“Our long national nightmare is over.”
President Gerald R. Ford followed up his August 1974 inaugural address with a Presidential Proclamation on September 8, 1974, granting former President Richard M. Nixon a “full, free and absolute pardon,” precluding indictment or prosecution for crimes committed while he was in office.
kAm}:I@? C6D:8?65 :? E96 7246 @7 46CE2:? :>A6249>6?E 2?5 4@?G:4E:@? 7@C 4C:>6D DF>>2C:K65 F?56C E96 D9@CE92?5 =236= “(2E6C82E6]”k^Am
kAm%9:D 2?5 @E96C C646?E 9:DE@CJ 2C6 9:89=J 86C>2?6 E@ E96 8C@H:?8 =682= AC@3=6>D @7 7@C>6C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 2?5 ?@H E9C62E6?65 :>A6249>6?E @7 !C6D:56?E y@6 q:56?]k^Am
kAmu@C5 C6>2:?D @FC @?=J 49:67 6I64FE:G6 H9@ H2D 6=64E65 E@ ?6:E96C E96 AC6D:56?4J ?@C E96 G:46 AC6D:56?4J] w6 H2D D6=64E65 3J !C6D:56?E }:I@? H96? ':46 !C6D:56?E $A:C@ p8?6H H2D 7@C465 E@ C6D:8? 3642FD6 @7 4@CCFAE:@?]k^Am
kAmu@C5 A2:5 2 9:89 AC:46 :? F?A@AF=2C:EJ] %9:D 564:D:@? H2D AC@323=J 564:D:G6 :? 9:D ?2CC@H 6=64E:@? =@DD E@ y:>>J r2CE6C :? `hfe]k^Am
kAm%CF>A H2D :>A624965 EH:46 3J E96 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D H9:=6 D6CG:?8 :? E96 (9:E6 w@FD6] w@H6G6C[ E96 $6?2E6 :? E96 7:CDE EC:2= G@E65 E@ 24BF:E 2?5 :? E96 D64@?5 72:=65 E@ C6249 E96 EH@\E9:C5D >2;@C:EJ C6BF:C65 7@C 4@?G:4E:@?]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E q:== r=:?E@?[ 2 s6>@4C2E[ H2D :>A624965 :? E96 w@FD6 2?5 EC:65 :? E96 $6?2E6 5FC:?8 y2?F2CJ\u63CF2CJ `hhh] p82:?[ 9@H6G6C[ E96 $6?2E6 72:=65 E@ AC@G:56 E96 EH@\E9:C5D G@E6 7@C 4@?G:4E:@?] }@E6 E92E 9:D 2AAC@G2= C2E:?8D :? @A:?:@? A@==D H6?E FA[ ?@E 5@H?[ 5FC:?8 E9:D E:>6]k^Am
kAm#6AF3=:42? w@FD6 $A62<6C z6G:? |4r2CE9J C646?E=J DE2E65 AF3=:4=J[ D66>:?8=J 42DF2==J[ E92E !C6D:56?E y@6 q:56? “AC@323=J” H:== 36 :>A624965]k^Am
kAmp? 6IEC6>6 24E:@? @?46 D9F??65 3J @FC r@?8C6DD:@?2= C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 92D ?@H 2AA2C6?E=J 3642FD6 2=>@DE C@FE:?6[ 46CE2:?=J 5:D4FDD65 @A6?=J]k^Am
kAmw@H 2?5 H9J 92D E9:D 92AA6?65nk^Am
