AmericanRhetoric.

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RichardM.Nixon
ResignationAddress

delivered8August1974

AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio

Goodevening:
Thisisthe37thtimeIhavespokentoyoufromthisoffice,wheresomanydecisionshave
beenmadethatshapethehistoryofthisnation.EachtimeIhavedonesotodiscusswithyou
somematterthatIbelieveaffectedthenationalinterest.InallthedecisionsIhavemadein
mypubliclifeIhavealwaystriedtodowhatwasbestforthenation.
ThroughoutthelonganddifficultperiodofWatergate,Ihavefeltitwasmydutytopersevere
tomakeeverypossibleefforttocompletethetermofofficetowhichyouelectedme.Inthe
pastfewdays,however,ithasbecomeevidenttomethatInolongerhaveastrongenough
politicalbaseintheCongresstojustifycontinuingthateffort.Aslongastherewassucha
base,Ifeltstronglythatitwasnecessarytoseetheconstitutionalprocessthroughtoits
conclusionthattodootherwisewouldbeunfaithfultothespiritofthatdeliberatelydifficult
process,andadangerouslydestabilizingprecedentforthefuture.Butwiththedisappearance
ofthatbase,Inowbelievethattheconstitutionalpurposehasbeenserved.Andthereisno
longeraneedfortheprocesstobeprolonged.
Iwouldhavepreferredtocarrythroughtothefinishwhateverthepersonalagonyitwould
haveinvolved,andmyfamilyunanimouslyurgedmetodoso.Buttheinterestsofthenation
mustalwayscomebeforeanypersonalconsiderations.

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FromthediscussionsIhavehadwithCongressionalandotherleadersIhaveconcludedthat
becauseoftheWatergatematterImightnothavethesupportoftheCongressthatIwould
considernecessarytobacktheverydifficultdecisionsandcarryoutthedutiesofthisofficein
thewaytheinterestsofthenationwillrequire.
Ihaveneverbeenaquitter.
Toleaveofficebeforemytermiscompletedisabhorrenttoeveryinstinctinmybody.Butas
President,ImustputtheinterestsofAmericafirst.
AmericaneedsafulltimePresidentandafulltimeCongress,particularlyatthistimewith
problemswefaceathomeandabroad.Tocontinuetofightthroughthemonthsaheadformy
personalvindicationwouldalmosttotallyabsorbthetimeandattentionofboththePresident
andtheCongressinaperiodwhenourentirefocusshouldbeonthegreatissuesofpeace
abroadandprosperitywithoutinflationathome.
Therefore,IshallresignthePresidencyeffectiveatnoontomorrow.
VicePresidentFordwillbesworninasPresidentatthathourinthisoffice.
AsIrecallthehighhopesforAmericawithwhichwebeganthissecondterm,Ifeelagreat
sadnessthatIwillnotbehereinthisofficeworkingonyourbehalftoachievethosehopesin
thenexttwoandahalfyears.ButinturningoverdirectionoftheGovernmenttoVice
PresidentFordIknow,asItoldthenationwhenInominatedhimforthatofficetenmonths
ago,thattheleadershipofAmericawouldbeingoodhands.
InpassingthisofficetotheVicePresident,Ialsodosowiththeprofoundsenseoftheweight
ofresponsibilitythatwillfallonhisshoulderstomorrow,andthereforeoftheunderstanding,
thepatience,thecooperationhewillneedfromallAmericans.Asheassumesthat
responsibilityhewilldeservethehelpandthesupportofallofus.Aswelooktothefuture,
thefirstessentialistobeginhealingthewoundsofthisnation.Toputthebitternessand
divisionsoftherecentpastbehindusandtorediscoverthosesharedidealsthatlieatthe
heartofourstrengthandunityasagreatandasafreepeople.
Bytakingthisaction,IhopethatIwillhavehastenedthestartofthatprocessofhealing
whichissodesperatelyneededinAmerica.Iregretdeeplyanyinjuriesthatmayhavebeen
doneinthecourseoftheeventsthatledtothisdecision.Iwouldsayonlythatifsomeofmy
judgmentswerewrongandsomewerewrongtheyweremadeinwhatIbelievedatthe
timetobethebestinterestsofthenation.
Tothosewhohavestoodwithmeduringthesepastdifficultmonths,tomyfamily,myfriends,
themanyotherswhojoinedinsupportingmycausebecausetheybelieveditwasright,Iwill
beeternallygratefulforyoursupport.Andtothosewhohavenotfeltabletogivemeyour
support,letmesayIleavewithnobitternesstowardthosewhohaveopposedme,becauseall
ofusinthefinalanalysishavebeenconcernedwiththegoodofthecountry,howeverour
judgmentsmightdiffer.

