Good evening:

This is the 37th time Ihave spokentoyou fromthis office, where so manydecisionshave been made that shapethe history ofthis nation.Eachtime I have done soto discuss with you some matter thatIbelieveaffectedthe national interest.In allthedecisions Ihavemadeinmy publiclifeIhave alwaystried todo what wasbest for the nation.

Throughout the long anddifficultperiod ofWatergate, I have felt itwasmy duty to persevere --to makeeverypossibleeffort tocompletethe term ofofficeto which youelected me.In the pastfew days, however, it has become evidenttome that Inolonger have astrongenough politicalbaseintheCongress tojustifycontinuingthat effort.As longas therewassuch abase,Ifelt strongly thatitwas necessary tosee the constitutional process throughto its conclusion; that to do otherwisewouldbeunfaithful tothe spirit of thatdeliberatelydifficult process,and a dangerously destabilizing precedentforthe future. Butwith thedisappearance of thatbase, I now believe that the constitutionalpurposehasbeen served. Andthereis nolongera need forthe processto beprolonged.

Iwould have preferred tocarrythrough tothefinishwhatever the personalagony it wouldhaveinvolved, and myfamily unanimouslyurged metodoso. Butthe interests of the nationmust always come before any personal considerations.Fromthediscussions Ihave had with Congressionalandother leaders Ihave concludedthat becauseoftheWatergatematter I might not havethesupportof theCongress that I would considernecessary to back the verydifficult decisions andcarry out the duties of this officein theway theinterestsofthe nationwillrequire.

I have never been aquitter.

To leaveofficebeforemy term iscompletedis abhorrent toevery instinct in my body. But asPresident,I mustput the interestsof Americafirst.

Americaneedsa full-timePresident and a full-time Congress,particularly at this time with problems wefaceat homeand abroad. To continue tofightthrough the months ahead formy personalvindicationwouldalmost totally absorbthe time andattentionof both thePresident and the Congress ina period when our entire focus shouldbeonthe greatissues of peace abroadandprosperity withoutinflationathome.

Therefore,I shall resignthe Presidency effective at noon tomorrow.

Vice PresidentFordwill be swornin as President atthathour inthisoffice.

AsIrecall the highhopesforAmericawithwhichwebeganthissecondterm,IfeelagreatsadnessthatIwillnotbehereinthisofficeworkingonyourbehalftoachievethosehopesinthenexttwoandahalfyears.ButinturningoverdirectionoftheGovernmenttoVicePresidentFordIknow,asItoldthenationwhenInominatedhimforthatofficetenmonthsago,thattheleadershipofAmericawouldbeingoodhands.

InpassingthisofficetotheVicePresident,Ialsodosowiththeprofoundsenseoftheweightofresponsibilitythatwillfallonhisshoulderstomorrow,andthereforeoftheunderstanding,thepatience,thecooperationhewillneedfromallAmericans.Asheassumesthatresponsibilityhewilldeservethehelpandthesupportofallofus.Aswelooktothefuture,thefirstessentialistobeginhealingthewoundsofthisnation.Toputthebitternessanddivisionsoftherecentpastbehindusandtorediscoverthosesharedidealsthatlieattheheartofourstrengthandunityasagreatandasafreepeople.

Bytakingthisaction,IhopethatIwillhavehastenedthestartofthatprocessofhealingwhichissodesperatelyneededinAmerica.Iregretdeeplyanyinjuriesthatmayhavebeendoneinthecourseoftheeventsthatledtothisdecision.Iwouldsayonlythatifsomeofmyjudgmentswerewrong--andsomewerewrong--theyweremadeinwhatIbelievedatthetimetobethebestinterestsofthenation.

Tothosewhohavestoodwithmeduringthesepastdifficultmonths,tomyfamily,myfriends,themanyotherswhojoinedinsupportingmycausebecausetheybelieveditwasright,Iwillbeeternallygratefulforyoursupport.Andtothosewhohavenotfeltabletogivemeyoursupport,letmesayIleavewithnobitternesstowardthosewhohaveopposedme,becauseallofusinthefinalanalysishavebeenconcernedwiththegoodofthecountry,howeverourjudgmentsmightdiffer.

SoletusallnowjointogetherinaffirmingthatcommoncommitmentandinhelpingournewPresidentsucceedforthebenefitofallAmericans.IshallleavethisofficewithregretatnotcompletingmytermbutwithgratitudefortheprivilegeofservingasyourPresidentforthepastfiveandahalfyears.Theseyearshavebeenamomentoustimeinthehistoryofournationandtheworld.Theyhavebeenatimeofachievementinwhichwecanallbeproud,achievementsthatrepresentthesharedeffortsoftheadministration,theCongressandthepeople.Butthechallengesaheadareequallygreat.Andthey,too,willrequirethesupportandtheeffortsoftheCongressandthepeople,workingincooperationwiththenewAdministration.

