The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-03-08

those among us who would make ou,
way moro difficult we must not be
dlsheartened, but the moro earnestly
dedicated ourselves to tho task 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 30. They are inconvenient
They cost us something. But are we
not made better for the effort and
sacrifice and are not those we serve
lifted up and blessedP We will be
consoled too, with the fact that CD.
position has confronted every on
ward movement of the republic from
its opening hour until now but with
ont success. The republic has
mar,hed on and on and it's every
step has exalted freedom and hu.
manity. We are undergoing tho
same ordeal as did our predecessors
nearly century ago. We are fol-
lowing the course thoy blazed. They
triumphed. Will their successors
falter and plead organic impotency
IN the nations Surely after one
hundred and twenty five years of
achievement for mankind we will not
now surrender our equality with
other powers on matters fundamental
aud essential to nationality. With
no such purpose was the nation
created. In no such spirit has it de-
veloped its full and independent
sovereignty. We adhere to the priu-
ciple of equality among ourselves,
and by no act of ours will we assign
to ourselves a subordinate rank in
the family Of nations.
My fellow citizens, the public
events of the past four years have
gone into history. They are too
near to justify recital. Some of
them were unforeseen; many of them
momentous and reaching in their
consequences to ourselves and our
relations with the rest Of the world. |
The part which the United States
bore 40 honorably in the thrilling
scenes in China, while new to Ameri-
can life, has been in harmony with
true spirit and with best traditions,
and in dealing with the results it's
policy will be that OF moderation and
fairness.
We face at this moment a most
important question that Of the
uture relations Of the United States
and Cuba. With our near neighbors
we must remain close friends. The
declaration Of the purposes Of this
government in the resolution of April
2, 1893, must be made good. Ever
since the evacuation of the island by
the army of Spain, the executive
with all practicable speed has been
assisting it's people in the successive
steps necessary to the establishment
of free and independent. govern
ment prepared to assume and per-
form the obligations of international
law which now rests upon the United
States under the treaty Of Paris.
The convention elected by the peo-
pie to frame a constitution is ap.
proaching the completion Of it's lsbors.
The transfer of American control to
the new government is of such great
Importance, involving an obligation
resulting from our intervention and
the treaty Of peace, that I am glad
to be advised by the recent act of
congress of the policy which the leg,
islative branch of the government
deems essential to the best interests
of Cuba and the United States. The
principles which led to our interven.
ZION require that the fundamental
law upon which the new government
! rests should be adapted to secure a
government capable of performing
the duties and disoharging the func-
tions of separate nation, of observ
ing its international obligations, of
protecting life and property, insur-
ing order, safety and liberty, and
conforming to the established and
historical policy of the United States
o. - g(zsHl