The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-05
Words Of Good Advice Concerning the
Elective Franchise
And the Admission Of Foreigners to
American Citizenship.
A Foreign Policy Asserting Our Rights
With Justice and PirmneSs.

Inc following is the full text OF President
Harrison's inaugural address;
FellotC Citizens:
There is no constitutional or legal require
ment that the President shall take the oath of
office in the presence of the people, but there
is so manifest an appropriateness in the public
induction to Office Of the chief executive officer
Of the nation, that from the beginning of the
government the people, to whose service the
official oath consecrates the officer, have been
called to witness the solemn ceremonial.
The oath taken in the presence of the people
becomes mutual covenant. The officer COW
enants to serve the whole body of the people
by faithful execution of the laws, so that
they may be the unfailing defence 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 wrest them from a benifcent
public purpose to serve the ends Of cruelty or
sel6shness.
My promise is spoken, yours unspoken, but
not the less real and solemn. The people Of
every State have here their representatives.
Surely do not misinterpret the spirit of the
occasion when assume that the whole body
Of the people covenant with me and with each
other to-day to support and defend the con-
stitution and the union of the States, to yield
other citizen his equal civil and political
rights.
Entering thus solemnly into covenant with
each other, we may reyerently Invoke and
confidently expect the favor and help of AL
mighty God, that He will give to me wisdom,
strength and fidelity and to our people a spirit
of fraternity and love Of righteousness and
peace.
This occasion derives peculiar interest from
the fact that the Presidential term which be-
gins to- day is the 26th under our constitution.
The first Inauguration of President Washing
ton took place in New York. where Congress
was then sitting, on the 30th day Of April,
1889, having been deferred by reason
of delays attending the organization Of
the Congress and the canvass Of the
electoral vote. Our people have already wor-
thily observed the centennials of the Declaration
of Independence, OF the battle Of Yorktown
and Of the adoption of the constitution, and
will shortly celebrate in New York the insti-
tuition Of the second great department of our
constitutional scheme of government. When
the centennial of the institution Of the Judicial
department by the organization of the supreme
court shall have been suitably observed, as l
trust it will be, our nation will have fully
entered its second century.
l will not attempt to note the marvellous
and, in great part, happy contrast between
our country as il steps over the threshold into
its second century Of orgnized existence under
the constitution and that weak, but wisely
ordered young nation that looked undauntedly
down the first century when all its years
stretched out before il.
Our people will not fail at this time to recall
the incidents which accompanied the institu :
ton of the government under the constitution,
or to find inspiration and guidance in the
teachings and example of Washington and his
great associates, and hope and courage in
the contrast which 3S populous and pros
porous States offer to the 13 States weak in
everything except courage and love Of liberty,
that then fringed our Atlantic seaboard.
The Territory Of Dakota has now popula-
ton greater than any of the original States
except Virginia and greater than the aggregate
of five of the smaller States in 1870. The
centre of population when our national capita
was located was east of Baltimore and it wa.
argued by many well informed persons that il
would move eastward rather than westward
Yet in 1880 it was found to be near Cincinnati
and the new census about to be taken viii
show another stride TO the westward. That
which was the body has come to be only the
rich fringe Of the nations 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 bet
ter 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 patriotism
have given recent proof of their continued
presence and increasing power in the hearts
and over the lives Of our people; the infu-
ences Of religion have been multiplied anC
strengthened; the sweet offices of charity
have greatly increased; the virtue o
temperance is held in higher estimation
We have not attained an ideal condition
not all Of our people are happ.
| and prosperous; not all of them are virtuou:
and law abiding. But on the outside tn
| opportunities offered to the individual to securl
| the comforts of life are better than are foun,
elsewhere and, largely better than they wer
here 100 years ago.
/. The surrender of q large measure of sover.
| eighty to the general government, effected by hi
| adoption of the constitution, was not ac-
complished until the suggestions of reason
were strongly reinforced by the more impera'
| tive voice Of experience. The divergent inter-
ests Of peace speedily demanded a more per,
feet union. The merchant, the shipmaster anc
the manufacturer discovered and disclosed &c
4
mercial emancipation must be added to
the political freedom which had been so brave
| ly won. The commercial policy Of the mothe
| country had not relaxed any OF its hard anG
| oppressive features. To hold in cheek the de,
| velopment Of our commercial marine, to pre-
| vent and retard the establishment and growtl
| of manufactures in the States and so to secure
| the American market for their manufacture
and the carrying trade for their ships, was tn
policy of European statesmen, and this wa
pursued with the most selfish vigor.
Petitions poured in upon Congress urg
| ing the imposition Of discriminating dutie
that should encourage the production of needle
things at home. The patriotism of the peopl
which no longer found field of exercise i
war was energetically directed to the duty {
equipping the young republic for the defence
its independence by making its people self
dependent Societies for tho promotion Of HON
manufactures and for encouraging the use
domestics in the dress of the people were OF
ganized in many Of the States. The revivl
| n the end 0f fha oop frrx Of tho r,ofxtOti