Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-05

congress at it's first regular session
without party division, provided mon
ey in anticipation of the crisis and in
preparation to meet it. 1t came. The
result was signally favorable te
American arms and in the high de
gree. honorable to the government. II
imposed upon us obligations from
which we cannot escape and from
which it would be dishonorable tc
seek to escape. We are now at peace
with the world, and it is my fervent
prayer that if differences arise be
tween us and other powers they may
be settled by peaceful arbitration and
that hereafter we may be spared the
horrors of war.
Entrusted by the people for a sec
ond time with the Office of president
enter upon its administration appre-
c1ating the great responsibilities
which attach to this renewed honor
and commission, promising unreserv-
ed devotion on my part to their faith
full discharge and reverently invoking
Tor my guidance the direction and ia
Nor of Almighty God. i should shrink
from the duties this day assumed if l
did not feel that in their performance
l should have the cooperation of the
wise and patriotic men of all parties.
1t encourages me for the great task
which | now undertake to believe that
those who voluntarily committed to
me the trust imposed upon the chief
executive of the republic will give me
generous support in my duties to pre-
serve, protect, and defend the consti-
tuition of the United States and to
care that the laws be faithfully exc
cuted.' The national purpose is indi-
Gated thru national election 1t is
the constitutional method of ascertain
ing the public will. When once it is
registered it is a law to us all. and
faithful observance should follow it's
decrees
Strong hearts and helpful hands
are needed, and, fortunately, we have
them in every part of our beloved
country. We are reunited. Section
alism has disappeared. Division on
public questions can no longer be trac-
ed by the war maps of 1861. These
Old differences less and less disturb
the Judgment. Existing problems de-
mand the thought and quicken the
conscience of the country, and the re-
sponsibility for their presence as we'll
as for their righteous settlement rests
upon us all-no more upon me than
upon you. There are some national
questions in the solution of which pa
triotism should exclude partisanship.
Magnifying their difficulties will not
take them off our hands nor facilitate
their adjustment. Distrust of the ca
pacity, integrity, and high purposes
OF the American people will not be an
inspiring theme for future political
contests. Dark pictures and gloomy
are worse than useless.
These only becloud, they do not help
to point the way of safety and honor.
Hope maketh not ashamed The
prophets of evil We're not the builders
of the republic. nor in it's crisis since
have they saved or served it. The
faith of the fathers was a mighty
force in it's creation, and the faith of
their descendants has wrought. it's
progress and furnished its defenders.
There are obstructionists who despair
and who would destroy confidence in
the ability of our people to solve wise
ly and for civilization the mighty prob
lens resting upon them. The Americ-
an people, intrenched in freedom at
home, take their love for it with them
wherever they go, and they reject as
mistaken and unworthy the doctrine
that we lose our own liberties by Sc
curing the enduring foundations of lib
erty to others Our institutions will not
deteriorate by extension, and our
sense of justice will not abate under
tropic suns in distant seas. AS here
tofore, SO hereafter will the nation
demonstrate it's fitness to administer
any new estate which events devolve
upon it, and in the fear of God will
take occasion by the hand and make
the bounds of freedom wider yet If
there are among us who would make
our way more difficult we must not BIZ
disheartened but the more earnestly
dedicate ourselves to the task which
We have rightly entered. The path
of progress is seldom smooth. New
things are often found hard to do. Our
fathers found them so. We find them
SO. They are inconvenient. They
cost us something. But are we not
made better for the effort and sacri-
fee, and are not those we serve lifted
up and blessed?
We will be consoled, too, with the
fact that opposition has confronted
every onward movement of the repub-
lie from it's opening hour until now
but without success. The republic
has marched on and on, and its every
step has exalted freedom and human
ity. We are undergoing the same or
deal as did our predecessors nearly a
century ago. We are following the
course they blazed. They triumphed.
Will their successors falter and plead
organic impotency in the nation?
Surely after one hundred and twenty.
five years of achievement for man.
kind we will not now surrender our
equality with other powers on matters
fundamental and essential to national
ity. With no such purpose was the
nation created. In no such spirit has
it developed it's full and independent
sovereignty. We adhere to the prin-
ciple of equality among ourselves and
by no act of ours will we assign to
ourselves subordinate rank in the
family of nations.
My fellow citizens, the public
events of the past four years have
rro~o ;,,fo I, ;eto