【正文】 never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained。 and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. Besides the ordinary objects submitted to your care, it will remain with your judgment to decide how far an exercise of the occasional power delegated by the fifth article of the Constitution is rendered expedient at the present juncture by the nature of objections which have been urged against the system, or by the degree of inquietude which has given birth to them. Instead of undertaking particular remendations on this subject, in which I could be guided by no lights derived from official opportunities, I shall again give way to my entire confidence in your discernment and pursuit of the public good。 for I assure myself that whilst you carefully avoid every alteration which might endanger the benefits of an united and effective government, or which ought to await the future lessons of experience, a reverence for the characteristic rights of freemen and a regard for the public harmony will sufficiently influence your deliberations on the question how far the former can be impregnably fortified or the latter be safely and advantageously promoted. To the foregoing observations I have one to add, which will be most properly addressed to the House of Representatives. It concerns myself, and will therefore be as brief as possible. When I was first honored with a call into the service of my country, then on the eve of an arduous struggle for its liberties, the light in which I contemplated my duty required that I should renounce every pecuniary pensation. From this resolution I have in no instance departed。 and being still under the impressions which produced it, I must decline as inapplicable to myself any share in the personal emoluments which may be indispensably included in a permanent provision for the executive department, and must accordingly pray that the pecuniary estimates for the station in which I am placed may during my continuance in it be limited to such actual expenditures as the public good may be thought to require. Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave。 but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend. 美國人民的實驗 喬治 華盛頓 第一次就職演講 紐約 星期四 ,1789年 4月 30日 參議院和眾議院的同胞們： 在人生沉浮中，沒有一件事能比本月 14日收到根據(jù)你們的命令送達(dá)的通知更使我焦慮不安，一方面，國家召喚我出任此職，對于她的召喚，我永遠(yuǎn)只能肅然敬從；而隱退是我以摯愛心憎、滿腔希望和堅定的決心選擇的暮年歸宿，由于愛好和習(xí)慣，且時光流逝，健康漸衰，時感體力不濟(jì)，愈覺隱退之必要和可貴。另一方面，國家召喚我擔(dān)負(fù)的責(zé)任如此重大和 艱巨，足以使國內(nèi)最有才智和經(jīng)驗的人度德量力，而我天資愚飩，又無民政管理的實踐，理應(yīng)倍覺自己能力之不足，因而必然感到難以肩此重任。懷著這種矛盾心情，我唯一敢斷言的是，通過正確估計可能產(chǎn)生影響的各種情況來克盡厥職，乃是我忠貞不渝的努力目標(biāo)。