Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7336008
label
Presidential Statement about Nixon pardon [Ford Speech or Statement]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7336008
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Presidential Statement about Nixon pardon [Ford Speech or Statement]
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
7336008
levelOfDescription
item
productionDates
day
8
logicalDate
1974-09-08
month
9
year
1974
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
0813de3396a33a09
ocrText
Digitized from Box 2 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT
September 8, 1974
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVE COME TO A DECISION WHICH
I FELT I SHOULD TELL YOU, AND ALL MY FELLOW CITIZENS, AS
SOON AS I WAS CERTAIN IN MY OWN MIND AND CONSCIENCE THAT
IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I HAVE LEARNED ALREADY IN THIS OFFICE THAT ONLY THE
DIFFICULT DECISIONS COME TO THIS DESK. I MUST ADMIT THAT
MANY OF THEM DO NOT LOOK AT ALL THE SAME AS THE HYPO-
THETICAL QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ANSWERED FREELY AND PERHAPS
TOO FAST ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS. MY CUSTOMARY POLICY IS TO
TRY AND GET ALL THE FACTS AND TO CONSIDER THE OPINIONS
OF MY COUNTRYMEN AND TO TAKE COUNSEL WITH MY MOST VALUED
FRIENDS. BUT THESE SELDOM AGREE, AND IN THE END THE DECISION
IS MINE.
-2-
TO PROCRASTINATE, TO AGONIZE, TO WAIT FOR A MORE
FAVORABLE TURN OF EVENTS THAT MAY NEVER COME, OR MORE
COMPELLING EXTERNAL PRESSURES THAT MAY AS WELL BE
WRONG AS RIGHT, IS ITSELF A DECISION OF SORTS AND A WEAK
AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS COURSE FOR A PRESIDENT TO FOLLOW
I HAVE PROMISED TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION, TO DO WHAT
IS RIGHT AS GOD GIVES ME TO SEE THE RIGHT, AND TO DO THE
VERY BEST I CAN FOR AMERICA. I HAVE ASKED YOUR HELP AND
YOUR PRAYERS, NOT ONLY WHEN I BECAME PRESIDENT, BUT
MANY TIMES SINCE.
THE CONSTITUTION IS THE SUPREME LAW OF OUR LAND AND
IT GOVERNS OUR ACTIONS AS CITIZENS. ONLY THE LAWS OF GOD,
WHICH GOVERN OUR CONSCIENCES, ARE SUPERIOR TO IT. AS WE
ARE A NATION UNDER GOD, so I AM SWORN TO UPHOLD OUR LAWS
WITH THE HELP OF GOD. AND I HAVE SOUGHT SUCH GUIDANCE
-3-
AND SEARCHED MY OWN CONSCIENCE WITH SPECIAL DILIGENCE
TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT THING FOR ME TO DO WITH RESPECT TO
MY PREDECESSOR IN THIS PLACE, RICHARD NIXON, AND HIS LOYAL
WIFE AND FAMILY.
THEIRS IS AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY IN WHICH WE ALL HAVE PLAYED
A PART. IT CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON, OR SOMEONE-MUST WRITE
"THE END" TO IT.
I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT ONLY I CAN DO THAT. AND IF I CAN,
I MUST.
THERE ARE NO HISTORIC OR LEGAL PRECEDENTS TO WHICH I
CAN TURN IN THIS MATTER, NONE THAT PRECISELY FIT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF A PRIVATE CITIZEN WHO HAS RESIGNED THE
PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES. BUT IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE
THAT SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS AND ACCUSATIONS HANG LIKE A SWORD
OVER OUR FORMER PRESIDENT'S HEAD AS HE TRIES TO RESHAPE
-4-
HIS LIFE, A GREAT PART OF WHICH WAS SPENT IN THE SERVICE
OF THIS COUNTRY AND BY THE MANDATE OF ITS PEOPLE.
AFTER YEARS OF BITTER CONTROVERSY AND DIVISIVE NATIONAL
DEBATE, I HAVE BEEN ADVISED AND AM COMPELLED TO CONCLUDE
THAT MANY MONTHS AND PERHAPS MORE YEARS WILL HAVE TO PASS
BEFORE RICHARD NIXON COULD HOPE TO OBTAIN A FAIR TRIAL BY
JURY IN ANY JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES UNDER GOVERNING
DECISIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT.
