The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Acknowledgments
• Editor’s Note
• About the Frontispiece
• The Sources of the Text
• Chronology
• George Washington a Collection
• Prologue
• 1: To Richard Henry Lee
• 2: The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation
• Chapter One: the Rules of Bravery and Liberty 1756-1775
• 3: Address to His Command
• 4: To Governor Robert Hunter Morris
• 5: To Francis Dandridge
• 6: To George Mason
• 7: To Thomas Johnson
• 8: To George William Fairfax
• 9: To Bryan Fairfax
• 10: To Bryan Fairfax
• 11: To Bryan Fairfax
• 12: To the President of the Second Continental Congress
• 13: To Mrs. Martha Washington
• 14: General Orders
• 15: To Lieutenant General Thomas Gage
• 16: To the Inhabitants of the Island of Bermuda
• 17: To the Inhabitants of Canada
• Chapter Two: Tyranny: the Scourge of Liberty 1775-1777
• 18: To Joseph Reed
• 19: General Orders
• 20: To Joseph Reed
• 21: To the President of Congress
• 22: To Joseph Reed
• 23: To John Augustine Washington
• 24: General Orders
• 25: General Orders
• 26: To the Officers and Soldiers of the Pennsylvania Associators
• 27: To the President of Congress
• 28: To Lund Washington
• 29: Proclamation
• 30: To an Unidentified Correspondent
• 31: To President James Warren
• 32: To Major General Philip Schuyler
• Chapter Three: the Passions of Men and the Principles of Action 1778-1780
• 33: General Orders
• 34: To John Banister
• 35: To John Augustine Washington
• 36: To Comte D’estaing
• 37: To Gouverneur Morris
• 38: To Henry Laurens
• 39: To Benjamin Harrison
• 40: To the President of Congress
• 41: To Thomas Nelson
• 42: To George Mason
• 43: To James Warren
• 44: To Gouverneur Morris
• 45: Speech to the Delaware Chiefs
• 46: Circular to the States
• 47: To John Jay
• 48: A Conference Between the Chevalier De La Luzerne and General Washington
• 49: To Edmund Pendleton
• 50: To Joseph Jones
• 51: To President Joseph Reed
• 52: To President Joseph Reed
• 53: To Joseph Jones
• 54: Circular to the States
• 55: To the President of Congress
• 56: Circular to the States
• Chapter Four: Trials and Triumph 1780-1781
• 57: To George Mason
• 58: To William Fitzhugh
• 59: To James Duane
• 60: Circular to the New England States
• 61: To Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens
• 62: General Orders
• 63: To John Sullivan
• 64: To John Parke Custis
• 65: To Lund Washington
• 66: To the President of Congress
• 67: General Orders
• Chapter Five: Washington’s Knowledge of Himself and His Army 1782-1783
• 68: To Colonel Lewis Nicola
• 69: To the Secretary At War
• 70: To Joseph Jones
• 71: To Major General Nathanael Greene
• 72: General Orders
• 73: To Governor Benjamin Harrison
• 74: To Alexander Hamilton
• 75: To the President of Congress
• 76: To Joseph Jones
• 77: Speech to the Officers of the Army
• 78: To the President of Congress
• Chapter Six: Washington’s Knowledge of His Countrymen 1783
• 79: To Joseph Jones
• 80: To Major General Nathanael Greene
• 81: To Alexander Hamilton
• 82: To Theodorick Bland
• 83: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 84: General Orders
• 85: To Lieutenant Colonel Tench Tilghman
• 86: Circular to the States
• Chapter Seven: the General Resigns 1783
• 87: To John Augustine Washington
• 88: To Reverend William Gordon
• 89: To James Duane
• 90: Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States
• 91: To the Ministers, Elders, Deacons, and Members of the Reformed German Congregation of New York
• 92: To the Merchants of Philadelphia
• 93: Address to Congress On Resigning His Commission
• Chapter Eight: the Citizen Stirs 1784-1786
• 94: To Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.
• 95: To Governor Benjamin Harrison
• 96: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 97: To Dr. James Craik
• 98: To Thomas Jefferson
• 99: To James Madison
• 100: To Governor Benjamin Harrison
• 101: To Thomas Johnson
• 102: To Benjamin Harrison
• 103: To the President of Congress
• 104: To William Grayson
• 105: To David Humphreys
• 106: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 107: To Edmund Randolph
• 108: To James Mchenry
• 109: To George Mason
• 110: To James Warren
• 111: To James Madison
• 112: To Henry Lee
• 113: To Robert Morris
• 114: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 115: To the Secretary For Foreign Affairs
• 116: To Marquis De Lafayette
• Chapter Nine: Making a Constitution 1786-1788
• 117: To John Jay
• 118: To Bushrod Washington
• 119: To Henry Lee
• 120: To James Madison
• 121: To Bushrod Washington
• 122: To James Madison
• 123: To James Madison
• 124: To Governor Edmund Randolph
• 125: To Henry Knox
• 126: To David Humphreys
• 127: To Henry Knox
• 128: To Henry Knox
