PresidentHoover, Mr. Chief Justice, my friends:
This is a day of national consecration. And I am certain that on this day my fellow Americansexpectthat on my inductioninto the Presidency, I will address them with a candor and a decision whichthe present situation of our people impels.
This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor needwe shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure,as it has endured, will revive and will prosper.
So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief thatthe only thing we have to fear is fear itself nameless,unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts toconvert retreatinto advance. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and of vigorhas met with that understanding and support of the people themselves whichis essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will againgive that support to leadership in these critical days.
In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thankGod, only material things.
Values have shrunk to fantastic levels. taxes have risen. our abilityto pay has fallen. government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income. themeans of exchange are frozenin the currents of trade. the withered leaves of industrialenterprise lie on every side. farmers find no markets for their produce. and the savings ofmany years in thousands of families are gone. More important, a host of unemployed citizensface the grim problem of existence, and an equally greatnumber toil with little return. Only afoolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.
And yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague oflocusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered, because they believed andwere not afraid, we have stillmuch to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty andhuman efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of itlanguishes in the very sight of the supply.
Primarily, this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind's goods have failed,through their own stubbornness and their ownincompetence, have admitted their failure, and haveabdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of publicopinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men. True,they have tried. But their efforts havebeen cast in the pattern of an outworntradition. Faced by failure of credit, they haveproposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by whichto induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfullyfor restored confidence. They only know the rules of a generation of selfseekers.
They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.
Yes, the money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. Wemay now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of that restoration lies in theextent to which we apply social values more noble thanmere monetary profit.
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money. it lies in the joy of achievement, in thethrill of creative effort. The joy, the moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten inthe mad chase of evanescentprofits. These dark days, my friends, will be worth all they costus if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but tominister to ourselves, to our fellow men.
Recognition of that falsity of material wealth as the standard of success goes hand in handwith the abandonment of the false belief that public office and high political position are to bevalued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit. and there mustbe an end to a conduct in banking and in business which too oftenhas given to a sacred trust the likeness of callous and selfish wrongdoing.
Small wonder that confidence languishes, for itthrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, andon unselfish performance. withoutthem it cannot live.
Restoration calls, however, not for changes in ethics alone.
This Nation is asking for action, and action now.
Our greatest primary task is toput people to work. This is nounsolvable problem if we face itwisely and courageously.
It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by theGovernment itself, treating the task as we would treatthe emergency of a war, but at thesame time, through this employment, accomplishing great greatlyneeded projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our greatnatural resources.
Hand in hand with that we must frankly recognize the overbalance of populationin our industrial centers and, by engaging on a national scale in a redistribution, endeavor to providea better use of the land for those best fitted for the land.
Yes, the task can be helped by definite efforts to raise the values of agricultural products, andwith this the power to purchase the output of our cities. It can be helped by preventingrealistically the tragedy of the growing loss through foreclosure of our smallhomes and ourfarms. It can be helped by insistence thatthe Federal, the State, and the local governmentsact forthwith on the demand thattheir cost be drastically reduced. It can be helped by theunifying of relief activities which today are often scattered,uneconomical, unequal. It can behelped by national planning for and supervisionof all forms of transportation and ofcommunications and other utilities thathave a definitely public character. There are manyways in which it can be helped, but it cannever be helped by merely talking aboutit.
We must act. We must act quickly.
And finally, in our progress towards a resumption of work, we require twosafeguards against a return of the evils of the old order. There must be a strict supervision of all banking andcredits and investments. There must be anend to speculation with other people's money. Andthere must be provision for an adequate but sound currency.
These, my friends, are the lines of attack. I shall presently urge upon a new Congress inspecial session detailed measures for their fulfillment, and I shallseek the immediate assistance of the 48 States.
Through this program of action we address ourselves to putting our own national house inorder and making income balance outgo. Our international trade relations, thoughvastly important, are in point of time, and necessity, secondary tothe establishment of a sound national economy. Ifavor, as a practical policy, the putting of firstthings first. I shall spare no effort torestore world trade by international economic readjustment. but the emergency athome cannot wait on that accomplishment.
The basic thoughtthat guides these specific means of national recovery is notnationally narrowly nationalistic. It is the insistence, as a firstconsideration, upon the interdependenceof the various elements in and parts of the United States of America arecognition of the old and permanently importantmanifestation of the American spirit of the pioneer. It is the wayto recovery. It is the immediate way. Itis the strongest assurance that recovery will endure.