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Soletusallnowjointogetherinaffirmingthatcommoncommitmentandinhelpingournew
PresidentsucceedforthebenefitofallAmericans.Ishallleavethisofficewithregretatnot
completingmytermbutwithgratitudefortheprivilegeofservingasyourPresidentforthe
pastfiveandahalfyears.Theseyearshavebeenamomentoustimeinthehistoryofour
nationandtheworld.Theyhavebeenatimeofachievementinwhichwecanallbeproud,
achievementsthatrepresentthesharedeffortsoftheadministration,theCongressandthe
people.Butthechallengesaheadareequallygreat.Andthey,too,willrequirethesupportand
theeffortsoftheCongressandthepeople,workingincooperationwiththenew
Administration.
WehaveendedAmerica'slongestwar.Butintheworkofsecuringalastingpeaceinthe
world,thegoalsaheadareevenmorefarreachingandmoredifficult.Wemustcompletea
structureofpeace,sothatitwillbesaidofthisgenerationourgenerationofAmericans
bythepeopleofallnations,notonlythatweendedonewarbutthatwepreventedfuture
wars.
WehaveunlockedthedoorsthatforaquarterofacenturystoodbetweentheUnitedStates
andthePeople'sRepublicofChina.Wemustnowinsurethattheonequarteroftheworld's
peoplewholiveinthePeople'sRepublicofChinawillbeandremain,notourenemies,butour
friends.
IntheMiddleEast,100millionpeopleintheArabcountries,manyofwhomhaveconsidered
ustheirenemyfornearly20years,nowlookonusastheirfriends.Wemustcontinuetobuild
onthatfriendshipsothatpeacecansettleatlastovertheMiddleEastandsothatthecradle
ofcivilizationwillnotbecomeitsgrave.TogetherwiththeSovietUnionwehavemadethe
crucialbreakthroughsthathavebeguntheprocessoflimitingnucleararms.But,wemustset
asourgoal,notjustlimiting,butreducingandfinallydestroyingtheseterribleweapons,so
thattheycannotdestroycivilization.Andsothatthethreatofnuclearwarwillnolongerhang
overtheworldandthepeople.WehaveopenedanewrelationwiththeSovietUnion.We
mustcontinuetodevelopandexpandthatnewrelationship,sothatthetwostrongestnations
oftheworldwilllivetogetherincooperationratherthanconfrontation.
AroundtheworldinAsia,inAfrica,inLatinAmerica,intheMiddleEasttherearemillions
ofpeoplewholiveinterriblepoverty,evenstarvation.Wemustkeepasourgoalturningaway
fromproductionforwarandexpandingproductionforpeacesothatpeopleeverywhereon
thisearthcanatlastlookforward,intheirchildren'stime,ifnotinourowntime,tohaving
thenecessitiesforadecentlife.Here,inAmerica,wearefortunatethatmostofourpeople
havenotonlytheblessingsoflibertybutalsothemeanstolivefullandgood,andbythe
world'sstandardsevenabundantlives.
Wemustpresson,however,towardagoalnotonlyofmoreandbetterjobsbutoffull
opportunityforeveryAmerican,andofwhatwearestrivingsohardrightnowtoachieve
prosperitywithoutinflation.

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Formorethanaquarterofacenturyinpubliclife,Ihavesharedintheturbulenthistoryof
thisevening.IhavefoughtforwhatIbelievein.Ihavetried,tothebestofmyability,to
dischargethosedutiesandmeetthoseresponsibilitiesthatwereentrustedtome.Sometimes
Ihavesucceeded.AndsometimesIhavefailed.ButalwaysIhavetakenheartfromwhat
TheodoreRooseveltoncesaidaboutthemaninthearena,whosefaceismarredbydustand
sweatandblood,whostrivesvaliantly,whoerrsandcomesshortagainandagainbecause
thereisnoteffortwithouterrorandshortcoming,butwhodoesactuallystrivetodothedeed,
whoknowsthegreatenthusiasms,thegreatdevotions,whospendshimselfinaworthy
cause,whoatthebestknowsintheendthetriumphsofhighachievementsandwiththe
worstifhefails,atleastfailswhiledaringgreatly.
IpledgetoyoutonightthataslongasIhaveabreathoflifeinmybody,Ishallcontinuein
thatspirit.IshallcontinuetoworkforthegreatcausestowhichIhavebeendedicated
throughoutmyyearsasaCongressman,aSenator,VicePresidentandPresident,thecauseof
peacenotjustforAmericabutamongallnationsprosperity,justiceandopportunityfor
allofourpeople.
ThereisonecauseabovealltowhichIhavebeendevotedandtowhichIshallalwaysbe
devotedforaslongasIlive.
WhenIfirsttooktheoathofofficeasPresidentfiveandahalfyearsago,Imadethissacred
commitment:toconsecratemyoffice,myenergies,andallthewisdomIcansummontothe
causeofpeaceamongnations.I'vedonemyverybestinallthedayssincetobetruetothat
pledge.Asaresultoftheseefforts,Iamconfidentthattheworldisasaferplacetoday,not
onlyforthepeopleofAmericabutforthepeopleofallnations,andthatallofourchildren
haveabetterchancethanbeforeoflivinginpeaceratherthandyinginwar.
This,morethananything,iswhatIhopedtoachievewhenIsoughtthePresidency.
This,morethananything,iswhatIhopewillbemylegacytoyou,toourcountry,asIleave
thePresidency.
Tohaveservedinthisofficeistohavefeltaverypersonalsenseofkinshipwitheachand
everyAmerican.
Inleavingit,Idosowiththisprayer:MayGod'sgracebewithyouinallthedaysahead.

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