The news & observer., 1901-01-16


| awakening fully to the possibilities be-
fore them All that we need Ito COM
| plete the circle of our felicities" is peace.
| Let hatred and bitterness and strife cease
| from among US. Let the law everywhere
reign supreme. The highest test Of a
! great people is obedience to law and a
consequent ability to administer justice.
! 1t shall be the earnest aim of my admin
stration to foster good feeling and to
| enforce law and order throughout the
| State From Currituck to Cherokee the
| law must nave full sway. The mob
| has no place in our civilization. The
courts are the creation of the Constiu-
| ton and tho jures are drawn from the
| people. If changes be necessary in order
| to secure a better and more certain ad-
mnistration of justice, you Gentlemen
| Of the Legislature, can make these
| changes but it should be distinctly and
| finally understood of all men that safety
can be found only in obedience to law.
/ wish to say to the negroes of this State
| in this connection that they have been
msnformed if they have heard that this
/ administration will be unfriendly to them
| Their every right under the Constitution
| shall be absolutely preserved, they will
| find security in right conduct and GER
| tain punishment for failure to obey the
| law. Let them learn that crimes which
| lead to mob law must cease and then
| mob law shall curse our State no more.
call upon all upright negroes to aid me
in suppressing crime in all its forms. The
| white people owe a high duty to the ne
| gro. 1t was necessary to the safety of
the State to base suffrage on capacity
to exercise it wisely. This results in
| excluding a great number OF negroes from
| the ballot but their right to life, lib
erty, property ard justice must be even
| more carefully safeguarded than ever. 1t
is true that llesuperior race cannot submit
to the rule of weaker race without
injury, il is also true in the long years
of God that the strong cannot oppress tne
weak without destruction. | said on April
18th, 1900, and | now repeat it as
deep conviction that universal justice is
the perpetual decree of Almighty God,
and we are entrusted with power not for
our good alone, but for the negro as
well. We mold our title to power by
tenure of service to God, and if we fail
TO administer equal and exact Justice
to the negro whom we deprive of suffrage,
we shall in the fullness of time lose pow
er ourselves, for we must know that the
authority for the purpose of enabling them
to do injustice to the weak"
FREEDOM Or THOUGHT
Let US serve the State in this spirit
and with wisdom and the people will con-
tinue 30 trust us, but if we depart from
this plain and just way, power will drop
from our hands, for the amendment has,
/ believe and trust, brought with it
freedom of thought. of criticism and of
action that will be swift to withdraw a
trust abused.
STATES HIGH DESTINY.
With the education of the whole peo-
pie; with fair and impartial election
law with peace everywhere, there win
be nothing to prevent us from working
out the high destiny of our State. Thought
will be set free, opinion can have it's full
sway and every man win be able to de-
clare the inmost feelings of his heart
We shall have genuine free speech; our
newspapers will have an opportunity to
address themselves to moulding public
opinion without fear of injury to the State
Discussions can then take the place of
abuse and argument will supplant pas
sionate oratory. In this new and freer
in all things high will come easy to us.
We shall have problems and differences,
but we shall shall have the intelligence
to solve the problems and the good spirit
to harmonic our differences.
WITH AN HUMBLE HEART.
l come to the high task to which the
people have called me with many mis-
givings know, il not adequately, some
thing of my weakness and ] likewise
know, If not to the fullest extent, the
many difficulties which will beset my way.
| come to the work humbly. with deep
anxiety and with an earnest desire to
serve the people we'll The manner of
my coming makes it all the more incum
bent upon me to search my heart that
/ may have no impure motive there; one
who has been trusted after such fash
ion as the people have trusted me owes
the highest obligation of uprightness in
thought and action. Chosen by my party
unanimously. elected by the people by
ma aiority such as has never been given
10 any other man, ! am bound by every
obligation to serve to my utmost. The
task is difficult one. / shall make mis-
takes. When / shall have done the right
thing | shall even then sometimes be
misunderstood by my friends who will
see my action not from my standpoint as
the Governor Of the whole people but
from theirs. When ] shall have done
wrong | shall not expect approval; ] do
not wish it, | want TO know my mistakes
10 the end that | may correct them be-
cause / am certain that ! shall be judged
at last by the whole tenor of my admin
istration and by no one particular act.
GOVERNOR or ALL THE PEOPLE.
l have been elected as a Democrat.
shall administer the high office to which
/ have been called in accordance with the
| policies and principles Of that great party
| but wish ii distinctly understood that
l shall strive to be a just governor Of
all the people without regard to party
| color or creed. The law Will be en-
| forced with impartiality and no mans pc
! ttion shall 80 unheard and unconsdercd
| because he differs from me in politics or
| i'm color My obligation is TO the State
and the State is all her citizens. No man
| is so high that the law shall not he en-
| forced against him, and no man is SO low
| hat ii shall not reach down to him TO
| lift him up il may be and set him on his
| feet again and bid him God speed 10 bet