SENATE—Friday, February 17, 2006
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February 17, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 2067 SENATE—Friday, February 17, 2006 The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was administer the executive government eyes, perhaps still more in the eyes of called to order by the President pro of the United States being not far dis- others, has strengthened the motives tempore (Mr. STEVENS). tant, and the time actually arrived to diffidence of myself; and, every day, when your thoughts must be employed the increasing weight of years admon- PRAYER in designating the person who is to be ishes me more and more that the shade The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- clothed with that important trust, it of retirement is as necessary to me as fered the following prayer: appears to me proper, especially as it it will be welcome. Satisfied that if Let us pray. may conduce to a more distinct expres- any circumstances have given peculiar Creator of all things, we praise You, sion of the public voice, that I should value to my services, they were tem- the giver of every good and perfect gift. now apprise you of the resolution I porary, I have the consolation to be- Thank You for Your amazing grace and have formed, to decline being consid- lieve that, while choice and prudence Your wonderful love. Thank You also ered among the number of those out of invite me to quit the political scene, for the wonders of nature, for the beau- whom a choice is to be made. patriotism does not forbid it. ty of the Earth, and for the glory of the I beg you at the same time to do me In looking forward to the moment skies. the justice to be assured, that this res- which is intended to terminate the ca- Strengthen our Senators today with olution has not been taken without reer of my political life, my feelings do Your loving providence. Keep them strict regard to all the considerations not permit me to suspend the deep ac- strong and compassionate for the poor appertaining to the relation which knowledgment of that debt of gratitude and powerless. Help them to see the un- binds a dutiful citizen to his country— which I owe to my beloved country for precedented opportunities they possess and that, in withdrawing the tender of the many honors it has conferred upon to change our world for the good. Give service which silence in my situation me, still more for the steadfast con- them faith, courage, and goodwill to might imply, I am influenced by no fidence with which it has supported me relate constructively to enemies as diminution of zeal for your future in- and for the opportunities I have thence well as friends. terest, no deficiency of grateful respect enjoyed of manifesting my inviolable Lord, as we enter the Presidents Day for your past kindness, but am sup- attachment by services faithful and weekend, we think about the lives and ported by a full conviction that the persevering, though in usefulness un- Presidencies of Lincoln and Wash- step is compatible with both. equal to my zeal. If benefits have re- ington. We thank You for the wisdom The acceptance of, and continuance sulted to our country from these serv- and strength that You gave both of hitherto in the office to which your ices, let it always be remembered to them to govern our Nation through suffrages have twice called me have your praise and as an instructive exam- turbulent times. May our hearts say, been a uniform sacrifice of inclination ple in our annals, that, under cir- along with Washington, ‘‘Providence to the opinion of duty, and to a def- cumstances in which the passions agi- has at all times been my only depend- erence for what appeared to be your de- tated in every direction were liable to ence, for all other sources seem to have sire. I constantly hoped that it would mislead, amidst appearances some- failed us.’’ have been much earlier in my power, times dubious, vicissitudes of fortune Transform us all by the power of consistently with motives which I was often discouraging, in situations in Your grace. We pray in Your mighty not at liberty to disregard, to return to which not unfrequently, want of suc- name. Amen. that retirement from which I had been cess has countenanced the spirit of f reluctantly drawn. The strength of my criticism, the constancy of your sup- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE inclination to do this, previous to the port was the essential prop of the ef- last election, had even led to the prepa- forts and a guarantee of the plans by The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the ration of an address to declare it to which they were effected. Profoundly Pledge of Allegiance as follows: you; but mature reflection on the then penetrated with this idea, I shall carry I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the perplexed and critical posture of our it with me to my grave as a strong in- United States of America and to the Repub- affairs with foreign nations, and the citement to unceasing vows that Heav- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. unanimous advice of persons entitled en may continue to you the choicest to my confidence, impelled me to aban- tokens of its beneficence; that your f don the idea. union and brotherly affection may be RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME I rejoice that the state of your con- perpetual; that the free constitution, The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under cerns external as well as internal, no which is the work of your hands, may the previous order, the leadership time longer renders the pursuit of inclina- be sacredly maintained; that its admin- is reserved. tion incompatible with the sentiment istration in every department may be of duty or propriety; and am persuaded, f stamped with wisdom and virtue; that, whatever partiality may be retained in fine, the happiness of the people of READING OF WASHINGTON’S for my services, that in the present cir- these states, under the auspices of lib- FAREWELL ADDRESS cumstances of our country you will not erty, may be made complete by so care- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under disapprove my determination to retire. ful a preservation and so prudent a use the order of the Senate of January 24, The impressions with which I first of this blessing as will acquire to them 1901, as modified on February 2, 2006, undertook the arduous trust were ex- the glory of recommending it to the ap- the Senator from Colorado, Mr. SALA- plained on the proper occasion. In the plause, the affection, and adoption of ZAR, having been appointed by the Vice discharge of this trust, I will only say every nation which is yet a stranger to President, will now read Washington’s that I have, with good intentions, con- it. Farewell Address. tributed towards the organization and Here, perhaps, I ought to stop. But a Mr. SALAZAR, at the rostrum, read administration of the government the solicitude for your welfare, which can- the Farewell Address, as follows: best exertions of which a very fallible not end but with my life, and the ap- To the people of the United States: judgment was capable. Not unconscious prehension of danger natural to that FRIENDS AND FELLOW CITIZENS: The in the outset of the inferiority of my solicitude, urge me on an occasion like period for a new election of a citizen to qualifications, experience, in my own the present to offer to your solemn ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Sep 11 2014 09:04 Mar 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\BOUNDRECORD\BR17FE06.DAT BR17FE06 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE 2068 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE February 17, 2006 contemplation, and to recommend to your sensibility, are greatly out- In this sense it is, that your Union your frequent review, some sentiments weighed by those which apply more im- ought to be considered as a main prop which are the result of much reflec- mediately to your interest. Here every of your liberty, and that the love of the tion, of no inconsiderable observation, portion of our country finds the most one ought to endear to you the preser- and which appear to me all important commanding motives for carefully vation of the other. to the permanency of your felicity as a guarding and preserving the Union of These considerations speak a persua- people. These will be offered to you the whole. sive language to every reflecting and with the more freedom as you can only The North, in an unrestrained inter- virtuous mind, and exhibit the continu- see in them the disinterested warnings course with the South, protected by the ance of the Union as a primary object of a parting friend, who can possibly equal laws of a common government, of patriotic desire. Is there a doubt have no personal motive to bias his finds in the productions of the latter, whether a common government can counsel. Nor can I forget, as an encour- great additional resources of maritime embrace so large a sphere? Let experi- agement to it, your indulgent recep- and commercial enterprise, and pre- ence solve it. To listen to mere specu- tion of my sentiments on a former and cious materials of manufacturing in- lation in such a case were criminal. We not dissimilar occasion.