeinthisassemblywhohavecomehereeitherpreparedtocondemnthoseIshallnowdeliver,or,approvingthem,todoubtthesinceritywithwhichtheyarenowuttered.Butthelapseofafewmonthswillconfirmordispeltheirfears.TheoutlineofprinciplestogovernandmeasurestobeadoptedbyanAdministrationnotyetbegunwillsoonbeexchangedforimmutablehistory,andIshallstandeitherexoneratedbymycountrymenorclassedwiththemassofthosewhopromisedthattheymightdeceiveandflatteredwiththeintentiontobetray.Howeverstrongmaybemypresentpurposetorealizetheexpectationsofamagnanimousandconfidingpeople,ItoowellunderstandthedangeroustemptationstowhichIshallbeexposedfromthemagnitudeofthepowerwhichithasbeenthepleasureofthepeopletocommittomyhandsnottoplacemychiefconfidenceupontheaidofthatAlmightyPowerwhichhashithertoprotectedmeandenabledmetobringtofavorableissuesotherimportantbutstillgreatlyinferiortrustsheretoforeconfidedtomebymycountry.

ThebroadfoundationuponwhichourConstitutionrestsbeingthepeople--abreathoftheirshavingmade,asabreathcanunmake,change,ormodifyit--itcanbeassignedtononeofthegreatdivisionsofgovernmentbuttothatofdemocracy.Ifsuchisitstheory,thosewhoarecalledupontoadministeritmustrecognizeasitsleadingprinciplethedutyofshapingtheirmeasuressoastoproducethegreatestgoodtothegreatestnumber.Butwiththesebroadadmissions,ifwewouldcomparethesovereigntyacknowledgedtoexistinthemassofourpeoplewiththepowerclaimedbyothersovereignties,evenbythosewhichhavebeenconsideredmostpurelydemocratic,weshallfindamostessentialdifference.Allotherslayclaimtopowerlimitedonlybytheirownwill.Themajorityofourcitizens,onthecontrary,possessasovereigntywithanamountofpowerpreciselyequaltothatwhichhasbeengrantedtothembythepartiestothenationalcompact,andnothingbeyond.Weadmitofnogovernmentbydivineright,believingthatsofaraspowerisconcernedtheBeneficentCreatorhasmadenodistinctionamongstmen;thatallareuponanequality,andthattheonlylegitimaterighttogovernisanexpressgrantofpowerfromthegoverned.TheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesistheinstrumentcontainingthisgrantofpowertotheseveraldepartmentscomposingtheGovernment.Onanexaminationofthatinstrumentitwillbefoundtocontaindeclarationsofpowergrantedandofpowerwithheld.Thelatterisalsosusceptibleofdivisionintopowerwhichthemajorityhadtherighttogrant,butwhichtheydonotthinkpropertointrusttotheiragents,andthatwhichtheycouldnothavegranted,notbeingpossessedbythemselves.Inotherwords,therearecertainrightspossessedbyeachindividualAmericancitizenwhichinhiscompactwiththeothershehasneversurrendered.Someofthem,indeed,heisunabletosurrender,being,inthelanguageofoursystem,unalienable.TheboastedprivilegeofaRomancitizenwastohimashieldonlyagainstapettyprovincialruler,whilsttheprouddemocratofAthenswouldconsolehimselfunderasentenceofdeathforasupposedviolationofthenationalfaith--whichnooneunderstoodandwhichattimeswasthesubjectofthemockeryofall--orthebanishmentfromhishome,hisfamily,andhiscountrywithorwithoutanallegedcause,thatitwastheactnotofasingletyrantorhatedaristocracy,butofhisassembledcountrymen.Fardifferentisthepowerofoursovereignty.Itcaninterferewithnoone'sfaith,prescribeformsofworshipfornoone'sobservance,inflictnopunishmentbutafterwell-ascertainedguilt,theresultofinvestigationunderrulesprescribedbytheConstitutionitself.Thesepreciousprivileges,andthosescarcelylessimportantofgivingexpressiontohisthoughtsandopinions,eitherbywritingorspeaking,unrestrainedbutbytheliabilityforinjurytoothers,andthatofafullparticipationinalltheadvantageswhichflowfromtheGovernment,theacknowledgedpropertyofall,theAmericancitizenderivesfromnochartergrantedbyhisfellow-man.Heclaimsthembecauseheishimselfaman,fashionedbythesameAlmightyhandastherestofhisspeciesandentitledtoafullshareoftheblessingswithwhichHehasendowedthem.NotwithstandingthelimitedsovereigntypossessedbythepeopleoftheUnitedStagesandtherestrictedgrantofpowertotheGovernmentwhichtheyhaveadopted,enoughhasbeengiventoaccomplishalltheobjectsforwhichitwascreated.Ithasbeenfoundpowerfulinwar,andhithertojusticehasbeenadministered,andintimateunioneffected,domestictranquillitypreserved,andpersonallibertysecuredtothecitizen.Aswastobeexpected,however,fromthedefectoflanguageandthenecessarilysententiousmannerinwhichtheConstitutioniswritten,disputeshavearisenastotheamountofpowerwhichithasactuallygrantedorwasintendedtogrant.