In the field of world policy, I would dedicate this Nationto the policy of the good neighbor: theneighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights ofothers. the neighbor who respects his obligations and respects the sanctity of his agreementsin and with a world of neighbors.
If I read the temper of our people correctly, we now realize, as we have never realized before,our interdependence on each other. that we can not merely take, but we must give as well.
that if we are to goforward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice forthe good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress can be made,no leadership becomes effective.
We are, I know, ready and willing to submit our lives and our property to such discipline,because it makes possible a leadership which aims atthe larger good. This, I propose to offer,pledging that the larger purposes will bind uponus, bind upon us all as a sacred obligationwith a unity of duty hithertoevoked only in times of armed strife.
With this pledge taken, I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of ourpeople dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems.
Action in this image, action to this end is feasible under the form of government which wehave inherited from our ancestors. Our Constitution is sosimple, so practicalthat it is possible always tomeet extraordinary needs by changes in emphasis and arrangement without loss ofessential form. That is why our constitutional system has proved itself the most superblyenduring political mechanism the modern worldhas ever seen.
It has met every stress of vast expansion of territory, of foreign wars, of bitter internal strife,of world relations. And it is to be hoped that the normal balance of executive and legislativeauthority may be wholly equal, wholly adequate to meetthe unprecedented task before us.
But it may be that anunprecedented demand and need for undelayed actionmay call for temporary departure from that normal balance of public procedure.
I am prepared under my constitutional duty torecommend the measures that a strickennation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measuresas the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within myconstitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption.
But, in the event that the Congress shall failto take one of these two courses, in the eventthat the national emergency is still critical, I shallnot evade the clear course of duty that will thenconfront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisisbroad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power thatwould be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.
