Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-23
QDbio Statesman, u.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS 10
OF GH... ...f# ..l
THOMAS JEFFERSON
President OF the United States, at His
First Term of office, March
l.sI,I f. ,rina A, 1901. %, .u.l.a..
Frtends ana FeN6to CYtigens.

Friends and FeLt0to CtttSenS'
Called upon to undertake the duties of
the first executive Office Of our country, /
avail myself of the presence of that por-
tion of my fellow citizens which is here as
sembled, to express my grateful thanks for
the favor with which they have been pleas
ed to look toward me, to declare sincere
consciousness that the task is above my tall
ents, and that | approach 1t with those anX-
ious and awful presentlments 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
commerce with nations who feel elpower and
forget right; advancing rapidlyto destinies
beyond the reach of mortal eye-when /
contemplate these transcendant objects, and
see the honor, the happiness, and the hopes
of this beloved country committed to the
issue and the auspices of this day, shrink
from the contemplation, and humble my
self before the magnitude OF the nndertak-
ing. Utterly, indeed, should despair, did
not the presence of many whom here see
remind me that in the other high authori-
ties provided by our Constitution | shall
find resources of wisdom, of virtue, and of
zeal, on which to rely under all difficulties.
To you, then, gentlemen, who are charged
with the sovereign functions of Legislation,
and to those associated with you, look
with encouragement for that guidance and
support which may enable us to steer with
safety the vessel in which we are all en-
barked, amidst the conflicting elements of
q troubled world.
| During the contest of opinion through
which we have passed, the animation of dis
cussions and of eXertions has sometimes
| oh s,rIN s,,,
strangers unused to think freely, and to
speak and to write what they think; but
this being now decided by the voice of the
nation, announced, according to the rules
of the Constitution. all will, of course, ar
range themselves under the will of the law,
and unite in common efforts for the COM
mon good. All, too, will bear in mind this
sacred principle, that, though the will of
the majority is in all cases to prevail, that
will, to be rightful, must be reasonable; !;
that the minority possess their equal rights,
which equal laws must protect and to vio-
late would be oppression. Let us, then, fell
low citizens, unite with one heart and one
mind; let us restore to social intercourse
that harmony and affection without which
liberty and even life itself are but dreary
things. And let us reflect, that having
banished from our land that religious in
bled and suffered, we have yet gained little,
if we countenance political intolerance as
despotic, as wicked, and capable of as Bit
ter and bloody prosecutions. During the
throes and convulsiOns of the ancient world;
during the agonizing spasms of ihturiated
man, seeking through bio ID and slaughter,
his long-lost liberty, it as not wonderful
that the agitation of I'll o. billows should
lreach even this distant and peaceful shore;
that this should be more felt and feared by
some, and less by Others, and should divide
Iopinions as to measures of safety; butevery
difference of opinion is not adherence OF
Iprinciple. We have called by different
names brethren of the sameprinciple. We
are all Republicans: we are all Federalists
If there be any among us who would wish
to dissolve this Union, or,to change,its Re-
publican form, let them stand, undisturbed,
as monuments of the safety with which er-
ror Of opniOR may be tolerated, tchere reason a
Il left free to combat ii. L know, indeed, that
some honest men fear that Republican
Government cannot be strong-that this
Government is not strong enough. But
would the honest patriot, in the full tide o
successful experiment, abandon a Govern
ment which has SO far keptus treeand firm
on the theoretic and visionary tearthat thi;
Government, the worlds best hope, may
by possibility, want energy topreserve it.
self2 / trust not. L believe this, on the
contrary, the strongest Government or
earth. | believe it the only one where
every man, at the call of the law, would fly
to the standard of the law, and would NEE
invasions of the public order as his owl
personal concern. Sometimes it is said tina
man cannot be trusted with the govern
mept of himself. Can he then be trusted
with the government Of others? Or, hay,
we found angels, in the form ofilings, tt
govern him? Let history answer this ques
ton. p
Let us, then, with courage and confidence
pursue our own federal and republican
principles-our attachment to union anC
representative government. Kindly sepa
rated by nature and wide ocean fromth
eXterminating havoc of one quarter of tn
globe; too high-minded to endure the deg
radations of others; possessing chosel
country, with room, enough for our de
apdth generation; entertaining due sens
of our equal right TO the use Of our own fac
ulties, to the acquisitions of our own indus
try, to honor and confidence from our fel
low citizens resulting, not from birth, bn
from our actions, and their sense of them
enlightened by a benign religion, professed
indeed and practiced, in various forms, we
all of them intoxicating honesty, truth
temperance, gratitude, and the love of man
acknowledging and adoring an overrulini
Providence, which, by all its dispensations
proves that it delights in the happiness o
man here, and his greater happiness here
after-with all these blessings, what NOR
is necessary to make us a happy and pros
porous peoplep Still one thing more, fel
low citizens: wise and frugal Government
| which shall rpetrain m an from I'M uri m o. n m