The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-07-01
CLEVELAND ON EXTENSION
The Ex-President Strongly Op-
poses Further Terrific
rial Acquisition.

annual Founders day address at
the commencement exercises OF
the Lawrenceville school, Prince
ton, June 2I. In the course OF
his remarks he said:
"Anerican citizenship means
more than any other citizenship.
Our government is not and never
was in outside proprietorship,
which could determine or set
limits to our right of occupancy.
American citizenship has built
its own habitation, and is tenant
of no superior.
cit must, however, be plainly
apparent that this independence
in enjoyment of privileges is not
all that is involved in our rela-
tons to the government we
proudly call our own. A just
apprehension of the seriousness
of this responsibility is the test
eff true American citizenship.
"Tbe existence of the highest
type of American citizenship de-
pends largely, of course. upon
cultivation of the best and most
patriotic sentiment among. our
people. 1t is, nevertheless, trne
that it depends to all equal, if
not greater degree, upoa constant
steadiness of sound American
! Judgment and an unconpronis-
ing ability among our citizens to
resist temptation.
TEMPTATION BESETs AMERICANS.
"The American people are
tempted every, day and every
hour to abandon their accustomed
ways and enter upon a course of
new and strange adventure.
Never before i'll our history have
we been beset with temtations sc
dangerous as those which HOW
whisper III our ears allurine
words of conquest and expansion,
and point out to us fields bright
in glory. l only recently saw &
very useful book entitled Don't.
1t contained a statement O.
numerous things which shoulc
not be donc. l am inclined te
adopt the plan of this look te
the extent Of cautioniHg yot
against the imperfect ideas O
civic duties and warn you agains
certain dangers which threatel
the soundness and safety. of true
American citizenship, ard which
especially at this particular time
seem to lie i'll wait for us Oh
every side.
"You will probably be led by
your reflections and studies t.
the conclusion that our govern
1nent was formed for the express
purpose of creating, i'll a new
world, a new nation, the founda
ton of which should be man.
self-government, whose safet,
and prosperity should secure to i
absolute freedom from old worlt
complications, and pronunciation
of all schemes of foreign con
quest, and whose tlission shoult
be the subjection to civilization
and industrial occupation of th'
vast donnain in which it ha'
taken root, If you believe thes'
things, do not permit. any accu
sation of ultra and progressive
conservatism to trouble you.
ABANDONING LANDMARKS.
"If, then, the suggestion i
made that the time has come fo
our nation to abandon the land
marks and to follow the lights o
monarchial hazards, and that W.
should attempt to employ thu
simple machinery of our popula
and domestic government to serve
the schemes of imperialism, you
challenge of the proposition il
entirely in order. If you ar'
satisfied that foreign conques
and unnatural extension or an
nexation are dangerous perver
sions of our national mission
and if it shall seem to you i'll th'
light of reason and history tina
such positions bring in their trail
a peoples decentralization and ;
decay of popular content, NOR
surely destructive to the republic
. than armies with banners, yo,
will not necessarily be wrong.
"With our first century's tire
meudous growth and advance
n1ent before our eyes as proof o
, the strength and efficiency Q
constant Amcricanism, you viii
find in the beginning of our sec
ond century proof of the abund
ance of our present domain il
millions of acres of Government
territory still unoccupied. Ii
view of these things, and con
sidering our achievements in tn
f past, and our promise for tn
: future, recalling what we hav
| done and what we have been
: and what will yet remain for u
L. Ia Iar tl,a er1,idnnno nf Il,