Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-03-03
SPEECH BY M'KINLEY.
TIE PRESIDENT TALKS TO PENN.
.nf SYLvANIA STUDENTS.
The Father of His Country a Pattern
for All Patriots, Both I'm His Private
and Public Life Peerless as States
man, Soldier and Citizen.
Example for All Americans.


President Mckinley addressed large
and appreciative audience, composed of
the faculty and students Of the Univer-
sity Of Pennsylvania and their friends,
on the afternoon of Feb. %. at the Acad-
envy of Music in Philadelphia. Mr.. Nc
Kinley was introduced by Provost Chas.
G.. Harrison.
The utteranccs of the President were
greeted with frequent applause. He said
In part:
In it's entirety Washngton'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 ac-
complishments in the paths of statesman
ship. AS a soldier he was peerless in the
time in which he lived, and as a 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 ex-
pense to march to the defense of Boston,
he became the masterful spirit Of the con-
tinental army and the mightiest single
factor in the continents struggle for lib
erty and independence.
Apparently without personal ambition,
spurning royal honors when they were
suggested to him, he fulfilled still more
glorious destiny us the guiding force OF
a civilization freer and mightier than the
history of man has ever known. Slave
holder himself, he yet hated slavery, and
provided i'm his will for the emancipation
of his slaves. Not college graduate, he
was always enthusiastically friend Of
liberal education. He used to on every
suitable occasion impress upon Congress
and the country the Importance of high
standard of general education and charac-
terized diffusion of knowledge as the
most essential element OF strength in
system of free government. And how
reverent always was this great man, how
prompt and generous his recognition of
the guiding hand of Divine Providence in
establishing and controlling the destinies
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
OmCltti dCt uS ECSluCHt ShOuiu NC " 49,
vent duplication 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. Ard 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
ington and the first Congress. But If n
timely lesson is to be drawn from the
opinions of Washington on assuming the
office of President, so also much practi-
cal benefit can be derived from present
application of portions of his farewell adj
dress, document in which Washington
laid down the principles which appeared
to him ''all important to the permanence
of your felicity as people" In that adj
dress Washington contends in part %
for the promotion of the institutions of
learning; (2) for the cherishing of the pub
lie credit; CD 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
TODD, and charitable institutions for the
instruction of boys and girls without
means; but 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 rs are the collegiate
cndowmcnts of the old world, none of
them excel in munificence 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 on religion and
manners. on government, liberty AMI
laws" / 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 a 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 a1monition of the
father of his country. The United States
emerged from the bitter and prolonged
struggle of the revolutionary war exhaust
ed financially, with 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 BILE fnancicrs and economists whose
names the country still venerates and
whose great work it still enjoys. Hami-
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
that whatever other assets we might have
or acquire that was indispensable first,
last and all the time, il we would cherish
the public credit. We have been fully
rewarded all along our history by adher-
ing to the principles of Washington in
keeping public faith. Before half the
century passed we had paid off our ma
tional debt and had balance in the treas
ury Another debt the grea test in orr