Calvin Coolidge's Inaugural Address: What's Up With the Closing Lines?
Calvin Coolidge's Inaugural Address: What's Up With the Closing Lines?
Coolidge closes his speech with some relatively rousing (for him) lines about America's conscience and moral fiber:
We should not let the much that is to do obscure the much which has been done. The past and present show faith and hope and courage fully justified. Here stands our country, an example of tranquility at home, a patron of tranquility abroad. Here stands its Government, aware of its might but obedient to its conscience. Here it will continue to stand, seeking peace and prosperity, solicitous for the welfare of the wage earner, promoting enterprise, developing waterways and natural resources, attentive to the intuitive counsel of womanhood, encouraging education, desiring the advancement of religion, supporting the cause of justice and honor among the nations. America seeks no earthly empire built on blood and force. No ambition, no temptation, lures her to thought of foreign dominions. The legions which she sends forth are armed, not with the sword, but with the cross. The higher state to which she seeks the allegiance of all mankind is not of human, but of divine origin. She cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God (25.2-11).
He doubles down on the idea that he introduced earlier, that the country and its people need to continue promoting values he sees as distinctly American: the protection of liberty and justice. He implies that these ideas are different than how other countries operate, and those other countries will now strive to achieve the peace and prosperity that Americans have already accomplished.
Coolidge injects more passion into his closing lines than anywhere else in his speech. Plus, he wants to end on a positive note, celebrating the country's accomplishments and moral superiority as a way to motivate people to continue on the good path they're on.
Leave your audience feeling good about themselves and thank the Almighty; that's always a good strategy.