US Presidency
1873

It is my firm conviction that the civilized world is tending toward republicanism, or government by the people through their chosen representatives, and thatour own great Republic is destined to be the guiding star to all others. Under our Republic we support an army less than that of any Europeanpower of any standing and a navy less than that of either of at least fiveof them. There could be no extension of territory on the continent whichwould call for an increase of this force, but rather might such extensionenable us to diminish it. The theory of government changes with general progress. Now that thetelegraph is made available for communicating thought, together with rapidtransit by steam, all parts of a continent are made contiguous for allpurposes of government, and communication between the extreme limits ofthe country made easier than it was throughout the old thirteen Statesat the beginning of our national existence. The effects of the late civil strife have been to free the slave andmake him a citizen.