Second Inaugural Address of James Monroe.docx
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Second Inaugural Address of James Monroe.docx
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SecondInauguralAddressofJamesMonroe
SecondInauguralAddressofJamesMonroe
MONDAY,MARCH5,1821
Fellow-Citizens:
Ishallnotattempttodescribethegratefulemotionswhichthenewandverydistinguishedproofoftheconfidenceofmyfellow-citizens,evincedbymyreelectiontothishightrust,hasexcitedinmybosom.TheapprobationwhichitannouncesofmyconductintheprecedingtermaffordsmeaconsolationwhichIshallprofoundlyfeelthroughlife.Thegeneralaccordwithwhichithasbeenexpressedaddstothegreatandnever-ceasingobligationswhichitimposes.Tomeritthecontinuanceofthisgoodopinion,andtocarryitwithmeintomyretirementasthesolaceofadvancingyears,willbetheobjectofmymostzealousandunceasingefforts.
Havingnopretensionstothehighandcommandingclaimsofmypredecessors,whosenamesaresomuchmoreconspicuouslyidentifiedwithourRevolution,andwhocontributedsopreeminentlytopromoteitssuccess,IconsidermyselfratherastheinstrumentthanthecauseoftheunionwhichhasprevailedinthelateelectionInsurmounting,infavorofmyhumblepretensions,thedifficultieswhichsooftenproducedivisioninlikeoccurrences,itisobviousthatotherpowerfulcauses,indicatingthegreatstrengthandstabilityofourUnion,haveessentiallycontributedtodrawyoutogether.Thatthesepowerfulcausesexist,andthattheyarepermanent,ismyfixedopinion;thattheymayproducealikeaccordinallquestionstouching,howeverremotely,theliberty,prosperityandhappinessofourcountrywillalwaysbetheobjectofmymostferventprayerstotheSupremeAuthorofAllGood.
Inagovernmentwhichisfoundedbythepeople,whopossessexclusivelythesovereignty,itseemsproperthatthepersonwhomaybeplacedbytheirsuffragesinthishightrustshoulddeclareoncommencingitsdutiestheprinciplesonwhichheintendstoconducttheAdministration.Ifthepersonthuselectedhasservedtheprecedingterm,anopportunityisaffordedhimtoreviewitsprincipaloccurrencesandtogivesuchfurtherexplanationrespectingthemasinhisjudgmentmaybeusefultohisconstituents.Theeventsofoneyearhaveinfluenceonthoseofanother,and,inlikemanner,ofaprecedingonthesucceedingAdministration.Themovementsofagreatnationareconnectedinalltheirparts.Iferrorshavebeencommittedtheyoughttobecorrected;ifthepolicyissounditoughttobesupported.Itisbyathoroughknowledgeofthewholesubjectthatourfellow-citizensareenabledtojudgecorrectlyofthepastandtogiveaproperdirectiontothefuture.
JustbeforethecommencementofthelasttermtheUnitedStateshadconcludedawarwithaverypowerfulnationonconditionsequalandhonorabletobothparties.Theeventsofthatwararetoorecentandtoodeeplyimpressedonthememoryofalltorequireadevelopmentfromme.Ourcommercehadbeeninagreatmeasuredrivenfromthesea,ourAtlanticandinlandfrontierswereinvadedinalmosteverypart;thewasteoflifealongourcoastandonsomepartsofourinlandfrontiers,tothedefenseofwhichourgallantandpatrioticcitizenswerecalled,wasimmense,inadditiontowhichnotlessthan$120,000,000wereaddedatitsendtothepublicdebt.
Assoonasthewarhadterminated,thenation,admonishedbyitsevents,resolvedtoplaceitselfinasituationwhichshouldbebettercalculatedtopreventtherecurrenceofalikeevil,and,incaseitshouldrecur,tomitigateitscalamities.Withthisview,afterreducingourlandforcetothebasisofapeaceestablishment,whichhasbeenfurthermodifiedsince,provisionwasmadefortheconstructionoffortificationsatproperpointsthroughthewholeextentofourcoastandsuchanaugmentationofournavalforceasshouldbewelladaptedtobothpurposes.Thelawsmakingthisprovisionwerepassedin1815and1816,andithasbeensincetheconstanteffortoftheExecutivetocarrythemintoeffect.
