Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-18
M'ashin9tun Standard
Inaugural Addresses.

The Constitution of the United
States provides that the President
shall from time to time give TO the
Congress information of the sta. %
the Union. and recommend to t9tli
consideration such measures AS Ia.
ahall Judge necessary and expedient. y
Out of this requirement has grown
the custom of an Annual Mess iee to
Congress at the opening of each ses-
sion.
The practice of delivering an ad-
dress at the time of the Inauguration
is not a result of this provision. In
deed it is ordir ariIy delivered before
the oath is administered to the Pes
ident-elect, and therefore before any
duty of O President has devolvei
upon him.
The fashion was set by Washing
ton, and it has been followed ever
since. When the first President
presented himself in New York, in
April, 1889, to talks the oath of Of
fee, he delivered O short address,
expressing his love for the private
life from which he had been called,
his love and devotion for the coun-
try, and his reliance upon a Power
higher than himself, to he enabled
properly to discharge the duties of
his Office.
At his second Inauguration, he
spoke much more briefly, the whole
address being hardly longer than
two of the paragraphs of this arti-
Gle.
Mr.. John Adams's address was
considerably longer than either of
Washington's and contained an ella.
borate eulogy upon the Constitution
and the adopted form of government.
Jefferson, also, in both of his ad-
dresses took occasion to express his
views upon the theory Of the govern
ment.
Succeeding Presidents have follow
ed The custom, but have usually con.
filed themselves to general olserva.
tons, such as praise of the freedom
enjoyed by Americans, and the vast
resources and magnificent growth OF
the country.
It has not always been so, how
ever. Jackson, and John Quincy
Adams just before him, ihdulged in
long essays, each upon his own in
depreciation OF the Constitution.
Harrison did the same, presenting
the Wing view; and it is worth re-
marking that the longest inaugural
address ever delivered, covering
more than eleven large pages o:
small type, was his, whose presiden-
cy lasted but month. to be succeed
cd by that Of Mr.. Tyler, who took
very different views o. public ques-
tons from those of Gen. Harrison.
We believe it is true that every In
augural Address form the first of
Washington, down to the preseLt
time, has contained in some form or
other a reference to God. Certain
~ this is true of all the earlier ad.
dresses, and down to Polk. Most
of them contain q direct invocation
of Divine blessing upon the country
and upon the President. Even JEFF
ferson, whose theological views were
not the most orthodox, invoked Di.
vine favor in both his addresses.
Perhaps the most remarkable ad-
dress of this kind is the second of
Mr.. Lincoln. The story of its CON-
position has been often told.
It was written at or after midnight,
but a few hours before it was deliv-
cred. Mr.. Lincoln's first Admins
tration had been one of arduous Ia
Dor and constant anxiety. As he
was about to enter upon his second
term, the clouds that had overhung
the country were beginning to break
away.
But the work was not yet done.
They were still dangers to encoun-
tered, and the time for case, and
rest, and peaceful nights, had not
yet come.
Mr.. Lincoln had passed a hard
and anxious day, harassed by neces-
sary difficulties, as we'll as by some
that he might have been spared. il
politicians could ever be reasonable.
Finally the last visitor at the White
House had retired, and the President
sat down to write.
His inaugural was a wonderful
production. Never has o President
made q more weighty and concise
communication to his fellow citizens.
It is filled with the most devout
piety. the broadcast charity, and tho
Hottest patriotism. 10 style, it is as
pure and chaste as anything in an
Gent or modern literature. 1t closes
with that grand paragraph begin
ming, "with malice toward none,
with charity for ALL.
Excepting Washington's second
inaugural address it is the shortest
of all. Without exception it is the
best.
The first settlement of Mennon-
ties in Minnesota was made in 1876.
Three years later the community
Oumhere1 3 dSl memharc