President Jimmy Carter’s farewell address from the nation’s capital amounted to a sensitive assessment of some of the broad but pertinent problems facing America and the world. Global peace and the horrifying danger of nuclear war, the stewardship of the earth and its resources, and the importance of insuring human rights – these the 39th President identified as prime basic challenges of the future. That the retiring President and commander-inchief expressed such deep concem about the nuclear threat underlines once more the ridiculous scenario of mankind stockpiling awesome weapons to destroy itself and the need for energetic statesmanship by the nuclear powers to eliminate the threats Generally Carter avoided specifics, such as continuing national economic problems and the task of returning the 52 American hostages from Iran. In a warm show of national spirit, he pledged his support “to the very limits of conscience and conviction” to his successor, Ronald Reagan. “I intend to work as a citizen. as I have worked as President, for the values this nation was founded to secure.” It has been mentioned that Carter is the first elected President in nearly half a century to lose a re-election bid. But through the life of the Republic there have been many such presidents either defeated at the polls ordenied renomination by their political parties. Contemporary polls have not given Carter’s presidential leadership high comparative ratings, but it will remain for the future to assess his successes and failures and establish his rightful place in history. The far-reaching concerns he expressed in his address are the concerns of the country – peace, human rights, protection of a wholesome environment, and safeguarding America’s “valued principles and ideals.” Carters modern-day application of the “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” from the Declaration of Independence was reflective of the points made in his speech: “For this generation, life is nuclear survival; liberty is human rights; and the pursuit of happiness is a planet whose resources are devoted to the physical and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants.” As Carter and his family prepare to retum to their Georgia home, they deserve the respect, appreciation and good wislhes of the nation.