FirstInauguralAddressofGeorgeWashingtonTHECITYOFNEWYORKTHURSDAY,APRIL30,1789Fellow-CitizensoftheSenateandoftheHouseofRepresentatives:Amongthevicissitudesincidenttolifenoeventcouldhavefilledmewithgreateranxietiesthanthatofwhichthenotificationwastransmittedbyyourorder,andreceivedonthe14thdayofthepresentmonth.Ontheonehand,IwassummonedbymyCountry,whosevoiceIcanneverhearbutwithvenerationandlove,fromaretreatwhichIhadchosenwiththefondestpredilection,and,inmyflatteringhopes,withanimmutabledecision,astheasylumofmydecliningyears—aretreatwhichwasrenderedeverydaymorenecessaryaswellasmoredeartomebytheadditionofhabittoinclination,andoffrequentinterruptionsinmyhealthtothegradualwastecommittedonitbytime.Ontheotherhand,themagnitudeanddifficultyofthetrusttowhichthevoiceofmycountrycalledme,beingsufficienttoawakeninthewisestandmostexperiencedofhercitizensadistrustfulscrutinyintohisqualifications,couldnotbutoverwhelmwithdespondenceonewho(inheritinginferiorendowmentsfromnatureandunpracticedinthedutiesofciviladministration)oughttobepeculiarlyconsciousofhisowndeficiencies.InthisconflictofemotionsallIdareaveristhatithasbeenmyfaithfulstudytocollectmydutyfromajustappreciationofeverycircumstancebywhichitmightbeaffected.AllIdarehopeisthatif,inexecutingthistask,Ihavebeentoomuchswayedbyagratefulremembranceofformerinstances,orbyanaffectionatesensibilitytothistranscendentproofoftheconfidenceofmyfellow-citizens,andhavethencetoolittleconsultedmyincapacityaswellasdisinclinationfortheweightyanduntriedcaresbeforeme,myerrorwillbepalliatedbythemotiveswhichmisleadme,anditsconsequencesbejudgedbymycountrywithsomeshareofthepartialityinwhichtheyoriginated.SuchbeingtheimpressionsunderwhichIhave,inobediencetothepublicsummons,repairedtothepresentstation,itwouldbepeculiarlyimpropertoomitinthisfirstofficialactmyferventsupplicationstothatAlmightyBeingwhorulesovertheuniverse,whopresidesinthecouncilsofnations,andwhoseprovidentialaidscansupplyeveryhumandefect,thatHisbenedictionmayconsecratetothelibertiesandhappinessofthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesaGovernmentinstitutedbythemselvesfortheseessentialpurposes,andmayenableeveryinstrumentemployedinitsadministrationtoexecutewithsuccessthefunctionsallottedtohischarge.IntenderingthishomagetotheGreatAuthorofeverypublicandprivategood,Iassuremyselfthatitexpressesyoursentimentsnotlessthanmyown,northoseofmyfellow-citizensatlargelessthaneither.NopeoplecanbeboundtoacknowledgeandadoretheInvisibleHandwhichconductstheaffairsofmenmorethanthoseoftheUnitedStates.Everystepbywhichtheyhaveadvancedtothecharacterofanindependentnationseemstohavebeendistinguishedbysometokenofprovidentialagency;andintheimportantrevolutionjustaccomplishedinthesystemoftheirunitedgovernmentthetranquildeliberationsandvoluntaryconsentofsomanydistinctcommunitiesfromwhichtheeventhasresultedcannotbecomparedwiththemeansbywhichmostgovernmentshavebeenestablishedwithoutsomereturnofpiousgratitude,alongwithanhumbleanticipationofthefutureblessingswhichthepastseemtopresage.Thesereflections,arisingoutofthepresentcrisis,haveforcedthemselvestoostronglyonmymindtobesuppressed.Youwilljoinwithme,Itrust,inthinkingthattherearenoneundertheinfluenceofwhichtheproceedingsofanewandfreegovernmentcanmoreauspiciouslycommence.BythearticleestablishingtheexecutivedepartmentitismadethedutyofthePresident"torecommendtoyourconsiderationsuchmeasuresasheshalljudge...
