Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States. 1989. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Fourth Inaugural Address.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Fourth Inaugural Address

Saturday, January 20, 1945

The fourth inauguration was conducted without fanfare. Becauseof the expense and impropriety of festivity during the height of war, theoath of office was taken on the South Portico of the White House. It wasadministered by Chief Justice Harlan Stone. No formal celebrations followedthe address. Instead of renominating Vice President Henry Wallace in theelection of 1944, the Democratic convention chose the Senator from Missouri,Harry S. Truman.

  MR. Chief Justice, Mr. Vice President,my friends, you will understand and, I believe, agree with my wish thatthe form of this inauguration be simple and its words brief. 1
  We Americans of today, together with our allies, are passingthrough a period of supreme test. It is a test of our courage—of ourresolve—of our wisdom—our essential democracy. 2
  If we meet that test—successfully and honorably—weshall perform a service of historic importance which men and women and childrenwill honor throughout all time. 3
  As I stand here today, having taken the solemn oath of officein the presence of my fellow countrymen—in the presence of our God—Iknow that it is America's purpose that we shall not fail. 4
  In the days and in the years that are to come we shall workfor a just and honorable peace, a durable peace, as today we work and fightfor total victory in war. 5
  We can and we will achieve such a peace. 6
  We shall strive for perfection. We shall not achieve it immediately—butwe still shall strive. We may make mistakes—but they must never bemistakes which result from faintness of heart or abandonment of moral principle. 7
  I remember that my old schoolmaster, Dr. Peabody, said, in daysthat seemed to us then to be secure and untroubled: "Things in lifewill not always run smoothly. Sometimes we will be rising toward the heights—thenall will seem to reverse itself and start downward. The great fact to rememberis that the trend of civilization itself is forever upward; that a linedrawn through the middle of the peaks and the valleys of the centuries alwayshas an upward trend." 8
  Our Constitution of 1787 was not a perfect instrument; it isnot perfect yet. But it provided a firm base upon which all manner of men,of all races and colors and creeds, could build our solid structure of democracy. 9
  And so today, in this year of war, 1945, we have learned lessons—ata fearful cost—and we shall profit by them. 10
  We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that ourown well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away.We have learned that we must live as men, not as ostriches, nor as dogsin the manger. 11
  We have learned to be citizens of the world, members of thehuman community. 12
  We have learned the simple truth, as Emerson said, that "Theonly way to have a friend is to be one." 13
  We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicionand mistrust or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding,the confidence, and the courage which flow from conviction. 14
  The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has givenour people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blowsfor freedom and truth. He has given to our country a faith which has becomethe hope of all peoples in an anguished world. 15
  So we pray to Him now for the vision to see our way clearly—tosee the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellowmen—to the achievement of His will to peace on earth. 16

Inaugural Addressesof the Presidents of the United States. 1989.

MR. Chief Justice, Mr. Vice President,my friends, you will understand and, I believe, agree with my wish thatthe form of this inauguration be simple and its words brief.	1
We Americans of today, together with our allies, are passingthrough a period of supreme test. It is a test of our courage—of ourresolve—of our wisdom—our essential democracy.	2
If we meet that test—successfully and honorably—weshall perform a service of historic importance which men and women and childrenwill honor throughout all time.	3
As I stand here today, having taken the solemn oath of officein the presence of my fellow countrymen—in the presence of our God—Iknow that it is America's purpose that we shall not fail.	4
In the days and in the years that are to come we shall workfor a just and honorable peace, a durable peace, as today we work and fightfor total victory in war.	5
We can and we will achieve such a peace.	6
We shall strive for perfection. We shall not achieve it immediately—butwe still shall strive. We may make mistakes—but they must never bemistakes which result from faintness of heart or abandonment of moral principle.	7
I remember that my old schoolmaster, Dr. Peabody, said, in daysthat seemed to us then to be secure and untroubled: "Things in lifewill not always run smoothly. Sometimes we will be rising toward the heights—thenall will seem to reverse itself and start downward. The great fact to rememberis that the trend of civilization itself is forever upward; that a linedrawn through the middle of the peaks and the valleys of the centuries alwayshas an upward trend."	8
Our Constitution of 1787 was not a perfect instrument; it isnot perfect yet. But it provided a firm base upon which all manner of men,of all races and colors and creeds, could build our solid structure of democracy.	9
And so today, in this year of war, 1945, we have learned lessons—ata fearful cost—and we shall profit by them.	10
We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that ourown well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away.We have learned that we must live as men, not as ostriches, nor as dogsin the manger.	11
We have learned to be citizens of the world, members of thehuman community.	12
We have learned the simple truth, as Emerson said, that "Theonly way to have a friend is to be one."	13
We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicionand mistrust or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding,the confidence, and the courage which flow from conviction.	14
The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has givenour people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blowsfor freedom and truth. He has given to our country a faith which has becomethe hope of all peoples in an anguished world.	15
So we pray to Him now for the vision to see our way clearly—tosee the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellowmen—to the achievement of His will to peace on earth.	16