kAm%96 @?=J AC6G:@FD w@FD6 :>A6249>6?E H2D @7 !C6D:56?E p?5C6H y@9?D@? :? `geg] %9:D @44FCC65 27E6C @FC 42E2DEC@A9:42==J 4@DE=J r:G:= (2C] %96 H2C H2D 7@==@H65 3J >2?J J62CD @7 3:EE6C?6DD 2?5 G:@=6?46] x?E6?D6 A2CE:D2? 2?5 C68:@?2= 92EC65D[ A@:D@?@FD 24C:>@?J 2?5 DA@C25:4 :?4:56?ED @7 4C:>:?2= G:@=6?46 :?4=F5:?8 3J E96 ?6H=J\7@C>65 zF z=FI z=2? 567:?65 E9@D6 J62CD]k^Am
kAmy@9? u] z6??65J’D 3@@< “!C@7:=6D :? r@FC286” AC@G:56D :>A@CE2?E :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 :?D:89ED] t249 492AE6C :D 56G@E65 E@ 2 &?:E65 $E2E6D $6?2E@C H9@ 56>@?DEC2E65 6I46AE:@?2= 4@FC286 5FC:?8 2 >2;@C A@=:E:42= 4C:D:D]k^Am
kAm%96 3@@<[ AF3=:D965 :? `hdf[ H2D A2CE @7 E96 4@>AC696?D:G6[ 42C67F==J A=2??65 z6??65J 42>A2:8? 7@C E96 (9:E6 w@FD6] r2?5:52E6D C68F=2C=J AC@5F46 42>A2:8? 3:@8C2A9:6D 2?5 @E96C CFD965 3@@<D E92E 5@ ?@E =@?8 DFCG:G6] z6??65J 2?5 2:56[ 4=@D6 4@?7:52?E6 2?5 2=E6C 68@ %96@5@C6 $@C6?D6? AC@5F465 D6C:@FD 9:DE@CJ @7 =2DE:?8 G2=F6]k^Am
kAmr92AE6C 'x[ E:E=65 “x =@@<65 5@H? :?E@ >J @A6? 8C2G6…” 56D4C:36D E96 24E:@?D @7 #6AF3=:42? $6?2E@C t5>F?5 v] #@DD @7 z2?D2D :? E96 $6?2E6 EC:2= @7 !C6D:56?E p?5C6H y@9?D@?]k^Am
kAmy@9?D@?[ !C6D:56?E p3C292> {:?4@=?’D `gec CF??:?8 >2E6[ H2D 2 AC@\&?:@? s6>@4C2E[ 7C@> r@?7656C2E6 DE2E6 %6??6DD66[ E9@F89 2=D@ 2 DFAA@CE6C @7 D=2G6CJ]k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? :? E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 H2D :?6AE[ E24E=6DD[ D6=7\56DECF4E:G6] #6>@G:?8 9:> H@F=5 724:=:E2E6 D2G286 #25:42= #6AF3=:42? C6AC:D2=D 282:?DE E96 $@FE9 E92E {:?4@=? 925 567=64E65]k^Am
kAm#@DD 96=5 E96 E9:CEJ\D:IE9 G@E6 6DD6?E:2= E@ 4@?G:4E y@9?D@?] s6DA:E6 6IEC6>6 A@=:E:42= 2?5 A6CD@?2= E9C62ED[ 96 C67FD65 E@ 4@>>:E 9:>D6=7 2?5[ :? E96 6?5[ G@E65 “}@E 8F:=EJ]”k^Am
kAm#@DD <?6H E92E E@ 4@?G:4E H@F=5 56DEC@J @FC 6I64FE:G6’D 2FE9@C:EJ] w:D $6?2E6 42C66C 6?565] w6 2?5 9:D 72>:=J H6C6 D9F??65[ G:=:7:65[ A9JD:42==J 2EE24<65]k^Am
kAm%96 r:G:= (2C H2D @FC 4@DE=:6DE H2C[ H:E9 2AAC@I:>2E6=J e__[___ 5625[ G2DE A9JD:42= 56DECF4E:@?[ 2?5 =:?86C:?8 56DECF4E:G6 =6824:6D]k^Am
kAmw:DE@CJ F?56CD4@C6D E@52J’D D64FC:EJ 2?5 H62=E9] ~FC A2CE:D2? C:8:5:E:6D 2?5 AC@D64FE@CD’ C:89E6@FD?6DD C67=64E E9:D 4@>7@CE]k^Am
kAmx7 H6 4@?E:?F6[ H6 >2J F=E:>2E6=J 56DEC@J @FCD6=G6D]k^Am