CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The following is the full text of the speech given by Arizona Sen. John McCain after losing the South Carolina primary Saturday to his rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, my dear friends. Aren't you proud of the campaign that you just ran? Aren't you proud of it?

"Well, my friends, you don't have to win every skirmish to win a war or a crusade. And although we fell a little short tonight, our crusade grows stronger.

"By the way, by the way, I'm told that we won Charleston. And as the beautiful city of Charleston goes, so goes the nation.

"I congratulate Governor Bush on his victory here. And wish him a happy celebration and a good night's rest. He's going to need it, my friends. Because. He's going to need it, my friends, for we have just begun to fight. And I can't wait for the next round.

"I'm going to fight with every ounce of strength I have, but I'm going to keep fighting clean. I'm going keep going to keep fighting fair, and I'm going to keep fighting the battle of ideas.

"And my friends, we, we, are going to win. I will not take the low road to the highest office in this land.

"I wanted the presidency in the best way, not the worst way.

"The American people deserve to be treated with respect by those who seek to lead the nation. And I promise you, you will have my respect until my last day on Earth. The greatest blessing of my life was to have been born an American, and I will never dishonor the nation I love by letting myself, I will never dishonor the nation I love or myself by letting ambition overcome principle. Never, never, never.

"My friends, I say to you, I am a uniter, not a divider. I don't just say it. I live it. I'm a real reformer. I'm a real reformer. I don't just say it, I live it. And I'm a fighter for this country, and I don't just say it, I live it.

"As this campaign moves forward, a clear choice will be offered: a choice between my optimistic and welcoming conservatism and the negative message of fear; between Ronald Reagan's vision of exclusion and the defeatist tactics of exclusion so cherished by those who would shut the doors to our party and surrender America's future to Speaker Gephardt and President Al Gore; a choice between a record of reform and an empty slogan of reform; a choice between, a choice between experience and pretense.

"So tonight, So tonight, my friends, we leave for Michigan and then on to home, to my beautiful Arizona, with our heads held high, proud of the battle we fought. And ready to ask Michigan and Arizona to send their message to America, a message of hope that our party and our country, that our country and our party is bigger than the sum of its divided parts; a message of reform that we will take our government back from the big money special interest and the iron triangle of money, lobbyists and legislation will no longer stop us from building a bigger America; and a message of honesty, that we will honor our obligations to each other by using our prosperity to pay down the debt and save Social Security and Medicare.

"Americans aren't demanding tax cuts for those of us who are doing just fine. They want us to cut our children's taxes tomorrow by acting like responsible adults today.

"My friends, this is the message we will fight for. This is where I stand my ground.

"And together, we will prevail for our children's sake and for the sake of the country we love so dearly.

"Now I want to thank you. Now is the emotional part. Now I want to thank all of you who worked so hard here to get us close and take us to the next round against such overwhelming odds. First my wife, Cindy, and my children, Doug, And my children, Doug, Andy, Sydney, Megan, Jack, Jimmy and Bridget. As always, you are the best attribute of my campaign.

"Thank you to my sister, Sandy, and my brother, Joe, and all my old, old friends, many of whom I had the special privilege of serving with a long time ago. Thank you for always keeping me honest. And thank you to my wonderful new friends who represent the best hope for the future of South Carolina, Mark and Jenny Sanford, Lindsey Graham, Terry and Gloria Haskins, Reuben Greenberg. Reuben Greenberg. Jim Miles. Jim Miles. And the thousands of other South Carolinians who honored me by joining our crusade.

"And special thanks, very, very special thanks, to a great person and friend and great personal and moral courage, Gary Bauer.

"So my dear friends, it's been a wonderful, wonderful ride. I've been so happy. This is an experience, an opportunity that has been the greatest of my life. And I thank you all. God bless.

"And now, on to Michigan. Thank you."