I DEEPLY BELIEVE IN EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL AMERICANS,
WHATEVER THEIR STATION OR FORMER STATION. THE LAW, WHETHER
HUMAN OR DIVINE, IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS BUT THE LAW IS A
RESPECTER OF REALITY. THE FACTS AS I SEE THEM ARE THAT A
FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, INSTEAD OF ENJOYING
EQUAL TREATMENT WITH ANY OTHER CITIZEN ACCUSED OF VIOLATING
THE LAW, WOULD BE CRUELLY AND EXCESSIVELY PENALIZED EITHER
IN PRESERVING THE PRESUMPTION OF HIS INNOCENCE OR IN
OBTAINING A SPEEDY DETERMINATION OF HIS GUILT IN ORDER TO
REPAY A LEGAL DEBT TO SOCIETY.
DURING THIS LONG PERIOD OF DELAY AND POTENTIAL LITIGATION,
UGLY PASSIONS WOULD AGAIN BE AROUSED, OUR PEOPLE WOULD AGAIN
BE POLARIZED IN THEIR OPINIONS, AND THE CREDIBILITY OF OUR
FREE INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT WOULD AGAIN BE CHALLENGED
AT HOME AND ABROAD. IN THE END, THE COURTS MIGHT WELL HOLD
THAT RICHARD NIXON HAD BEEN DENIED DUE PROCESS AND THE
VERDICT OF HISTORY WOULD BE EVEN MORE INCONCLUSIVE WITH
RESPECT TO THOSE CHARGES ARISING OUT OF THE PERIOD OF HIS
PRESIDENCY OF WHICH I AM PRESENTLY AWARE.
BUT IT IS NOT THE ULTIMATE FATE OF RICHARD NIXON THAT MOST
CONCERNS ME -- THOUGH SURELY IT DEEPLY TROUBLES EVERY
DECENT AND COMPASSIONATE PERSON -- BUT THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE
OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY. IN THIS I DARE NOT DEPEND UPON MY
-6-
PERSONAL SYMPATHY AS A LONGTIME FRIEND OF THE FORMER
PRESIDENT NOR MY PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT AS A LAWYER. AND
I DO NOT.
1
AS PRESIDENT, MY PRIMARY CONCERN MUST ALWAYS BE THE
GREATEST GOOD OF ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, WHOSE
SERVANT I AM.
AS A MAN, MY FIRST CONSIDERATION WILL ALWAYS BE TO BE
TRUE TO MY OWN CONVICTIONS AND MY OWN CONSCIENCE.
MY CONSCIENCE TELLS ME CLEARLY AND CERTAINLY THAT I
CANNOT PROLONG THE BAD DREAMS THAT CONTINUE TO REOPEN A
CHAPTER THAT IS CLOSED. MY CONSCIENCE TELLS ME THAT ONLY I,
AS PRESIDENT, HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO FIRMLY SHUT
AND SEAL THIS BOOK. MY CONSCIENCE SAYS IT IS MY DUTY, NOT
MERELY TO PROCLAIM DOMESTIC TRANQUILLITY, BUT TO USE
EVERY MEANS I HAVE TO ENSURE IT
-7-
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE BUCK STOPS HERE AND THAT I
CANNOT 'RELY UPON PUBLIC OPINION POLLS TO TELL ME WHAT IS
RIGHT. I DO BELIEVE THAT RIGHT MAKES MIGHT, AND THAT IF I
AM WRONG TEN ANGELS SWEARING I WAS RIGHT WOULD MAKE NO
DIFFERENCE. I DO BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART AND MIND AND
SPIRIT THAT I, NOT AS PRESIDENT, BUT AS A HUMBLE SERVANT OF
GOD, WILL RECEIVE JUSTICE WITHOUT MERCY IF I FAIL TO SHOW
MERCY.
FINALLY, I FEEL THAT RICHARD NIXON AND HIS LOVED ONES HAVE
SUFFERED ENOUGH, AND WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER NO MATTER WHAT
I DO, NO MATTER WHAT WE AS A GREAT AND GOOD NATION CAN DO
TOGETHER TO MAKE HIS GOAL OF PEACE COME TRUE.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GERALD R. FORD, PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, PURSUANT TO THE PARDON POWER CONFERRED UPON
ME BY ARTICLE II, SECTION 2, OF THE CONSTITUTION, HAVE
3-
GRANTED AND BY THESE PRESENTS DO GRANT A FULL, FREE,
AND ABSOLUTE PARDON UNTO RICHARD NIXON FOR ALL OFFENSES
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES WHICH HE, RICHARD NIXON, HAS
COMMITTED OR MAY HAVE COMMITTED OR TAKEN PART IN DURING
THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 20, 1969 THROUGH AUGUST 9, 1974.
( SIGN DOCUMENT)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND THIS
8TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD NINETEEN
HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR, AND OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE 199TH.
(END)