WehaveendedAmerica'slongestwar.Butintheworkofsecuringalastingpeaceintheworld,thegoalsaheadareevenmorefar-reachingandmoredifficult.Wemustcompleteastructureofpeace,sothatitwillbesaidofthisgeneration--ourgenerationofAmericans--bythepeopleofallnations,notonlythatweendedonewarbutthatwepreventedfuturewars.

WehaveunlockedthedoorsthatforaquarterofacenturystoodbetweentheUnitedStatesandthePeople'sRepublicofChina.Wemustnowinsurethattheone-quarteroftheworld'speoplewholiveinthePeople'sRepublicofChinawillbeandremain,notourenemies,butourfriends.

IntheMiddleEast,100millionpeopleintheArabcountries,manyofwhomhaveconsideredustheirenemyfornearly20years,nowlookonusastheirfriends.WemustcontinuetobuildonthatfriendshipsothatpeacecansettleatlastovertheMiddleEastandsothatthecradleofcivilizationwillnotbecomeitsgrave.TogetherwiththeSovietUnionwehavemadethecrucialbreakthroughsthathavebeguntheprocessoflimitingnucleararms.But,wemustsetasourgoal,notjustlimiting,butreducingandfinallydestroyingtheseterribleweapons,sothattheycannotdestroycivilization.Andsothatthethreatofnuclearwarwillnolongerhangovertheworldandthepeople.WehaveopenedanewrelationwiththeSovietUnion.Wemustcontinuetodevelopandexpandthatnewrelationship,sothatthetwostrongestnationsoftheworldwilllivetogetherincooperationratherthanconfrontation.

Aroundtheworld--inAsia,inAfrica,inLatinAmerica,intheMiddleEast--therearemillionsofpeoplewholiveinterriblepoverty,evenstarvation.Wemustkeepasourgoalturningawayfromproductionforwarandexpandingproductionforpeacesothatpeopleeverywhereonthisearthcanatlastlookforward,intheirchildren'stime,ifnotinourowntime,tohavingthenecessitiesforadecentlife.Here,inAmerica,wearefortunatethatmostofourpeoplehavenotonlytheblessingsoflibertybutalsothemeanstolivefullandgood,andbytheworld'sstandardsevenabundantlives.

Wemustpresson,however,towardagoalnotonlyofmoreandbetterjobsbutoffullopportunityforeveryAmerican,andofwhatwearestrivingsohardrightnowtoachieve--prosperitywithoutinflation.

Formorethanaquarterofacenturyinpubliclife,Ihavesharedintheturbulenthistoryofthisevening.IhavefoughtforwhatIbelievein.Ihavetried,tothebestofmyability,todischargethosedutiesandmeetthoseresponsibilitiesthatwereentrustedtome.SometimesIhavesucceeded.AndsometimesIhavefailed.ButalwaysIhavetakenheartfromwhatTheodoreRooseveltoncesaidaboutthemaninthearena,whosefaceismarredbydustandsweatandblood,whostrivesvaliantly,whoerrsandcomesshortagainandagainbecausethereisnoteffortwithouterrorandshortcoming,butwhodoesactuallystrivetodothedeed,whoknowsthegreatenthusiasms,thegreatdevotions,whospendshimselfinaworthycause,whoatthebestknowsintheendthetriumphsofhighachievementsandwiththeworstifhefails,atleastfailswhiledaringgreatly.

IpledgetoyoutonightthataslongasIhaveabreathoflifeinmybody,Ishallcontinueinthatspirit.IshallcontinuetoworkforthegreatcausestowhichIhavebeendedicatedthroughoutmyyearsasaCongressman,aSenator,VicePresidentandPresident,thecauseofpeace--notjustforAmericabutamongallnations--prosperity,justiceandopportunityforallofourpeople.

ThereisonecauseabovealltowhichIhavebeendevotedandtowhichIshallalwaysbedevotedforaslongasIlive.

WhenIfirsttooktheoathofofficeasPresidentfiveandahalfyearsago,Imadethissacredcommitment:toconsecratemyoffice,myenergies,andallthewisdomIcansummontothecauseofpeaceamongnations.I'vedonemyverybestinallthedayssincetobetruetothatpledge.Asaresultoftheseefforts,Iamconfidentthattheworldisasaferplacetoday,notonlyforthepeopleofAmericabutforthepeopleofallnations,andthatallofourchildrenhaveabetterchancethanbeforeoflivinginpeaceratherthandyinginwar.

This,morethananything,iswhatIhopedtoachievewhenIsoughtthePresidency.

This,morethananything,iswhatIhopewillbemylegacytoyou,toourcountry,asIleavethePresidency.

TohaveservedinthisofficeistohavefeltaverypersonalsenseofkinshipwitheachandeveryAmerican.

Inleavingit,Idosowiththisprayer:MayGod'sgracebewithyouinallthedaysahead.