For the trust reposed in me, I will return the courage and the devotion that befitthe time. I can do no less.
We face the arduous days thatlie before us in the warm courage of nationalunity. with the clear consciousness of seeking old and precious moralvalues. with the clean satisfactionthat comes from the stern performance of duty by old and young alike. We aim at the assurance ofa rounded, a permanent national life.
We do not distrust the the future of essential democracy. The people of the United Stateshave not failed. In their need they have registered a mandate thatthey want direct, vigorousaction. They have asked for discipline and directionunder leadership. They have made me thepresent instrument of their wishes. Inthe spirit of the gift I take it.
In this dedication Inthis dedication of a Nation, we humbly ask the blessing of God.
May He protect each and every one of us.
May He guide me in the days to come.
胡佛總統(tǒng),首席法官先生,朋友們:
今天,對我們的國家來說,是一個(gè)神圣的日子。我肯定,同胞們都期待在我就任總統(tǒng)時(shí),會(huì)像我國目前形勢所要求的那樣,坦率而果斷地向你們講話。現(xiàn)在正是坦白、勇敢地說出實(shí)話,說出全部實(shí)話的最好時(shí)刻。我們不必畏首畏尾,必須老老實(shí)實(shí)面對我國今天的情況。這個(gè)國家會(huì)一如既往地堅(jiān)持下去,它會(huì)復(fù)興和繁榮起來。因此,讓我首先表明我的堅(jiān)定信念:我們唯一不得不害怕的就是害怕本身——一種莫名其妙的、喪失理智的、毫無根據(jù)的恐怖,它把人逆流而上所需的種種努力化為泡影。凡在我國陰云密布的時(shí)刻,坦率而有活力的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人都得到過人民的理解和支持,從而為勝利準(zhǔn)備了必不可少的條件。我相信,在目前的危機(jī)時(shí)刻,大家會(huì)再次給予同樣的支持。
我和你們都要以這種精神來面對我們共同的苦難。感謝上帝,這些苦難只是物質(zhì)方面的。貨幣難以想象地貶值了;課稅增加了;我們的支付能力下降了;各級政府面臨著嚴(yán)重的收入短缺;交換手段在貿(mào)易過程中遭到了凍結(jié);工礦企業(yè)倒閉破產(chǎn)到處可見;農(nóng)場主的產(chǎn)品找不到銷路;千家萬戶多年的積蓄付之東流。
更重要的是,大批失業(yè)農(nóng)民正面臨著嚴(yán)峻的生存問題,還有大批公民正以艱辛的勞動(dòng)換取微薄的報(bào)酬。只有愚蠢的樂天派會(huì)否認(rèn)當(dāng)前這些陰暗的現(xiàn)實(shí)。
但是,我們的苦惱決不是因?yàn)槿狈ξ镔Y。我們沒有遭到什么蝗蟲的災(zāi)害。我們的先輩曾以信念和無畏一次次轉(zhuǎn)危為安,比起他們經(jīng)歷過的險(xiǎn)阻,我們?nèi)源罂筛械叫牢?。大自然仍在給予我們恩惠,人類的努力已使之倍增。富足的情景近在咫尺,但就在我們見到這種情景的時(shí)候,寬裕的生活卻悄然離去。這主要是因?yàn)橹髟兹祟愇镔Y交換的統(tǒng)治者們失敗了,他們固執(zhí)己見而又無能為力,因而已經(jīng)認(rèn)定失敗了,并撒手不管了。貪得無厭的貨幣兌換商的種種行徑,將受到輿論法庭的起訴,將受到心靈理智的唾棄。
是的,他們是努力過,然而他們用的是一種完全過時(shí)的方法。面對信貸的失敗,他們只是提議借出更多的錢。沒有了作為誘餌吸引人民追隨他們錯(cuò)誤領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的金錢,他們只得求助于講道。他們沒有眼光,而沒有眼光的人是要滅亡的。
如今,貨幣兌換商已從我們文明宙宇的高處落荒而逃。我們要以千古不變的真理來重建這座宙宇。衡量這重建的尺度是我們體現(xiàn)比金錢利益更高尚的社會(huì)價(jià)值的程度。
幸福并不在于單純地占有金錢,幸福還在于取得成就后的喜悅,在于創(chuàng)造努力時(shí)的激情。務(wù)必不能再忘記勞動(dòng)帶來的喜悅和激勵(lì),而去瘋狂地追逐那轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝的利潤。如果這些暗淡的時(shí)光能使我們認(rèn)識(shí)到,我們真正的天命不是要?jiǎng)e人侍奉,而是為自己和同胞們服務(wù),那么,我們付出的代價(jià)就是完全值得的。
