River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-03-10
Inaugural Address.

Ing is PRESIDENT GarueIdS inaugural
address, delivered to-day.
FELLOW CITIZENS: stand to-day
upon an eminence which overlooks
hundred years of national life-a
century crowded with perils, but
crowned with triumphs of liberty and
love. Before continuing the onward
march, let bis pause on this height for
moment, to strengthen our faith and
renew our hope ny
a GLANCE AT THE PATHWAY
along which our people have travelled.
1t is now three days more than hun
bred years since the adoption of the
first constitution of the United States,
the articles of confederation and popu-
lar union. The new republic was then
beset with danger on every
hand lit had not conquered a
place in the family of nations; the
decisive battle of the war for indie
pendence, whose centennial anniver-
sary will soon be gratefully celebrated
at Yorktown, had not yet been fought;
the colonists were struggling, not only
with the arms of Great Britain, but
against the settled opinions of mankind
for the world did not believe that the
supreme authority of the government
could be safely entrusted to the guard
ianship of the people themselves.
We cannot over-estimate the
FERvENT LOVE OF LIBERTY;
the intelligent courage and saving COM
made the great experiment of self-gov-
eminent When they found after a
short time that the confederacy of
states was too weak to meet the neces-
sites of vigorous and expanding re-
public, they boldly set it aside, and in
its stead established national union,
founded directly upon the will of the
people, endowed with the powers
of self preservation and with
ample authority for the accom-
| plishment of its great object. Under
this constitution the boundaries of free
dom have been enlarged; the founda-
tons of order and peace have been
strengthened, and the growth in all the
elements of national life has vindi-
Gated the wisdom of the founders and
given new hope to them.
Under this constitution our people
| IOllS ago ludlC lIiCIIlSGlNSS
SAFE AGAINST DANGER.
from without, and secured for them
selves and the flag an equality of rights
on all the seas. Under this constitu
ton, twenty-five states have been add.
ed to the union, with constitutions and
laws framed and enforced by their own
citizens, to secure the manifold bless
ings of local and self government. The
| jurisdiction of this constitution now
covers an area fifty times greater than
| that of the original thirteen states, and
| governs a population twenty times
greater than that of 1880.
The trial of the constitution came al
last, under the tremendous pressure Of
THE CIVIL WAR.
| We ourselves are witnesses that the
union emerged from the blood and fire
of that conflict purified and made
stronger for all the beneficent purposes
of good government, and now at the
close of this first century of oul growth
with the inspirations of its history in
their hearts, our people have lately re-
viewed the condition of the nation, and
passed judgment upon the conduct OF
the political parties, and have registered
their will concerning the future admin
istration of the government. To inter.
pref and execute the peoples will, III
accordance with the constitution, is the
paramount duty of the executive.
Even from this brief view, it is mani
fest that the nation is resolutely
FACING TO THE FRONT,
resolved to employ its best forces il
developing the greatest possibilities o.
the future; sacredly preserving what
ever has been gained to liberty and
good government, during the century
Our people are determined to leave be
hind all these bitter controversies con
corning things which have been ire
vocably settled; and the further dis
cussion of which can only stir up strife
and delay the onward march of the
supreme will of the nation and its laws
| These should be no longer a subject oil
debate, as that discussion which fol
| half century threatened the existence
| of the union, was closed at last in the
high court of war by a deeree from
which there is no appeal, and that the
constitution and laws made in pursrl-
ance thereof shall continue to be the
| supreme law of the land, and binding
alike upon the states and the people
This decree does not disturb the auton-
omy of the states nor interferes with
any of the necessary rules of the local
affairs of the government, but does fix
and establish permanent supremacy
of the union the will of the nation,
l., he
the amended constitution has fulfilled
the great promise of 1776, by the pro-
claiming of liberty throughout the
land to all the inhabitants thereof The
elevation of the negro race from slavery
to the full rights of citizenship is the
most important political change we
have known since the adoption of the
constitution of 177S. No thoughtful
man can fail to appreciate its benefi-
cial effects upon our institutions and
people. 1t has freed us from perpetu-
al danger of war and dissatisfaction. 1t
has added immensely to the moral and
industrial force of our people. 1t has
liberated the master as well as the
ed and impeded them both.
1t has surrendered to them
our guardianship of the manhood of
more than five million people and has
opened to each one of them a career of
freedom and usefulness; it has given
inspiration to the power of selfhelp in
both races by making labor more hon
orable to one and more necessary to
the other The influence of this force
will grow greater and bear richer fruit
with coming years. No doubt the
great change has caused serious dis
turbance to the southern community;
this is to be deplored though it was
unavoidable. But those who resisted
the change should remember that
under our constitution there was no
middle ground for the negro race be-
tween slavery and equal equalizership.
There can be no permanent disfran-
chised peasantry in the United States.
Freedom can never yield its full
ness of blessings as long as
law or its administration places the
smallest obstacles in the pathway of
any illustrious citizen. The emanci-
pated race has already made remark
ible progress with unquestioning devo-
ton to the union, with patience and
gentleness not born of fear, and they
have followed the light as God gave
them to see the light, and they are rap
idly laying material foundation and
self-support for the widening circles of
intelligence, and beginning to enjoy the
blessing that gather around the homes
of the industrious, and they deserve
the generous encouragement Of all