• 129: To the Secretary For Foreign Affairs
• 130: To Governor Edmund Randolph
• 131: To James Madison
• 132: To Henry Knox
• 133: Summary of Letters From Jay, Knox, and Madison *
• 134: To Alexander Hamilton
• 135: To Patrick Henry
• 136: To Alexander Hamilton
• 137: To Bushrod Washington
• 138: To David Stuart
• 139: To James Madison
• 140: To Governor Edmund Randolph
• 141: To James Madison
• 142: To James Madison
• 143: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 144: To James Madison
• 145: To John Armstrong
• 146: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 147: To Marquis De Chastellux
• 148: To Reverend Francis Adrian Vanderkemp
• 149: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 150: To Henry Knox
• 151: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 152: To Benjamin Lincoln
• Chapter Ten: the Drama of Founding 1788-1789
• 153: To the Secretary For Foreign Affairs
• 154: To Jonathan Trumbull
• 155: To Noah Webster, Esq.
• 156: To Benjamin Lincoln
• 157: To Alexander Hamilton
• 158: To Thomas Jefferson
• 159: To Alexander Hamilton
• 160: To Benjamin Lincoln
• 161: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 162: To Benjamin Lincoln
• 163: To Francis Hopkinson
• 164: To George Steptoe Washington
• 165: To James Madison
• 166: To the Mayor, Corporation, and Citizens of Alexandria
• Chapter Eleven: Presidential Addresses 1789-1796
• 167: Fragments of the Discarded First Inaugural Address
• 168: The First Inaugural Speech
• 169: First Annual Message
• 170: Second Annual Message
• 171: Third Annual Message
• 172: Fourth Annual Message
• 173: The Second Inaugural Speech
• 174: Fifth Annual Message
• 175: Sixth Annual Message
• 176: Seventh Annual Message
• 177: Eighth Annual Message
• 178: Farewell Address
• Chapter Twelve: Washington the President 1789-1791
• 179: To James Madison
• 180: To the United Baptist Churches In Virginia
• 181: To the General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches
• 182: To the Annual Meeting of Quakers
• 183: Thanksgiving Proclamation
• 184: Sketch of a Plan of American Finance
• 185: To Catherine Macaulay Graham
• 186: To David Stuart
• 187: To David Stuart
• 188: To the Hebrew Congregations
• 189: To the Roman Catholics In the United States of America
• 190: To the Hebrew Congregation In Newport
• 191: To the Hebrew Congregations of the City of Savannah, Georgia
• 192: To the Chiefs and Counselors of the Seneca Nation
• 193: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 194: To Gouverneur Morris
• 195: To Arthur Young
• Chapter Thirteen: Trials of Division 1792-1796
• 196: To James Madison
• 197: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 198: To the Secretary of the Treasury
• 199: To the Secretary of State
• 200: To the Secretary of the Treasury
• 201: To the Attorney General
• 202: Proclamation
• 203: To the Secretary of State
• 204: Proclamation
• 205: Proclamation of Neutrality
• 206: To Governor Henry Lee
• 207: Proclamation
• 208: Proclamation
• 209: To Governor Henry Lee
• 210: To Burgess Ball
• 211: Proclamation
• 212: To the Secretary of State
• 213: To John Jay
• 214: To the Commissioners of the District of Columbia
• 215: To Thomas Jefferson
• 216: To Alexander Hamilton
• 217: To Alexander Hamilton
• 218: To Alexander Hamilton
• 219: To Gouverneur Morris
• 220: To the House of Representatives
• Chapter Fourteen: a Work Completed 1796-1799
• 221: To Alexander Hamilton
• 222: To the Emperor of Germany
• 223: To Alexander Hamilton
• 224: To Thomas Pinckney
• 225: To Alexander Hamilton
• 226: To Thomas Jefferson
• 227: To Alexander Hamilton
• 228: Talk to the Cherokee Nation
• 229: To Alexander Hamilton
• 230: To Alexander Hamilton
• 231: To Jonathan Trumbull
• 232: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 233: To Patrick Henry
• Epilogue
• 234: To Governor Jonathan Trumbull
• 235: Last Will and Testament

173

THE SECOND INAUGURAL SPEECH

Monday, March 4, 1793

Fellow-citizens:

I am again called upon, by the voice of my country, to execute the functions of its Chief Magistrate. When the occasion proper for it shall arrive, I shall endeavor to express the high sense I entertain of this distinguished honor, and of the confidence which has been reposed in me by the People of United America.

Previous to the execution of any official act of the President, the constitution requires an oath of office. This oath I am now about to take, and in your presence; that, if it should be found, during my administration of the Government, I have, in any instance, violated willingly or knowingly, the injunction thereof, I may, (besides incurring constitutional punishment) be subject to the upbraidings of all who are now witnesses of the present solemn ceremony.