PRESIDENT CALLS FOR HARMONY : CLINTON SWORN IN, ECHOES KING'S MESSAGE OF UNITY.

Byline: Jodi Enda and Robert A. Rankin Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

William Jefferson Clinton took his final oath of office Monday, portraying the America he plans to lead into its first new millennium as a ``land of new promise'' built on personal and social responsibility.

Paying homage to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday that bears his name, Clinton called on the nation to make the civil-rights leader's dream a reality by replacing racial and political acrimony with civic unity and ``a new spirit of community.''

With his left hand on a worn family Bible, Clinton raised his right hand and took the 35-word oath at 12:05 p.m. six minutes late. With that, he was poised to become the first Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt to serve two full terms in the White House and the third president to guide the United States into a new century.

In a ceremony replete with pomp and tinged by cold weather, Clinton stood before a Capitol bedecked in flags from different times in America's history and laid out a vision of an exalted future built upon a purposeful past.

``We must keep our old democracy forever young,'' a relaxed Clinton told tens of thousands of people who spilled down the Capitol steps and onto its lawn. ``Guided by the ancient vision of a promised land, let us set our sights upon a land of new promise.''

But as he basked in the achievements of his first term, Clinton also reflected its shortcomings. Displayed prominently in his 23-minute address was a muted view of government, one that is smaller and ``does more with less.'' While a consistent Clinton theme, the less-is-more message is one that has been partially foisted on him by a Republican Congress and a public fearful of major change.

Clinton's second presidential inaugural was a toned-down affair, less flamboyant and less well-attended than the party that memorialized the ascendancy of the first baby boom president four years ago. This year's festivities seemed both to acknowledge and temporarily obscure the intervening realities - Clinton's loss of Congress, the ensuing partisan rancor, several White House and congressional scandals, and a turbulent government shutdown.

Still, it was not without glitter.

The president and first lady capped the official three-day inaugural celebration with what was scheduled to be a 20-hour day, beginning with a lively, ecumenical church service at 8 a.m. Monday and ending with their attendance at 15 black-tie balls.

One of the first stops for the Clintons was a ball for Midwestern supporters at the Air and Space Museum.

``Personally, I like it the second time around,'' Clinton said, and introduced Hillary Rodham Clinton as a daughter of Illinois to the roar of the audience. In his brief 10-minute stay Clinton said he was more hopeful and idealistic than he was four years ago. Then, taking his wife's hand, he slowly danced on center stage to ``Unforgettable.''

Earlier, the Clintons lunched with members of Congress and rode, walked and then viewed a parade in their honor.

In a bow to security, the first family took a limousine along the parade route from the Capitol to the White House, emerging into the afternoon haze just one block shy of the reviewing stand in front of the Executive Mansion.

The sidewalks of normally staid Pennsylvania Avenue looked like the site of an unusually wholesome rock festival as the flag-toting crowd huddled on sleeping bags and under astronaut foil blankets to keep warm. There were souvenir vendors, and loudspeakers blaring out rap and calypso tunes. The occasional protesters waved anti-abortion and anti-gay placards.

The morning service, at Washington's prominent Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, presaged portions of Clinton's speech with references to King and his unfinished struggle.

``You won Appalachia. You won Harlem. You won the barrios. You won the farm workers,'' the Rev. Jesse Jackson reminded Clinton. ``They've empowered you to empower them and the nation.''

The sun broke through gray skies as the swearing-in ceremony got under way. Frigid weekend weather warmed to a tolerable chill. Vice President Al Gore and Clinton doffed their topcoats as they swore their oaths, but pulled them back on upon sitting down.

Gore's oath was administered by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who shook hands with him and said, ``Every good wish, Mr. Vice President.''

Clinton took his oath upon a Bible that he uses and notates regularly, a spokesman said. It was opened to a verse from Isaiah that contains the phrase, ``Thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach.''

After Clinton's oath, Chief Justice William Rehnquist - who presided just last week over Paula Corbin Jones' petition to make Clinton face trial on sexual-harassment charges - merely said ``good luck'' to the president as they briefly shook hands.

The inauguration, which fell for the first time on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was probably seen by a larger television audience than normal. And Clinton, enjoying the highest approval ratings of his presidency, took advantage of the opportunity.

In painting his idealistic view of a new America, Clinton defined with rare clarity his vision of active, but limited government, of the responsibilities of citizenship and of the shared values he believes are necessary to renew the nation's spirit.

After decades of struggle between liberals and conservatives over the scope of government power, Clinton touted his centrist approach as the way to the future.

``We have resolved for our time a great debate over the role of government,'' he proclaimed. ``As times change, so government must change. We need a new government for a new century - humble enough not to try to solve all our problems for us, but strong enough to give us the tools to solve our problems for ourselves.

``The pre-eminent mission of our new government is to give all Americans an opportunity - not a guarantee, but a real opportunity - to build better lives,'' Clinton said to applause dulled by requisite gloves.

One of his strongest themes was an appeal to overcome racial barriers. ``The divide of race has been America's constant curse,'' Clinton said. ``Our greatest responsibility is to embrace a new spirit of community.''

Decrying prejudice against immigrants as well as racial minorities, Clinton echoed a civil rights slogan as he declared that ``we shall overcome'' what he called ``the dark impulses'' of the soul.

Later, Martin Luther King Jr.'s son, Dexter, who sat among dignitaries during the ceremony, said he appreciated Clinton's call ``to leave all the baggage behind us as we go into the next century.''

