The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-03-14
VOL. IL.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
Fellow Citizens

ANAtAt AAG AB0HLo1.
Fellow Citizens:
In the presence Of this vast as.
semblage of my cOuntrymen, | am
about to supplement and seal By
the oath which | shall take the
manifestation of the will of a great
and free people. In the exercise
of their power and right of self
government, they have committed
to one of their fellow-citizens O su-
preme and sacred trnst, and he
here consecrates himself to their
service. This impressive eere-
mony adds little to solemnize the
responsibility with which I con.
template the duty l owe to all the
people Of the land and nothing can
relieve me from anxiety lest by
any act of mine their interests
may suffer, and nothing is need
ed to strengthen my resolution
to engage every faculty and eff
fort in the promotion of their
welfare. Amid the din of party
strife the peoples choice was
made, but its attendant circum.
stances have demonstrated anew
the strength and safety of the
government by the people. In
each succeeding year it more
clearly appears that our Demo
cratic principle needs no apology
and that in its fearless and faithful
application is to be found the
surest guarantee of good govern
ment, but the best results in the
operation of a government where
in every citizen has share largely
depends upon the proper lilnita-
tion of purely partisan zeal aud eff
fort, and a correct appreciation Of
the time when the heat of parti-
san should be merged into the pa
triotism of a citizen. To-day the
Executive branch Of the govern
ment is transferred to anew keep
ing, but this is still a government
of all the people and it should be
none the less an object of their af-
fectionate solicitude, as this shows
that the animosities of political
strife; that the bitterness of par
tisan defeat and exultation of parti-
san triumph should be supplanted
by the unquestioning acquiescence
to the popular will and by con.
scientious concern for the general
veal. Moreover, if from this hour
we cheerfully and honestly aban.
don all sectional prejudice and dis
trust and determine with q manly
confidence in one another to work
out tremendously the achievements
of our national destiny, we shall
deserve to realize all the benefits
which our happy form of govern.
ment can bestow.
On this auspicious occasion we
may well renew the pledge of our
devotion to the Constition, which,
launched by the founders of the
Republic and consecrated by their
prayers and patriotic devotion has
for almost century borne the
hopes and aspirations Of a great
people, the shock of foreign con-
tiicts and the perils of domestic
strife and vicssitudes. BY the
father of bis country our constltu.
tion was commended for adoption
as 1.-THE result of a spirit of amity
and mutual concession" In that
same spirit it should be admins.
cred in order to promote the last.
ing welfare of our country and to
secure the full measure of its
precious benefits to lis and to
those who will succeed to the
blessings Of our national life. The
large variety Of our diverse and
competing interests, subject to
federal control, and the persis.
tency in seeking the recognition
of their claims need give US nc
fear that the greatest good to the
greatest number will fail to be &C
complished, if in the halls of oul
national legislation that spirit oi
amity and mutual concession shall
prevail in which the constitution
had its birth. If this involves the
surrender or postponement of pri
vate interests and the abandon
ment of local advantages, the com
pensation will be found in the as
surance that thus the common in
terests are subserved, and the gen
eral welfare advanced. 1t is the
duty of those serving the people
in public place to closely limit pub
lie expenditures to the actua
needs of the government, econom
ically administered, because thil
bounds the right of the govern