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Show Extracts From Jefferson's Inaugural, 1801. Equal and exact justice to all men. of whatever state or persuasion, religious re-ligious or political; peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangline alliances with none; the support of the state governments in all their rights as the most competent administration for our domestic concerns, con-cerns, and the surest bulwark against anti-republican tendencies; the preservation preserv-ation of the general government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad; a jealous care of the right of election by the people; absolute abso-lute acquiesence in the decisions of the majority; economy in the public expense ex-pense that labor may belightly burdened, bur-dened, encouragement of agris culture and of commerce or it handmaid: the diffusion of information infor-mation and the arragnment of all abuses at the bar of public reason; freedom of religion; freedom of the press; freedom of persons under the protection of habeas corpus; and trial by jury impartially selected these principles form the bright constellation which has gone before ub and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of our civilization, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or alarm, let us hasten to retrace our Bteps and to regain the road which alone lead to peace, liberty and safety." |