Washington’s Address to Congress Resigning his Commission

[23 Dec. 1783]

MR. PRESIDENT,
The great events on which my resignation depended having at length taken place; I have now the
honor of offering my sincere Congratulations to Congress and of presenting myself before them to
surrender into their hands the trust committed to me, and to claim the indulgence of retiring from the
Service of my Country.
Happy in the confirmation of our Independence and Sovereignty, and pleased with the
opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable Nation, I resign with satisfaction
the Appointment I accepted with diffidence. A diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a
task, which however was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our Cause, the support of the
Supreme Power of the Union, and the patronage of Heaven.
The Successful termination of the War has verified the most sanguine expectations, and my
gratitude for the interposition of Providence, and the assistance I have received from my Country-
men, encreases with every review of the momentous Contest.
While I repeat my obligations to the Army in general, I should do injustice to my own feelings not
to acknowledge in this place the peculiar Services and distinguished merits of the Gentlemen who
have been attached to my person during the War. It was impossible the choice of confidential Officers
to compose my family should have been more fortunate. Permit me Sir, to recommend in particular
those, who have continued in Service to the present moment, as worthy of the favorable notice and
patronage of Congress.
I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my Official life, by commending
the Interests of our dearest Country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the
superintendence of them, to his holy keeping.
Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action; and bidding
an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my
Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.
 Women’s Rights Are Human Rights - Hillary Clinton
If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their
families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations do as well. That
is why every woman, every man, every child, every family, and every nation on this planet
does have a stake in the discussion that takes place here.

At this very moment, as we sit here, women around the world are giving birth,
raising children, cooking meals, washing clothes, cleaning houses, planting crops, working
on assembly lines, running companies, and running countries. Women are also dying from
diseases that should have been prevented or treated. They're watching their children
succumb to malnutrition caused by poverty and economic deprivation. They're being
denied the right to go to school by their own fathers and brothers. They're being forced
into prostitution. And they are being barred from bank lending offices and banned from the
ballot box.

Speaking to you today, I speak for them-- just as each of us speaks for women
around the world who are denied the chance to go to school, or see a doctor, or own
property, or have a say about the direction of their lives, simply because they are women.
The truth is that most women around the world work both inside and outside the home,
usually by necessity. We need to understand there is no one formula for how women
should lead our lives. That is why we must respect the choices that each woman makes
for herself and her family. Every woman deserves a chance to realize her own God-given
potential.

I believe that now, on the eve of a new millennium, it's time to break the silence. It's
time for us to say here, for the world to hear, that it is no longer acceptable to discuss
women's rights as separate from human rights. These abuses have continued because,
for too long, the history of women has been a history of silence. Even today, there are
those who are trying to silence our words. But the voices of this gathering must be heard
loudly and clearly.

Now, it is the time to act on behalf of women everywhere. If we take bold steps to
better the lives of women, we will be taking bold steps to better the lives of children and
families too.

The time is now. We must move beyond rhetoric. We must move beyond
recognition of problems to working together, to have the common efforts to build that
common ground we hope to see. God's blessing on you, your work, and all who will
benefit from it. Godspeed, and thank you very much.