Thisismoreparticularlythecaseinrelationtothatpartoftheinstrumentwhichtreatsofthelegislativebranch,andnotonlyasregardstheexerciseofpowersclaimedunderageneralclausegivingthatbodytheauthoritytopassalllawsnecessarytocarryintoeffectthespecifiedpowers,butinrelationtothelatteralso.Itis,however,consolatorytoreflectthatmostoftheinstancesofallegeddeparturefromtheletterorspiritoftheConstitutionhaveultimatelyreceivedthesanctionofamajorityofthepeople.Andthefactthatmanyofourstatesmenmostdistinguishedfortalentandpatriotismhavebeenatonetimeorotheroftheirpoliticalcareeronbothsidesofeachofthemostwarmlydisputedquestionsforcesuponustheinferencethattheerrors,iferrorstherewere,areattributabletotheintrinsicdifficultyinmanyinstancesofascertainingtheintentionsoftheframersoftheConstitutionratherthantheinfluenceofanysinisterorunpatrioticmotive.ButthegreatdangertoourinstitutionsdoesnotappeartometobeinausurpationbytheGovernmentofpowernotgrantedbythepeople,butbytheaccumulationinoneofthedepartmentsofthatwhichwasassignedtoothers.Limitedasarethepowerswhichhavebeengranted,stillenoughhavebeengrantedtoconstituteadespotismifconcentratedinoneofthedepartments.Thisdangerisgreatlyheightened,asithasbeenalwaysobservablethatmenarelessjealousofencroachmentsofonedepartmentuponanotherthanupontheirownreservedrights.WhentheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesfirstcamefromthehandsoftheConventionwhichformedit,manyofthesternestrepublicansofthedaywerealarmedattheextentofthepowerwhichhadbeengrantedtotheFederalGovernment,andmoreparticularlyofthatportionwhichhadbeenassignedtotheexecutivebranch.Therewereinitfeatureswhichappearednottobeinharmonywiththeirideasofasimplerepresentativedemocracyorrepublic,andknowingthetendencyofpowertoincreaseitself,particularlywhenexercisedbyasingleindividual,predictionsweremadethatatnoveryremoteperiodtheGovernmentwouldterminateinvirtualmonarchy.Itwouldnotbecomemetosaythatthefearsofthesepatriotshavebeenalreadyrealized;butasIsincerelybelievethatthetendencyofmeasuresandofmen'sopinionsforsomeyearspasthasbeeninthatdirection,itis,Iconceive,strictlyproperthatIshouldtakethisoccasiontorepeattheassurancesIhaveheretoforegivenofmydeterminationtoarresttheprogressofthattendencyifitreallyexistsandrestoretheGovernmenttoitspristinehealthandvigor,asfarasthiscanbeeffectedbyanylegitimateexerciseofthepowerplacedinmyhands.

IproceedtostateinassummaryamannerasIcanmyopinionofthesourcesoftheevilswhichhavebeensoextensivelycomplainedofandthecorrectiveswhichmaybeapplied.SomeoftheformerareunquestionablytobefoundinthedefectsoftheConstitution;others,inmyjudgment,areattributabletoamisconstructionofsomeofitsprovisions.OftheformeristheeligibilityofthesameindividualtoasecondtermofthePresidency.ThesagaciousmindofMr.Jeffersonearlysawandlamen