認(rèn)識(shí)到把物質(zhì)財(cái)富當(dāng)作成功的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)是錯(cuò)誤的,我們就會(huì)拋棄將地位尊嚴(yán)個(gè)個(gè)人收益作為唯一標(biāo)準(zhǔn),來衡量公職和高級政治地位的錯(cuò)誤信念;我們必須制止銀行界和企業(yè)界的那種行為,它常常使神圣的委托混同于無情和自私的不正當(dāng)行為。難怪信心在減弱。信心,只能來自于誠實(shí)、信譽(yù)、忠心維護(hù)和無私履行職責(zé)。而沒有這些,就不可能有信心。
但是,復(fù)興不僅僅只是改變倫理觀念。這個(gè)國家要行動(dòng)起來,現(xiàn)在就行動(dòng)起來。
我們最大、最基本的任務(wù)是讓人民投入工作。只要我們行之以智慧和勇氣,這個(gè)問題就可以解決。這可以部分由政府直接征募完成,就像對待臨戰(zhàn)的緊要關(guān)頭一樣,但同時(shí),在有了人手的情況下,我們還急需能刺激并重組巨大自然資源的工程。
我們齊心協(xié)力,但必須坦白地承認(rèn)工業(yè)中心的入口失衡,我們必須在全國范圍內(nèi)重新分配,使土地在最適合的人手中發(fā)揮更大作用。
明確地為提高農(nóng)產(chǎn)品價(jià)值并以此購買城市產(chǎn)品所做的努力,會(huì)有助于任務(wù)的完成 避免許多小家庭業(yè)主、農(nóng)場主被取消贖取抵押品的權(quán)利的悲劇,也有助于任務(wù)的完成。聯(lián)邦、州、各地政府立即行動(dòng)回應(yīng)要求降價(jià)的呼聲,有助于任務(wù)的完成。將現(xiàn)在常常是分散的不經(jīng)濟(jì)、不平等的救濟(jì)活動(dòng)統(tǒng)一起來,有助于任務(wù)的完成。對所有公共交通運(yùn)輸、通訊及其他涉及公眾生活的設(shè)施作全國性的計(jì)劃與監(jiān)督,有助于任務(wù)的完成。許多事情都有助于任務(wù)完成,但這些決不包括空談。我們必須行動(dòng),立即行動(dòng)。
最后,為了重新開始工作,我們需要兩手準(zhǔn)備以抵御舊秩序惡魔的卷土重來,一定要有嚴(yán)格監(jiān)督銀行業(yè)、信貸及投資的機(jī)制,一定要杜絕投機(jī),一定要有充足而健康的貨幣供應(yīng)。
以上這些,朋友們,就是施政方針。我要在特別會(huì)議上督促新國會(huì)給予詳細(xì)實(shí)施方案,并且,我要向48個(gè)州請求立即的援助。
通過行動(dòng),我們將予以我們自己一個(gè)有秩序的國家大廈,使收入大于支出。雖然我們的國際貿(mào)易很重要,但現(xiàn)在,在時(shí)間和必要性上,讓位于本國健康經(jīng)濟(jì)的建立。我建議,作為可行的策略,首要的事務(wù)先行。雖然我將不遺余力的通過國際經(jīng)濟(jì)的重新協(xié)調(diào)來恢復(fù)國際貿(mào)易,但我認(rèn)為國內(nèi)的緊急情況無法等待這重新協(xié)調(diào)的完成。
指導(dǎo)這一特別的全國性復(fù)蘇的基本思想并非狹隘的國家主義。我首先考慮的是堅(jiān)持美國這一整體中各部分的相互依賴性。這是美國式的開拓精神古老而永恒的證明與體現(xiàn)。這才是復(fù)蘇之路,這才是即時(shí)這路,這才是保證復(fù)蘇功效持久之路。
在國際政策方面,我將使美國采取睦鄰友好的政策。做一個(gè)決心自重,并且尊重鄰國的國家。做一個(gè)履行義務(wù),尊重與他國協(xié)約的國家。
如果我對人民心情的了解正確的話,我想我們已認(rèn)識(shí)到了我們從未認(rèn)識(shí)的問題,我們是互相依存的,我們不可以只索取,我們還必須奉獻(xiàn)。我們前進(jìn)時(shí),必須像一支訓(xùn)練有素的忠誠的軍隊(duì),愿意為共同的原則而獻(xiàn)身,因?yàn)椋瑳]有這些原則,我們就無法取得進(jìn)步,領(lǐng)導(dǎo)也就不可能得力。我們都已做好準(zhǔn)備,并愿意為此原則獻(xiàn)出生命和財(cái)產(chǎn),因?yàn)檫@將使志在建設(shè)更加美好社會(huì)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)成為可能。我倡議,為了更偉大的目標(biāo),我們所有的人,以一致的職責(zé)緊緊團(tuán)結(jié)起來。這是神圣的義務(wù),非戰(zhàn)亂,不停止。
有了這樣的誓言,我將毫不猶豫地承擔(dān)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)我國人民的偉大軍隊(duì)的任務(wù),致力于對我們普遍問題的解決。這樣的行動(dòng),這樣的目標(biāo),在我們從祖先手中接過的政府中是可行的。我們的憲法如此簡單,實(shí)在,它隨時(shí)可以應(yīng)付特殊情況,只需對重點(diǎn)和安排加以修改而不喪失精髓。正因?yàn)槿绱?,我們的憲法體制已自證為是最有適應(yīng)性的政治體制。它已應(yīng)付過巨大的國土擴(kuò)張、外戰(zhàn)、內(nèi)亂及國際關(guān)系所帶來的壓力。
而我們還希望行使法律的人能做到充分的平等,能充分地?fù)?dān)負(fù)前所未有的任務(wù)。但現(xiàn)在前所未有的對緊急行動(dòng)的需要,要求國民暫時(shí)放棄平常的生活節(jié)奏,緊張起來。
讓我們正視面前的嚴(yán)峻歲月,懷著舉國一致給我們帶來的熱情和勇氣,懷著尋求傳統(tǒng)而珍貴的道德觀念的明確意識(shí),懷著老老少少都能通過克盡職守而得到的問心無愧的滿足。我們的目標(biāo)是要保證國民生活的圓滿和長治久安。
我們并不懷疑基本民主制度的未來。合眾國人民并沒有失敗。他們在困難中表達(dá)了自己的委托,即要求采取直接而有力的行動(dòng)。他們要求有領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的法律和方向。他們現(xiàn)在選擇了我作為實(shí)現(xiàn)他們的愿望的工具。我接受這份厚贈(zèng)。
在此舉國奉獻(xiàn)之際,我們謙卑地請求上帝賜福。愿上帝保佑我們大家和每一個(gè)人,愿上帝在未來的日子里指引我。