我唯一敢祈望的是，如果我在執(zhí)行這項任務(wù)時因陶醉于往事，或因由衷感激公民們對我的高度信賴，因而受到過多影響，以致在處理從未經(jīng)歷過的大事時，忽視了自己的無能和消極，我的錯誤將會由于使我誤人歧途的各種動機(jī)而減輕，而大家在評判錯誤的后果時；也會適當(dāng)包涵產(chǎn)生這些動機(jī)的偏見。 既然這就是 我在遵奉公眾召喚就任現(xiàn)職時的感想，那么，在此宣誓就職之際，如不熱忱地祈求全能的上帝就極其失當(dāng)，因為上帝統(tǒng)治著宇宙，主宰著各國政府，它的神助能彌補(bǔ)人類的任何不足，愿上帝賜福，侃佑一個為美國人民的自由和幸福而組成的政府，保佑它為這些基本目的而作出奉獻(xiàn)，保佑政府的各項行政措施在我負(fù)責(zé)之下都能成功地發(fā)揮作用。我相信，在向公眾利益和私人利益的偉大締造者獻(xiàn)上這份崇敬時，這些活也同樣表達(dá)了各位和廣大公民的心意。沒有人能比美國人更堅定不移地承認(rèn)和崇拜掌管人間事務(wù)的上帝。他們在邁向獨立國家的進(jìn)程中，似乎每走一步都有某種天佑的 跡象；他們在剛剛完成的聯(lián)邦政府體制的重大改革中，如果不是因虔誠的感恩而得到某種回報，如果不是謙卑地期待著過去有所預(yù)示的賜福的到來，那么，通過眾多截然不同的集團(tuán)的平靜思考和自愿贊同來完成改革，這種方式是不能與大多數(shù)政府的組建方式同日而語的。在目前轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)頭，我產(chǎn)生這些想法確實是深有所感而不能自已，我相信大家會和我懷有同感，即除了仰仗上帝的力量，一個新生的自由政府別無他法能一開始就事事順利。根據(jù)設(shè)立行政部門的條款，總統(tǒng)有責(zé)任“將他認(rèn)為必要而妥善的措施提請國會審議”。但在目前與各位見面的這個場合，恕我不進(jìn)一步討論這 個問題，而只提一下偉大的憲法，它使各位今天聚集一堂，它規(guī)定了各位的權(quán)限，指出了各位應(yīng)該注意的目標(biāo)。在這樣的場合，更恰當(dāng)、也更能反映我內(nèi)心激情的做法是不提出具體措施，而是稱頌將要規(guī)劃和采納這些措施的當(dāng)選者的才能、正直和愛國心。我從這些高貴品格中看到了最可靠的保證：其一，任何地方偏見或地方感情，任何意見分歧或黨派敵視，都不能使我們偏離全局觀點和公平觀點，即必須維護(hù)這個由不同地區(qū)和利益所組成的大聯(lián)合；因此，其二，我國的政策將會以純潔而堅定的個人道德原則為基礎(chǔ)，而自由政府將會以那贏得民心和全世界尊敬的一切特點而顯示 其優(yōu)越性。我對國家的一片熱愛之心激勵著我滿懷喜悅地展望這幅遠(yuǎn)景，因為根據(jù)自然界的構(gòu)成和發(fā)展趨勢，在美德與幸福之間，責(zé)任與利益之間，恪守誠實寬厚的政策與獲得社會繁榮幸福的碩果之間，有著密不可分的統(tǒng)一；因為我們應(yīng)該同樣相信，上帝親自規(guī)定了水恒的秩序和權(quán)利法則，它決不可能對無視這些法則的國家慈祥地加以贊許；因為人們理所當(dāng)然地、滿懷深情地、也許是最后一次把維護(hù)神圣的自由之火和共和制政府的命運，系于美國人所遵命進(jìn)行的實驗上。 我已將有感于這一聚會場合的想法奉告各位，現(xiàn)在我就要向大家告辭；但在此以前，我要再一次以謙卑的 心情祈求仁慈的上帝給予幫助。因為承蒙上帝的恩賜，美國人有了深思熟慮的機(jī)會，以及為確保聯(lián)邦的安全和促進(jìn)幸福，用前所未有的一致意見來決定政府體制的意向；因而，同樣明顯的是，上帝將保佑我們擴(kuò)大眼界，心平氣和地進(jìn)行協(xié)商，并采取明智的措施，而這些都是本屆政府取得成功所必不可少的依靠。 杰斐遜： Thomas Jefferson First Inaugural Address First Inaugural Address March 4, 1801 FRIENDS AND FELLOWCITIZENS, Called upon to undertake the duties of the first executive office of our country, I avail myself of the presence of that portion of my fellowcitizens which is here assembled to express my grateful thanks for the favor with which they have been pleased to look toward me, to declare a sincere consciousness that the task is above my talents, and that I approach it with those anxious and awful presentiments which the greatness of the charge and the weakness of my powers so justly inspire. A rising nation, spread over a wide and fruitful land, traversing all the seas with the rich productions of their industry, engaged in merce with nations who feel power and fet right, advancing rapidly to destinies beyond the reach of mortal eye when I contemplate these transcendent objects, and see the honor, th