Theadvantageofthesefortificationsandofanaugmentednavalforceintheextentcontemplated,inapointofeconomy,hasbeenfullyillustratedbyareportoftheBoardofEngineersandNavalCommissionerslatelycommunicatedtoCongress,bywhichitappearsthatinaninvasionby20,000men,withacorrespondentnavalforce,inacampaignofsixmonthsonly,thewholeexpenseoftheconstructionoftheworkswouldbedefrayedbythedifferenceinthesumnecessarytomaintaintheforcewhichwouldbeadequatetoourdefensewiththeaidofthoseworksandthatwhichwouldbeincurredwithoutthem.Thereasonofthisdifferenceisobvious.Iffortificationsarejudiciouslyplacedonourgreatinlets,asdistantfromourcitiesascircumstanceswillpermit,theywillformtheonlypointsofattack,andtheenemywillbedetainedtherebyasmallregularforceasufficienttimetoenableourmilitiatocollectandrepairtothatonwhichtheattackismade.Aforceadequatetotheenemy,collectedatthatsinglepoint,withsuitablepreparationforsuchothersasmightbemenaced,isallthatwouldberequisite.Butiftherewerenofortifications,thentheenemymightgowherehepleased,and,changinghispositionandsailingfromplacetoplace,ourforcemustbecalledoutandspreadinvastnumbersalongthewholecoastandonbothsidesofeverybayandriverashighupineachasitmightbenavigableforshipsofwar.Bythesefortifications,supportedbyourNavy,towhichtheywouldaffordlikesupport,weshouldpresenttootherpowersanarmedfrontfromSt.CroixtotheSabine,whichwouldprotectintheeventofwarourwholecoastandinteriorfrominvasion;andeveninthewarsofotherpowers,inwhichwewereneutral,theywouldbefoundeminentlyuseful,as,bykeepingtheirpublicshipsatadistancefromourcities,peaceandorderinthemwouldbepreservedandtheGovernmentbeprotectedfrominsult.
Itneedscarcelyberemarkedthatthesemeasureshavenotbeenresortedtoinaspiritofhostilitytootherpowers.Suchadispositiondoesnotexisttowardanypower.Peaceandgoodwillhavebeen,andwillhereafterbe,cultivatedwithall,andbythemostfaithfulregardtojustice.Theyhavebeendictatedbyaloveofpeace,ofeconomy,andanearnestdesiretosavethelivesofourfellow-citizensfromthatdestructionandourcountryfromthatdevastationwhichareinseparablefromwarwhenitfindsusunpreparedforit.Itisbelieved,andexperiencehasshown,thatsuchapreparationisthebestexpedientthatcanberesortedtopreventwar.Iaddwithmuchpleasurethatconsiderableprogresshasalreadybeenmadeinthesemeasuresofdefense,andthattheywillbecompletedinafewyears,consideringthegreatextentandimportanceoftheobject,iftheplanbezealouslyandsteadilyperseveredin.
TheconductoftheGovernmentinwhatrelatestoforeignpowersisalwaysanobjectofthehighestimportancetothenation.Itsagriculture,commerce,manufactures,fisheries,revenue,inshort,itspeace,mayallbeaffectedbyit.Attentionisthereforeduetothissubject.
AttheperiodadvertedtothepowersofEurope,afterhavingbeenengagedinlonganddestructivewarswitheachother,hadconcludedapeace,whichhappilystillexists.Ourpeacewiththepowerwithwhomwehadbeenengagedhadalsobeenconcluded.ThewarbetweenSpainandthecoloniesinSouthAmerica,whichhadcommencedmanyyearsbefore,wasthentheonlyconflictthatremainedunsettled.Thisbeingacontestbetweendifferentpartsofthesamecommunity,inwhichotherpowershadnotinterfered,wasnotaffectedbytheiraccommodations.
Thiscontestwasconsideredatanearlystagebymypredecessoracivilwarinwhichthepartieswereentitledtoequalrightsinourports.Thisdecision,thefirstmadebyanypower,beingformedongreatconsiderationofthecomparativestrengthandresourcesoftheparties,thelengthoftime,andsuccessfuloppositionmadebythecolonies,andofallothercircumstancesonwhichitoughttodepend,wasinstrictaccordwiththelawofnations.Congresshasinvariablyactedonthisprinciple,havingmadenochangeinourrelationswitheitherparty.Ourattitudehasthereforebeenthatofneutralitybetweenthem,whichhasbeenmaintainedbytheGovernmentwiththestrictestimpartiality.Noaidhasbeenaffordedtoeither,norhasanyprivilegebeenenjoyedbytheonewhichhasnotbeenequallyopentotheotherparty,andeveryexertionhasbeenmadeinitspowertoenforcetheexecutionofthelawsprohibitingillegalequipmentswithequalrigoragainstboth.
Bythisequalitybetweenthepartiestheirpublicvesselshavebeenreceivedinourportsonthesamefooting;theyhaveenjoyedanequalrighttopurchaseandexportarms,munitionsofwar,andeveryothersupply,theexportationofallarticleswhateverbeingpermittedunderlawswhichwerepassedlongbeforethecommencementofthecontest;ourcitizenshavetradedequallywithboth,andtheircommercewitheachhasbeenalikeprotectedbytheGovernment.
RespectingtheattitudewhichitmaybeproperfortheUnitedStatestomaintainhereafterbetweentheparties,Ihavenohesitationinstatingitasmyopinionthattheneutralityheretoforeobservedshouldstillbeadheredto.FromthechangeintheGovernmentofSpainandthenegotiationnowdepending,invitedbytheCortesandacceptedbythecolonies,itmaybepresumed,thattheirdifferenceswillbesettledonthetermsproposedbythecolonies.Shouldthewarbecontinued,theUnitedStates,regardingitsoccurrences,willalwayshaveitintheirpowertoadoptsuchmeasuresrespectingitastheirhonorandinterestmayrequire.
Shortlyafterthegeneralpeaceabandofadventurerstookadvantageofthisconflictandofthefacility
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