BY our religion holy, do I swear
The factious shall in the dust be humbled
And proud Infidels respect good government,
While I the garb of power supremely wear,
Shall vassals who beneath my haughty nod
Must bend, a beastly swinish multitude,
Presume t' offer an audacious insult,
To the Majesty of British friendship?
Nourish mutinies, and murder
Our noble, courtly friends Columbia's allies,
Ocean's great arbiters, favor'd of God.
To whom be glory forever, Amen.
Tho jacobins impeach, I'll interpose,
And Robbins shall be given up, he shall.
Altho one murder makes a villain,
'Tis pard'nable in ease like this,
When nation's policy is thus involv'd,
We chuse the smaller evil; sacrifice
One vulgar man, sooner than the friendship
Of the well born few whose right 't is to rule,
Should be dissolved.
'Tis vastly well, there's more mischief brewing,
Liston and Porcupine in close converse,
A plotting club of treach'rous knaves —
Their intrigues their base contagious raving.
Has poisoned half our country, sickn'd
Our councils and our dearest rights made null.
Vengeance pursue them! justice detect them!
The triumph of the rights of nature —
Doom them to infamy, the deeper hell!
Kings, courts, and slav'ry in perdition sink.
They're this way gone, I'll softly follow them,
Discovery may frustrate their dark designs.
So mighty Braintree, art thou fallen!
Fallen, to rise, when thy hated name —
shall cease to be detested. Thy fell heart,
No long time since, a puff of arrogance,
Was bouncing on the ranc'rous waves of pride,
In cruelty exulting, revengeful,
Haughty and perfidious, thou didst possess,
A vain ambitious soul, a little mind,
That on mischief bent. We trace thy steps, mark,
The bloody maze! Thou didst in four short years
Thy ill fated country, to the verge, of
Ruin force. To count thy vices, make up,
A catalogue of thy black crimes, and tell,
How much a traitor to all human right,
Thou wast, far too short eternity would be.
Earth, air, and liquid ocean witness,
Thy guilt, from hell's profoundest caverns stinks,
Thro our globe, nauseates th' very heaven!
No virtue hadst thou, usurper! but dead!
Perish with thee, thy treason and thy aims,
Gentlemen of Columbia's Senate,
Know propose, your chair to resign —
The time approaches when relations cease,
Between this august body and my self;
Ere I depart, accept my grateful thanks,
For those marks of attention and respect,
With which you have me honored.
Impartial justice, tho I may have err'd,
Has been th' guide of my official conduct;
And let me ask continuance of suppor,
In the new station to which I am call'd. cannon, music.
Friends and Fellow Citizens, "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 fellow citizens here assembled, to express my grateful thanks for the favor with which they have been pleased to look towards me, to declare a sincere consciousness that the task is above my talents, and that I approach it with those anxious and awful presentments, which the greatness of the charge, and the weakness of my powers so justly inspire. Utterly indeed should I despair, did not the presence of many whom I see here, remind me, that in the other high authorities provided by the constitution, I shall find resources of wisdom, of virtue and of zeal, on which to rely in all difficulties.
About to enter, fellow citizens, on the duties which comprehend every thing dear to you, it is proper you should understand what I deem the essential principles of government. Equal justice to all men, peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none: — the support of the state governments in all their rights, as the surest bulwark against anti-republican tendencies: — the preservation of the general government, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home, and safety abroad: — a jealous care of the right of election by the people: absolute acquiescence in the decisions of a majority, a well disciplined militia, the supremacy of the civil, over the military authority: — economy of the public money, the honest payment of our debts, and sacred preservation of our public faith: — encouragement of agriculture and of commerce; the diffusion of information and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of public reason: freedom of religion; freedom of the press; freedom of person, snd trials by impartial juries. These are the principles which form the bright constellation which has guided our steps thro an age of revolution; they should be the creed of our political faith: —
I repair then, fellow citizens, to the post you have assigned me, relying on the patronage of your good will — ready to retire, when you are sensible how much better choices it is in your power to make. And may that infinite power, which rules destinies of the universe, guide our councils to what is best, and give them a favorable issue for your prosperity and peace. cannon, &c.