Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-05
In Dignifed, Manly Utterances,
Discusses Great Issues.
His Sound Logic On the Amer.
iCan Policy Of Protection
And the Community Of Interests Il |,
Building Up.
With Catholic Spirit He Treats OF tho
Southern Question, Great Corpora.
uons, Naturalization Laws. Foreign
Relations and Election Laws In Words
Of No Uncertain Meaning.

Relations and Election Laws in Word
Of No Uncertain Meaning.
| Below is President Hsrrison's insusurs
address. as delivered by him March 4th, =
the national capital;
FkLLow CiriznNs
There is no constitutional or legal require
ment that the President shall take the oath o
office in the presence of the people. bu, ther
is so manifest an appropriateness IN tn
public induction to office of the chief eI
eeutive officer of the nation. that from ,h
beginning of the government the people, t.
whose service the official oath con,ecrate
the officer, have been called to witness tn
| solemn ceremonial.
The oath taken in the presence Of the peo
pie becomes mu,aul covenant. The office
| covenants TO serve the whole body of tn,
people by a faithful execution of the laws
so that they may be the unfsiling defenc,
and security of those who respect aud oh
serve them, and that neither wealth an,
station, nor the power of combinations. shal
be able to evade their just penalties or wres
them from benetcent public purpose Il
serve the ends of cruelty or selhshness.
My promise is spoken, yours unspoken
but not the less real and solemn. The people
OF every State have here their representa-
tives. Surely | do not misinterpret the
spirit of the occasion when | assume that tn,
whole body Of the people covenant with m,
and with each other today to support and de
fend the constitution and the Union of thu
states, to yield willing obedience to all laws
and each to every other citizen his eQua
civil and political rights.
Entering thus solemnly into covenant with
each other, We may reverently invoke and
confidently expect the favor and help of Al
mighty God. that lie will give to me wisdom
strength and fidelity and TO our people spirit
of fraternity and love of righteousness aud
peace.
This occasion derives peculiar interest
from the fact that the Presidential term which
begins today is the twenty sixth under our
constitution. The first Inauguration of Pres
ident Washington took place in New York
where Congress was then sitting, ON the a0th
day of April, 1883, having been deferred by
reason Of delays attending the organization
of the Congress and the canvass of the elec-
toral vote. Our people have already worth
lily observed the centennials of the Dcclara-
ton of independence, of the battle of York
town and of the adoption of the constitution,
and will shortly celebrate in New York the
institution of the second great department of
our constitutional scheme of government
When the centennial of the institution of th @
judicial department by the organization of
the supreme court shall have been suitably
observed as | trust it will be, our nation will
have fully entered it's second century.
Threshold OF Our Second Century
| will not attempt to note the marvellous
and, in great part, happy contrast between
our country as it steps over the threshold
into its second century Of organized exist
ence under the constitution and that weak
but wisely ordered young nation that looked
undsuntedly down the first century when
all its years stretched out before 1t.
Our people will not fail at this time to re-
call the incidents which accompanied the
Institution of the government under the con
stitution, or to find inspiration and guidance
IN the teachings and example of Washington
and his great associates, and hope and cour-
age in the contrast which thirty eight popu-
lous and prosperous States offer TO the thir.
teen States, weak in everything except
courage and love of liberty, that then
fringed our Atlantic seaboard.
The Territory of Dakota has now Il popu-
laton greater than any of the original States
except Virginia, and greater than the aggre-
gate of five of the smaller States in 1890
The centre of population when our national
capital was located was east of Baltimore
and it was argued by many well informed
persons that it would move eastward rather
than westward. Yet in 1880 it was found to
be near Cincinnati and the new census about
to be taken will show another stride to the
westward. That which was the body has
come to be only the rich fringe of the ma.
tions robe.
But our growth has not been limited to
territory, population and aggregate wealth
marvellous as it has been in each of these
directions. The masses of our people are
better fed, clothed and housed than their
fathers were the facilities for popular edu
cation have been vastly enlarged and more
generally diffused; the virtues Of courage
and patriotism have given recent proof OF
their continued presence and increasing
power in the hearts and over the lives of our
people, the influences of religion have been
multiplied and strengthened; the sweet
Offices of charity have greatly increased; the
virtue of temperance is held in higher esti
nation. We have not attained an ideal con
dition not all of our people are happy and
prosperous; not all of them are virtuous and
law abiding. But on the outside the oppor
tunities offered to the individual 10 secure
the comforts of life are better than are
found elsewhere and largely better than they
were here 100 years ago.
The surrender of large measure Of sov.
creignty to the general government, effected
by the adoption Of the constitution. was moi
accomplished until the suggestions Of reason
were strongly reinforced BY the more impera
tive voice of experience. The divergent in
teres's Of peace speedily demanded a mors
perfect union. The merchant, the ship
master and the manufacturer discovered snt
disclosed TO our statesmen and to the peopl.
that commercial emancipation must be added
TO the political freedom which had been &C
bravely won. The commercial policy Of ths
mother country mad not RELAXED any Of IL.
hard and oppressive features. To hold il
check the development Of our Commercial
marine, to prevent and retard the establish
ment and growth Of manufactures in tn,
States and so to secure the American mar
ket for their manufactures and the carryin,
trade for their ships, was the policy Of Eu
ropean statesmen, and this was pursued viii
the most selfish vigor.
Community OF Interests.
Petitions poured in upon Congress urgini
the imposition of discriminating duties thai
should encourage the production Of needed
things at home. The patriotism Of the peo
pie which no longer found field Of exer
cise in var was energetically directed 10 th'
duty Of equipping the young republic for th'
defence Of its indepe ndence by making il
people self-dependent. Societies for tn.
promotion Of home manufactures and fo
encouraging the use Of domes,ics in the dres
Of the people we're organized in many Of th,
States. The revival at he end Of the cen
tury of the same patriotic interest in tbs
prosecution and development Of domestic in
dustries and the defence Of our working peo
pie against injurious foreign competition il
an incident worth attention.
IL is not departure but a return that VI
have witnessed. The protective policy had
then its opponents. The argument wa
made, a. now, that its benefits enured to par
ticular classes or sections. II the question
became in any sense or at any time sectional
it was only because slavery existed in some
Of the States. But for this there was nc
reason Why the producing States
should not have led or walked abreast with
the Se~ England States in the production OF
cotton fabrics. There ras this reason only
Why the Stats tha, divide with Pennsylvania
the mineral treasures Of the great southeast
ern and central mountain ranges should have
been 20 nrdy in bringing TO the smelling
furnace and the mill the coal and iron from
their hillsides.
AtIt Soc. ~ava tiuhtad h.. Ill