Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-03-03
SPEECH BY M'k1NLEY.
TAG PRESIDENT TALKS TO PENN.
SYLvANIA STUDENTS.
The Father of His Country PATTERN
for All Patriots, Both in HE Private
and Public Life-Peerless as States
man, Soldier and Citizen.
Exar,,n1e for All Americans.


and aopreciative audience, composed OF
the faculty and students of the UnlVer-
sitv of PENNSYLVANIA and their FRIENDS,
on the afternoon of Feb. p. at the Acad-
envy of Music in Philadelphia. Dir. NC
Kinley was introduced by Provost Chas.
C. Harrison.
The utterances Of the President were
greeted with frequent applause. lie said
in part:
In it's entirety Washington's public life
is as familiar to the American student as
the history of the United States. They
are associated in holy and indissoluble
bonds. With enduring fame as great
soldier the world recognized his equal &C.
complishments in the paths of statesman
ship. AS soldier he was peerless IN the
time in which he lived, and as states
man his rank is fixed with the most Illus
trious in any country or in any age. From
the hour when Washington declared IN
his Virginia home he would raise thou
sand men and equip them at his own eA-
pense to march to the defense of Boston,
he became the masterful spirit or the con-
tinenta army and the mlghtlest single
factor in the continents struggle FOR I'D
erty and independence.
Apparently without personal ambition,
spurning royal honors when they were
suggested to him, he fulfilled still more
glorious destiny as the guiding force OF
q civilization freer and mlghtler than the
history of man has ever known. Save
holder himself, he yet hated slavery, ana
provided in his will for the emancipation
of his slaves. Not college graduate, he,
was always enthusiastically friend or
liberal education. He used to. on every
suitable occasion impress upon Congress
and the country the Importance CT hlgh
standard of general education and charac-
terized a diffusion of knowledge as the
most essential element of strength IN
system of free government. And now
reverent always was this great man, now
prompt and generous his recognition OF
the guiding hand of Divine Providence in
establishing and controlling the destlnles
of the colonies and the republic.
At the very height of his success and
reward as he emerged from the revolu-
ton, receiving by unanimous acclaim the
plaudits of the people and commanding
the respect and admiration Of the civil
lied world, he did not forget that his first
official act as President should be fer
vent suppl;cation to the Almighty Being
who rules the universe. But Washington
on this occasion went further and spoke
for the people, assuming he but voiced
the sentiments of the young nation IN
thus making faith in Almighty God and
reliance upon his favor and care one OF
the strong foundations Of the Government
then inaugurated. And proceeding, Wash
ington states the reasons for his belief
in language so exalted that it should be
craven deep upon the mind Of every pat
riot.
In an age of great activity, industrial
commerce. strife and perplexing problems
we should never abandon the simple faith
in Almighty God as recognized in the
name Of the American people by Wash
ngton and the first Congress. But if a
timely lesson is to be drawn from the
opinions of Washington on assuming the
office of President, so also much practl-
cal benefit can be derived from present
application Of portions Of his farewell ad-
dress, a document in which Washington
laid down the principles which appeared
to him "all important to the permanence
of your felicity as a people," In that ad-
dress Washington contends in part ~
for the promotion of the institutions Of
learning; (2) for the cherishing of the pub
lie credit; O. for the observance Of good
faith and justice toward all nations.
A hundred years ago free schools were
very little known in the United States.
There were excellent schools for the we'll
to-do, and charitable institutions for the
instruction of boys and girls without
means; but a free public school, open alike
to the children of rich and poor, supported
by the State, awaited creation and devel-
opment. The seed planted by the fathers
soon bore fruit. Rich as are the collegiate
endowments of the old world, none of
them excel in munifcence the gifts made
to educational institutions by the people
Of the United States, and by their govern
ment in conformity with the Influence
which sound learning has Oh religion and
manners, on government, liberty ana
laws" l have had peculiar satisfaction
in the fact that Washington in those early
days, when cngrossed with mighty gov
ernmental problems, did not forget his
contributions for the education Of the
poor and left in his will bequest to be
dedicated to free public instruction. Moth
ing better tells the value he placed upon
knowledge as essential to the highest and
best citizenship.
Cherish the public credit" How much
of both reflection and instruction are COM
bined in this simple almonition of the
father of his country. The United States
emerged from the bitter and prolonged
struggle of the revolutionary war exhaust
ed financially, with a hundred existing
perpleXities and difficulties which remain
ed to he solved before the financial credit
of the new nation could be established at
home and demonstrated abroad. But
Washington knew how to gather around
him and place in positions of greatest
trust able financiers and economists whose
names the country still venerates and
whose great work it still enjoys. Hamil-
ton, Morris, Gallatin and others were
successful in establishing the treasury and
inaugurating the financial operations Of
this Government upon principles which
recognized that the most enduring basis
of national credit was national honor, and