Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-05
The Presidents Message.

of office in the presence of the people, But there is SO manifest an appropriateness in the public induction to office of the chief execu- tive officer of the nation that from the begin ming of the government the people, to whose service the official oath consecrates the off, cer, have been called to witness the solemn ceremonial. The oath taken in the presence of the people becomes 8 mutual covenant; the officer covenants to serve the whole body of the people by 8 faithful execution of the laws so that they may be the unfailing de- fense and security of those who respect and observe them and that neither wealth and station nor the power of combinations shall be able to evade their just penalties or to wrest them from bene6cent public purpose to 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 representatives. Surely I do not nisinter- pret the spirit of the occasion when assume that the whole body of the people covenant with me and with each other to-day to sup port and defend the constitution and the Union ot the States, to yield willing obedi- ence to all the laws and each to every other citizen his equal, civil and political rights. Entering thus solemnly in covenant with each other, we may reverently invoke and confidently expect the favor and help of AL mighty God, that he will give me wisdom, strength and fidelity, and to our people a spirit of fraternity and love of righteous
 ness and peace.
 This occasion derives peculiar interest from
 the fact that the presidential term, which be-
 gins this day, is the twenty sixth under our constitution. The first inauguration of
 President Washington took place in New
 York, where Congress was then sitting, on
 the 36th day of April, 17S9, having been de- | 4. zc ! a1a aAf xIxo
 ganization of the Congress and the canvass of
 the electorial vote. Our people nave already
 worthily observed the centennial of the De- claration of Independence, of the battle of | Yorktown and of the adoption of the consti-
 tuition, and will shortly celebrate in New York the institution of the second great de-
 partnent of our constitutional scheme of government. When the centennial of the institution of the judicial de- partment 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.
 I will not attempt to note the marvellous and in great part happy contrasts between
 our country as it steps over the threshold in
 to it's second century of organized existence under the constitution, and that weak but wisely ordered young nation that looked un- dauntedly down the first century, when all it's years stretched out before it. Our people WILL uOG IdIl db Luls Ilu1o lO I0Chll Luo HUI dents which accompanied the institution of government under the constitution or to find inspiration and guidance in the teachings and example of Washington and his great associates, and find hope and courage in the contrast which thirty eight populous and
 prosperous States offer to the thirteen States,
 weak in everything except courage and the
 love of liberty that then fringed our Atlantic
 seaboard.
 THE NATIONS GROWTH.
 The territory of Dakota has now popula-
 ton greater than any of the original States
 (except Virginia) and greater than the aggre-
 center of population. when our national cap ital 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
 westward. That which was the body has come to be only the rich fringe of the na- tion's robe. But our growth has not been limited to territory, population and aggregate wealth magnificent as it has been in each of those directions. The masses of our people are better fed, clothed and housed than their fathers were.
 The facilities for popular education have
 been vastly enlarged and more generally diff
 fused. The virtues of courage and patriot- ism have given recent proof of their contin-
 ued presence and increasing power in the
 hearts and over the lives of our people. The
 influences of education have been multiplied
 and strengthened. The sweet officers of charity have greatly increased. The virtue of temperance is held in higher estimation. We have not attained an ideal condition. Not all of our people are happy and pros porous, not all of them are virtuous and law abiding. But on the whole the opportuni- xI- T.. d. comforts of life are better than are found elsewhere and largely better than they were here one hundred years ago.
 The surrender of large measure of sov- ereignty to the general government, effected by the adoption of the constitution, was not accomplished until the suggestions of reason were strongly reinforced by the more imperi- tive voice of experience. The divergent in terests of peace speedily demanded "more perfect union." The merchant, the ship. master and the manufacturer discovered and disclosed to our Statesmen and to the people that commercial emancipation must be added to the political freedom which has been so bravely won. The commercial pol | icy of the mother country had not relaxed any of its hard and oppressive fea- lures. To head and check the development of our commercial marine, to prevent and re- tard the establishment and growth of manu. facture in the States, and to so secure the | | carrying trade for their ships was the policy of European statesmen and was pursued with
 the most selfish vigor. Petitions poured ir ! upon Congress urging the imposition of dis. eliminating duties that should encourage ths production of needed things at home. The patriotism of the people which no longe, found a field of exercise in war, was energet- ically directed to the duty of equipping the young Republic for the defense of its inde- pendence by making it's people self lndepen. dent. Societies for the promotion of home manufactories and for encouraging the use of domestics in the dress of the people were organized in many of the Ststese> The Ievi- val of the end of the century of the same patriotic interest in the preservation and development of domestic industries and the defense of our working people against in-
 furious foreign competition is an incident
 worthy of attention. It is not departure.
 THE PROTECTIVE POLICY.
 The protective policy had then its oppo- nents. The argument was made ,as now, that its benefits inured to- particular classes or sections If the question became in any
 sense or at any time sectional it was only be-
 cause slavery existed in some of the States.