The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-03-12
oLEvELAND's INAUGURAL
What Our New President Said
When He Took Hold.

Fellow citizens: In the presence
IF this vast assemblage Of my coun
trymen l am about to supplement
and seal by the oath which l shall
take the manifestation of the will
of q great and free people. In the
exercise of their power and right
of self government they have COM
mitted to one of their fellow citi-
zens a supreme and sacred trust,
and he here consecrates himself to |
their service. This impressive GER
emory adds little to solemnize the
with which l con-
template the duty 1 owe to all the
people of the land. Nothing can
relieve me from anxiety lest by
any act of mine their interests may
suffer, and nothing is needed to
strengthen my resolution to engage
every faculty and effort in the pro-
motion of their welfare. Amid the
din OF party strife the peoples
choice was made. but its attendant
circumstances have demonstrated
anew the strength and safety of the
government by the people. In
each succeeding year it more clear
ly Eappears that our democratic
principle needs no apology, and
that in its fearless and faithful ap
plication is to be found the surest
guaranty of good government. But
the best results in the operation of
a government, wherein every citi
zen has share, largely depend
upon the proper limitation of pure
ly partisan zeal and effort, and
correct appreciation of the time
when the heat of partisanship
should be merged into the patriot
ism of the citizen. To-day the ex-
ecutive branch of the government
is to be transferred to a new keep
ing, but this is still the government
of all the people, and it should be
none the less an object of their
solicitude. At this hour the ami
mosities of political strife, the bit
terness of partisan defeat and the
exultation of partisan triumph
should be supplanted by ungrudg
ing acquiescenee in The popular
will and solely conscientious con-
Germ for the general veal. More
over, if frem this hour we cheer
fally and honestly abandon all sec
tional prejudice and distrust, and
determine with manly confidence
in one another to work out har-
moniously the achievements of our
natural destiny, we shall deserve to
realize all the benefits which our
happy form Of government can be-
stow.
On this suspicious occasion we
may we'll renew the pledge Of our
devotion to the country which,
launched by the founders of the
republic and consecrated by their
progress and patriotic devotion,
has for almost century borne the
hopes and aspirations of a great
people through prosperity and
peace, and through the shock OF
foreign conflict and the perils Of do
nestle strife and vicissitudes. By
the father of his country our con-
stitution was commended for adop-
ton as result of spirit of amity
and mutual concession. In that
same spirit it should be admins
tered in order to promote the last
ing welfare of the country, and to
secure the full measure of the price
less benefits to us and to those who
will succeed to the blessings OF our
national life. The large variety of
diverse and competing interests
subject to federal control, persistent
ly seeking the recognition of their
claims, need give no fear that ''the
greatest good to the greatest num-
ber'' will fail to be accomplished, if
in the halls of national legislation,
that spirit of amity and mutual
concession shall prevail in which
the constitution had its birth. If
this involves the surrender or post
ponement of private interests and
the abandonment of local advanta-
ges, compensation will be found in
the assurance that thus the com
mon interest is subserved and the
general welfare advanced.
In the discharge of my official
duty 1 shall endeavor to be guided
by a Just and unstrained construc-
tion of the constitution, a careful
observance of the distinction be-
tween the powers granted to the
federal government and those re-
served to the states, or to the peo-
pie, and by a cautious appreciation
of these functions which, by the
constitution and laws, have been es-
pecially assigned to the executive
branch Of The government. But
he who takes the oath to-day to
preserve, protect and defend the
constitution of the United States
only assumes the solemn obligation
which every patriotic citizen on the
farm, in the workshop, in the busy
marts of trade and everywhere
should share with him. The con-
stitution which prescribes his oath,
my countrymen, is yours; the gov
eminent you have chosen him to
administer for a time is yours; the
suffrage which is executive of the
will OF freemen, is yours; the laws
and the entire scheme of our civil
rule, from the town meeting to the
state capitols and the national cap
itol, is yours; yours, every voter,
as surely as your chief magistrate, |
under the. same high sanction,
though in q different sphere, exer-
cises a public trust. Nor is this all.
Every citizen owes to the country
a vigilant watch and close scrutiny
of it's public servants and fair and
reasonable estimate of their fidelity
and usefulness. This is the peo-
pies will, impressed upon the
whole framework of our civil poll
cy-municipal, Istate and federal
and this is the price Of our liberty
and the inspiration of our faith in
the republic.
1t is the duty of those serving
the people in 8 public place to