United States Congress (April 30, 1789) was addressed by President George Washington in his First Inaugural Speech to Both Houses of Congress. He had just taken the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall, at Wall and Nassau Streets in New York City, with his hand upon a Bible, reportedly opened to Deuteronomy, chapter 28.
Following in the tradition of English coronation ceremonies, where the newly crowned Sovereign would place his hand on the Bible and say "The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God," President George Washington kissed the Bible, stating:
<I swear: so help me God.> 1789US010
President Washington, embarrassed by the thunderous ovation, pealing of church bells and roaring of artillery, proceeded inside to deliver his address to Congress:
<Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations and whose providential aids can supply every human defect;
that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes; and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge.
In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either.
No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.
And in the important revolution just accomplished, in the system of their United government, the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities, from which the event has resulted, can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established, without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage.
These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me I trust in thinking, that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free Government can more auspiciously commence.
We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps finally, staked on the experiment.> 1789US011
The Annals of Congress, April 30, 1789, recorded the events following President George Washington's Inauguration:
<The President, the Vice-President, the Senate, and House of Representatives, &c., then proceeded to St. Paul's Chapel, where divine service was performed by the Chaplains of Congress.> 1789US007
Fisher Ames, who was in attendance, later wrote:
<I was present in the pew with the President, and must assure you that, after making all deductions for the delusion of one's fancy in regard to characters: I still think of him with more veneration than for any other person.> 1789US008
At the end of the service, President Washington joined in singing the traditional coronation hymn Te Deum, before entering his carriage and being driven to his residence:
<TE DEUM
We praise thee, O God
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud
the Heavens, and all the Powers therein. To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee. The noble army of Martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee
The Father of an infinite Majesty Thine honourable, true and only Son Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter. Thou art the King of Glory O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father. We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage.
Govern them and lift them up for ever.
Day by day we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name ever world without end. Vouchsafe, O Lord to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted
let me never be confounded.> 1789US009
--
American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1789US007. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). United States Congress. April 30, 1789, following President George Washington's Inauguration. Annals of Congress 1789-1791 (Washington, D.C.: Gales & Seaton, 1843), Vol. I, p. 29.
1789US008. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Fisher Ames, Seth Ames, ed., Works of Fisher Ames, vol. I, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1854), p. 34. The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Department of Speech Communication 'God Bless the President': The Rhetoric of Inaugural Prayer A Thesis in Speech Communication by Martin Jay Medhurst Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 1980,
1789US009. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Te Deum, coronation hymn from the 5th century, traditionally sung at Anglican coronation ceremonies.
1789US010. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). United States Congress. April 30, 1789, George Washington being inaugurated as president. Charles W. Eliot, LL.D., ed., American Historical Documents 1000-1904 (New York: P.F. Collier & Son Company, The Harvard Classics, 1910), Vol. 43, pp. 241-245. Charles E. Kistler, This Nation under God (Boston: Richard G. Badger, The Gorham Press, 1924), p. 97. William J. Johnson, George Washington, The Christian (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1919), pp. 161-162. Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States-From George Washington 1789 to Richard Milhous Nixon 1969 (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office; 91st Congress, 1st Session, House Document 91-142, 1969), pp. 1-4. Charles E. Rice, The Supreme Court and Public Prayer (New York: Fordham University Press, 1964), pp. 177-178. Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1977), p. 349. John W. Whitehead, The Separation Illusion (Milford, MI: Mott Media, 1977), p. 123. Gary DeMar, God and Government (Atlanta, GA: American Vision Press, 1984), p. 170. Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), pp. 63-64. J. Michael Sharman, J.D., Faith of the Fathers (Culpeper, Virginia: Victory Publishing, 1995), pp. 18-19.
1789US011. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). United States Congress. April 30, 1789, Thursday, in President George Washington's First Inaugural Address. National Archives, Original work and facsimile, (complete text), No. 22 (Washington: 1952). Jared Sparks, ed., The Writings of George Washington 12 vols. (Boston: American Stationer's Company, 1837, NY: F. Andrew's, 1834-1847), Vol. XII, pp. 2-5. James D. Richardson (U.S. Representative from Tennessee), ed., A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents 1789-1897, 10 vols. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, published by Authority of Congress, 1897, 1899; Washington, D.C.: Bureau of National Literature and Art, 1789-1902, 11 vols., 1907, 1910), Vol. 1, pp. 52-53. Charles W. Eliot, LL.D., ed., American Historical Documents 1000-1904 (New York: P.F. Collier & Son Company, The Harvard Classics, 1910), Vol. 43, pp. 241-245. William J. Johnson, George Washington-The Christian (St. Paul, MN: William J. Johnson, Merriam Park, February 23, 1919; Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1919; reprinted Milford, MI: Mott Media, 1976; reprinted Arlington Heights, IL: Christian Liberty Press, 502 West Euclid Avenue, Arlington Heights, Illinois, 60004, 1992), pp. 161-162. John Clement Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington, from the Original Manuscript Sources 1749-1799, 39 vols. (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1931-1944), Vol. XXX, pp. 291-296. William Barclay Allen, ed., George Washington-A Collection (Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, Liberty Fund, Inc., 7440 N. Shadeland, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250, 1988; based almost entirely on materials reproduced from The Writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799/John Clement Fitzpatrick, editor), pp. 460-463. Henry Steele Commager, ed., Documents of American History, 2 vols. (NY: F.S. Crofts and Company, 1934; Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1948, 6th edition, 1958; Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 9th edition, 1973), Vol. I, pp. 152-154. John F. Schroeder, ed., Maxims of Washington (Mt. Vernon: Mt. Vernon Ladies' Association, 1942), pp. 287-288. Saxe Commins, ed., The Basic Writings of George Washington (NY: Random House, 1948), complete work, pp. 599-602. Frederick C. Packard, Jr., ed., Are You an American?-Great Americans Speak (NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951), pp. 14-18. Paul M. Angle, ed., By These Words (NY: Rand McNally & Company, 1954), pp. 128-131. Davis Newton Lott, The Inaugural Addresses of the American Presidents (NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961), p. 3-5. Daniel Boorstin, Jr., ed., An American Primer (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1966), complete work, pp. 172-174. Gary DeMar, God and Government, A Biblical and Historical Study (Atlanta, GA: American Vision Press, 1984), p. 127-28. Pat Robertson, America's Dates With Destiny (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986), p. 104. Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), pp. 63-64, 107. John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the Constitution-The Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, A Mott Media Book, 1987; 6th printing, 1993), pp. 117, 123. "Our Christian Heritage," Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 4. D.P. Diffine, Ph.D., One Nation Under God- How Close a Separation? (Searcy, Arkansas: Harding University, Belden Center for Private Enterprise Education, 6th edition, 1992), p. 2. Charles E. Kistler, This Nation under God (Boston: Richard G. Badger, The Gorham Press, 1924), p. 97. Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States-From George Washington 1789 to Richard Milhous Nixon 1969 (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office; 91st Congress, 1st Session, House Document 91-142, 1969), pp. 1-4. Charles E. Rice, The Supreme Court and Public Prayer (New York: Fordham University Press, 1964), pp. 177-178. Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1977), p. 349. John W. Whitehead, The Separation Illusion (Milford, MI: Mott Media, 1977), p. 123. Gary DeMar, God and Government (Atlanta, GA: American Vision Press, 1984), p. 170. J. Michael Sharman, J.D., Faith of the Fathers (Culpeper, Virginia: Victory Publishing, 1995), pp. 18-19.