WASHINGTON – President Bush marked his second inauguration yesterday with soaring rhetoric that reaffirmed America’s role as an unabashed proponent of freedom and democracy in “the darkest corners of the world.”

“It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world,” Mr. Bush declared shortly after taking the oath of office from Chief Justice Rehnquist.

“Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it,” the president said.

In his 22-minute speech, delivered from the west front of the Capitol, Mr. Bush referred to the reinvigorated effort to promote freedom abroad as “the calling of our time” and said the need for the campaign was made evident by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

“For half a century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical – and then there came a day of fire,” the president said. “We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.”

While Mr. Bush warned “dictators,” “tyrants,” and “outlaw regimes” that he would not be satisfied with incremental concessions, he did not cite any foreign countries or leaders by name. However, his reference to Islamic terrorism against America suggested that his message was directed at Arab governments in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The president also was quick to disarm critics who see his calls for democracy as an effort to establish new American outposts overseas, pledging that the nation’s goal is “to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.”

In a passage that harkened back to the Cold War, the president vowed that America will support those who risk their lives and livelihoods to fight for freedom.

“America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies,” he said. “All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know the United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.”

Mr. Bush devoted more than three fourths of his address to international issues and spent just two sentences discussing specific domestic policy initiatives. Aides said the president will address those issues in greater depth during his State of the Union speech to Congress next month.

During his fleeting discussion of domestic matters, Mr. Bush pledged to advance his vision of “an ownership society.” He promised to expand home ownership, retirement savings, and health insurance coverage.

The president attempted to strike a unifying tone while also tipping his hat to some of the constituencies that supported his re-election.

The president cautioned that while America is a tolerant society, that tolerance should not be seen as endorsing a libertine lifestyle. “Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self,” Mr. Bush said. In one of several religious references in his address, the president described Americans’ moral standards as derived from “the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people.”

Mr. Bush also made an understated appeal to Americans who oppose abortion. “Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth,” he said.

Snow, wind, and a bitter chill descended on the capital earlier in the week, but by yesterday the weather was sunny and glorious, at least for January.

The president spoke from a stage crowded with dignitaries. His father, President George H.W. Bush, and Presidents Carter and Clinton were all on hand. Mr. Bush’s Democratic opponent in the recent election, Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, sat nearby. Vice President Cheney also attended, taking his oath from Speaker Hastert.

At the traditional luncheon with members of Congress follows the swearing-in, Mr. Bush said he was humbled by the event.

“It reminds us that we serve a cause larger than ourselves,” the president remarked. “We have one country, one Constitution, and one future that binds us.”

Security was intense for the first inauguration since the September 11, 2001, attacks. Spectators attempting to get onto the National Mall passed through metal detectors. During the parade that followed the events at the Capitol, Mr. Bush remained inside his limousine for the vast majority of the route, emerging along with his wife to walk only the two blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue directly in front of the White House. Military personnel could be seen at many of the checkpoints and police were out in force.

Elsewhere in the city, thousands of protesters turned out to express their opposition to Mr. Bush, though their ranks seemed considerably thinner than in 2001.

Many demonstrators gathered to hear anti-war speeches at a designated protest area near the beginning of the motorcade route, while others joined roving marches that moved through downtown. Mr. Bush’s limousine sped up considerably as it passed by the protest rally, near the federal courthouse.

Later, as Mr. Cheney’s motorcade passed along the route, someone threw a snowball that struck the rear of the vehicle without causing any harm.

Aside from the protest rally, the crowds along the early part of the parade route were thin. Some of the bleachers were nearly empty, but as the motorcade progressed, well-wishers thronged the sidewalks. “Four more years!” many shouted.

At one point on the route, police fought a running battle with protesters, swinging batons and using pepper spray to keep them away from the security perimeter. The activists rattled the fence and threw snowballs and debris at officers. A small fire was also set.

However, the demonstrators who clashed with police never appeared to have much chance of reaching the motorcade, as the security fence was a block away from the parade route.

A spokesman for the District of Columbia police, Officer Kenneth Bryson, said his department had made three arrests as of yesterday evening. “Considering the amount of people that attended, yeah, I would consider overall we had a fairly good day,” Officer Bryson said.

One of the day’s most dramatic protests was a “die-in” a block north of the White House, where 17 anti-war protesters, some with red paint or dye smeared on their faces, lay scattered on a public street for hours. The demonstrators said they expected to be arrested, but police largely ignored the protest.

However, as a woman wearing a fur and a man in a cowboy hat scoffed at the “dead” protesters, a man nearby became angry. Jim Tom Haynes of Austin, Texas, denounced “potbellied Texans” he said were making him “sick.” Mr. Haynes complained loudly that rich people were celebrating and had made no sacrifice even though the country is at war.

“You don’t know me,” said the woman, Lee Mitchell of Tyler, Texas.

During one roving march through downtown Washington, demonstrators carried dozens of cardboard coffins, some draped in American flags and others simply in black. For a time, the coffins were placed in the street near the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

After arriving at the White House, President Bush and the first lady took up places in a reviewing stand to watch the passing parade.

The Pipes and Drums Corps of the Emerald Societies of the New York City Police and Fire Departments were among the featured bands. In a nod to Mr. Bush’s hometown, the parade also included the high school marching band from Crawford, Texas.

Mr. Bush and the first lady clapped to the music at times and gave the “Longhorn Salute” to some of the Texans who passed by.

As the parade progressed, the Senate went into session, debating and then voting to confirm two of the president’s Cabinet nominees. Both the nominee for secretary of agriculture, Mike Johanns, and the nominee for secretary of education, Margaret Spelling, were approved on voice votes.