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Richard Nixon Gerald Ford
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Gerald Ford: Presidents, Prayers, a Pardon, and a Profile in Courage

On this day in 1974, President Gerald Ford grants a pardon to former President Richard Nixon for his involvement in the Watergate scandal.

Facing impeachment and removal from office, President Nixon resigned on August 8th, exactly one month prior to Ford’s “full, free and absolute” pardon.

At that time, Ford’s merciful decision was widely condemned, and likely cost him the 1976 election against opponent Jimmy Carter.

Even so, Ford received the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Profile in Courage Award in 2001 for his decision to “write the end” to “an American tragedy.”

Forgiveness, from a personal to a national scale, is indeed courageous.

“Justice Without Mercy”

It seems Gerald Ford had the bigger picture in mind, as you will see in Our previous posts:

Gerald Ford: “Humble Servant of God”

Richard Nixon resigns: “May God’s grace be with you…”

 

Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Pardon

 

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Richard Nixon Gerald Ford
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Richard Nixon resigns: “May God’s grace be with you…”

On this day in 1968, Richard Nixon receives the Republican Party nomination for the presidency. In November, of course, he goes on to win the election.

Ironically, also on August 8th, in 1974, President Nixon announces his resignation “effective at noon tomorrow.”
Facing impeachment “because of the Watergate matter” he said he wanted to “put the interest of America first.”

As a result, Vice President Gerald Ford is sworn in as President shortly thereafter.

Richard Nixon was the first American president to resign. In his televised, evening address to the American people he quoted Theodore Roosevelt as he recounted his decades in public service during what he rightly deemed “the turbulent history of [that] era”:

“Sometimes I have succeeded and sometimes I have failed, but always I have taken heart from what Theodore Roosevelt once said about the man in the arena, “whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there is not effort without error and shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deed, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumphs of high achievements and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

He closed his address:
“To have served in this office is to have felt a very personal sense of kinship with each and every American. In leaving it, I do so with this prayer: May God’s grace be with you in all the days ahead.”

“Justice Without Mercy”

President Ford pardoned Nixon, and in doing so, reminded us: “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 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 could 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.”

He added:
“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.”

Richard Nixon Gerald Ford

 

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Gerald Ford United States Navy
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Gerald Ford: “Humble Servant of God”

On this day in 1913, Gerald Ford, the 38th President, is born in Omaha, Nebraska.

Gerald Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and played football at the University of Michigan. He was voted the team MVP in his senior year. In 1941, he obtained a law degree from Yale and was also a model. Next, in 1942, he joined the Navy and served in World War II until it ended in 1945.

Then, in 1973, President Richard Nixon chose Gerald Ford to be his vice president. As such, Ford became the first vice president to assume office after the resignation of a president when Nixon resigned in 1974.

Ford’s presidency began on the heels of the divisive Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. In addition, he narrowly avoided two assassination attempts.

“Justice Without Mercy”

Ford faced fierce criticism for his decision to pardon Richard Nixon upon becoming president, in an effort, as he saw it to “write the end” to “an American tragedy” that could “go on and on.” Here are some more of his remarks about the pardon:

“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 that 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 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 could 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.”

“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.”

“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.”

Gerald Ford died the day after Christmas in 2006, at the age of 93.

Gerald Ford United States Navy

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