    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [September 17, 2003]
    [Pages 1175-1176]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Rededication of the Rotunda at the National Archives
    September 17, 2003

        Speaker Hastert, Mr. Chief
    Justice, Justice Kennedy, Justice Thomas, Senator
    Frist and Senator Daschle, Representative Pelosi, Members of
    Congress, Governor Carlin, ladies and
    gentlemen: Laura and I are pleased to join with
    all of you for this morning's important ceremony. And all of us here
    today are honored to witness the unveiling of our Declaration of
    Independence, our original Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Because
    of the careful, patient work carried out these last 2 years, all
    Americans and visitors from across the world can once again step forward
    and see our Nation's founding documents.
        This new display is certainly preferable to the burlap sacks once
    used to carry the Declaration. Since the Declaration of Independence
    first left Philadelphia in a horse cart, the founding documents have
    been moved many times, including a secret trip to Fort Knox during World
    War II. For the last half-century, their home has been this Rotunda.
        When President Harry Truman stood here 51 years ago, he rightly
    praised modern methods of document preservation. These methods served us
    well. In our day, preservation has become an even higher art, through
    the skill of conservators like those who accepted this very demanding
    assignment. The work of handling the fragile parchment and preparing it
    for these new encasements had to be difficult and must have been pretty
    nerve-wracking. I don't know how you practice for a job like that.
    [Laughter] But I do know there's little margin for error. And so, to all
    the professionals involved in this great task, we thank you for your
    work, and we thank you for the contribution to our country.
        Many Americans have seen reproductions of the Declaration of
    Independence. A lot of us have seen reproductions of the Constitution.
    We know so well the first three words of our Constitution, ``We the
    people.'' Yet, as familiar as these documents are, to see them in their
    originals is a moving experience. I hope a lot of our fellow citizens
    come to this Rotunda and see firsthand the work of our Founding Fathers.
        Looking at the faded names of Hancock and Adams and Jefferson,
    Franklin, and others, you can better see the bravery behind the stirring
    words declaring independence. It was one thing to nod in agreement as
    the text was read and approved. It's quite another to take the quill and
    add your name, becoming at that instant the enemy of an empire. And each
    of the signers, as his pen moved across the page, had not only reached a
    great turning point in his own life but in the life of the world. The
    true revolution was not to defy one earthly power but to declare
    principles that stand above every earthly power, the equality of each
    person before God and the responsibility of government to secure the
    rights of all.

    [[Page 1176]]

        The courage of America's first leaders gave us the Declaration.
    Their patience and wisdom gave us the Constitution. They were patient
    through long and contentious and learned debates and discussions. They
    were wise in their understanding of human nature, with all its virtues
    and all the temptations. The supreme law of this land is the work of
    practical minds addressed to practical questions, like how to govern
    effectively and also limit the powers of government, how to represent
    the will of the people and to control the passions of temporary
    majorities. Framers devised answers that can now be found in
    constitutions across the world: Separate branches; enumerated powers;
    checks and balances; specific protections of the Bill of Rights.
        Taken together, our founding documents set a standard that is the
    test and the burden of every generation. The text written by a
    slaveholder would become an unanswerable brief against slavery. The
    Constitution drafted and approved by men alone would, by its own logic,
    eventually assure the full participation of women. The ideals of our
    Founders were stronger than any flaws of the Founders. They rebuke our
    failures and guide our reforms. ``These Charters of Freedom,'' said
    Martin Luther King, ``are a promissory note, a pledge of justice to all
    who are denied it.''
        In the course of two centuries, the ideals of our founding documents
    have defined America's purposes in the world. Since July 4th, 1776, to
    this very day, Americans have seen freedom's power to overcome tyranny,
    to inspire hope even in times of great trial, to turn the creative gifts
    of men and women to the pursuits of peace. We have seen freedom's power
    in Europe and Asia and Africa and Latin America, and we will see
    freedom's power in the Middle East. Every person in every culture has
    the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
    America owns the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but
    the ideals they proclaim belong to all mankind.
        This morning, exactly 216 years after the Constitutional Convention
    finished its business, the American people can take pride in the care we
    have given to preserving the work of the founding generation. Their
    words first guided a nation of scarcely 4 million souls. Yet even in
    their own day, the Founders knew they had put large events in motion,
    and free people everywhere remain in their debt.
        In this Rotunda are the most cherished material possessions of a
    great and good nation. By this rededication, we show our deep respect
    for the first principles of our Republic and our lasting gratitude to
    those first citizens of the United States of America.
        May God continue to bless our country. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 11 a.m. in the Rotunda for the Charters of
    Freedom at the National Archives and Records Administration. In his
    remarks, he referred to Archivist of the United States John Carlin.