Clinton saved his final appeal for members of Congress, calling on them to stop ``the politics of petty bickering and extreme partisanship.'' He recalled that, shortly before he died last year, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago warned that ``it is wrong to waste the precious gift of time on acrimony and division.''

Such appeals for bipartisanship and civility are vintage Clinton, but the recent partisan warfare over House Speaker Newt Gingrich perhaps better illustrates day-to-day reality in the nation's capital.

Clearly, Clinton meant to use the start of his final act as a politician to inspire. And, as far as Leyla Zaloutskaya was concerned, he succeeded.

``For me, this is the most exciting moment of my life,'' said Zaloutskaya, who was dressed in white from head to toe in honor of the special day.

SPEECH EXCERPTS

Excerpts of President Clinton's inaugural address Monday:

My fellow citizens:

At this last presidential inauguration of the 20th century, let us lift our eyes toward the challenges that await us in the next century. It is our great good fortune that time and chance have put us not only on the edge of a new century, in a new millennium, but on the edge of a bright new prospect in human affairs. A moment that will define our course, and our character for decades to come. We must keep our old democracy forever young. Guided by the ancient vision of a promised land, let us set our sights upon a land of New Promise.

The promise of America was born in the 18th century out of the bold conviction that we are all created equal. It was extended and preserved in the 19th century, when our nation spread across the continent, saved the union and abolished the scourge of slavery.

Then, in turmoil and triumph, that promise exploded onto the world stage to make this the American Century.

What a century it has been. America became the world's mightiest industrial power; saved the world from tyranny in two world wars and a long Cold War; and time and again, reached across the globe to millions who longed for the blessings of liberty.

Along the way, Americans produced the great middle class and security in old age; built unrivaled centers of learning and opened public schools to all; split the atom and explored the heavens; invented the computer and the microchip; and deepened the wellspring of justice by making a revolution in civil rights for African-Americans and all minorities, and extending the circle of citizenship, opportunity and dignity to women.

Now, for the third time, a new century is upon us, and another time to choose. We began the 19th century with a choice to spread our nation from coast to coast. We began the 20th century, with a choice to harness the industrial revolution to our values of free enterprise, conservation, and human decency. Those choices made all the difference.

At the dawn of the 21st century, a free people must choose to shape the forces of the information age and the global society, to unleash the limitless potential of all our people, and form a more perfect union. . . .

And once again, we have resolved for our time a great debate over the role of government. Today we can declare: Government is not the problem and government is not the solution. We, the American people, we are the solution. Our founders understood that well, and gave us a democracy strong enough to endure for centuries, flexible enough to face our common challenges and advance our common dreams.

As times change, so government must change. We need a new government for a new century, a government humble enough not to try to solve all our problems for us, but strong enough to give us the tools to solve our problems for ourselves. A government that is smaller, lives within its means, and does more with less. Yet where it can stand up for our values and interests around the world, and where it can give Americans the power to make a real difference in their everyday lives, government should do more, not less. The preeminent mission of our new government is to give all Americans an opportunity - not a guarantee - but a real opportunity to build better lives. ...

Our greatest responsibility is to embrace a new spirit of community for a new century. For any one of us to succeed, we must succeed as one America.

The challenge of our past remains the challenge of our future: Will we be one nation, one people, with one common destiny - or not? Will we all come together, or come apart?

The divide of race has been America's constant curse. Each new wave of immigrants gives new targets to old prejudices. Prejudice and contempt, cloaked in the pretense of religious or political conviction, are no different. They have nearly destroyed us in the past. They plague us still. They fuel the fanaticism of terror. They torment the lives of millions in fractured nations around the world. . . .

Thirty-four years ago, the man whose life we celebrate today, spoke to us down there at the other end of this mall in words that moved the conscience of a nation. Like a prophet of old, he told of his dream that one day America would rise up and treat all its citizens as equals before the law and in the heart.

Martin Luther King (Jr.)'s dream was the American dream. His quest is our quest - the ceaseless striving to live out our true creed.

Our history has been built on such dreams and labors, and by our dreams and labors we will redeem the promise of America in the 21st century. To that effort, I pledge all my strength and every power of my office.

I ask the members of Congress here to join in that pledge. The American people returned to office a president of one party and a Congress of another.

Surely they did not do this to advance the politics of petty bickering and extreme partisanship they plainly deplore. No, they call all of us instead to be repairers of the breach and to move on with America's mission. America demands and deserves big things from us, and nothing big ever came from being small. . . .

And so, my fellow Americans, we must be strong, for there is much to dare.

The demands of our time are great, and they are different. Let us meet them with faith and courage, with patience and a grateful happy heart. Let us shape the hope of this day into the noblest chapter in our history. Yes, let us build our bridge, a bridge wide enough and strong enough for every American to cross over to a blessed land of new promise.

May those generations whose faces we cannot yet see, whose names we may never know, say of us here that we led our beloved land into a new century with the American dream alive for all her children, with the American promise of a more perfect union a reality for all her people, with America's bright flame of freedom spreading throughout all the world.

From the height of this place and the summit of this century, let us go forth. May God strengthen our hands for the good work ahead, and always, always bless our America.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Color) President Clinton dances with his wife, Hillary, Monday night at the New England Ball in Washington, D.C.

Associated Press

(2--Color) President Clinton takes his oath during the inauguration.

Knight-Ridder Tribune Photo Service

(3--Color) President Clinton, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, and their daughter, Chelsea, wave to supporters during the inauguration parade.

Associated Press

Box: SPEECH EXCERPTS (See text)