Evening star., 1901-08-02

SPEECH BY Mr.. ROOSEVELT
AT THE COL0RAD0 oUARTO-CENTEN-
NAL CELEBRATION.
"GrOwth of-~fhe West Daring the
Fast Century Was Hn
sropic.

COLORADO sPR1nGs. Col. August -
At the Colorado quarto-centennial celebra-
ton In this city today Theodore Roosevelt.
Vice President of the United States. spoke
on '"rhe Growth Of the West During the
Last Quarter sa Century"
Colonel Roobelklt was welcomed when
he arrived during the morning by Governor
Orman and stan, veterans, Rough Riders.
school children and many others. At III
o'clock he was escorted to North Park,
where he spoke In the open air to an assem-
baage OF 10000 people. An enthusiastic re-
ception greeted the speaker, who was fire.
quently interrupted by applause
Colonel Roosevelt spoke IN part as fol-
lows:
Mr. R0Osevelter Remarks.
Vice President Roosevelt. in opening his
address. declared that with the exception
OF the admission to statehood OF California
no other event emphasized In such sdra-
matte fashion the full meaning OF the
growth OF our country as did the incoming
OF Colorado.
He sketched the system OF colonial gov
ernment that existed prior to the settle
ment and growth of America, pointing out
that up to that time no scheme had been
devised under which 1t was possible to pre-
serve both national unity and individual
freedom. He said:
Some did better, than others-England,
for instance. did far better than Spain.
but in no case were the colonists treated
as citizens of equal right In common
country. Our ancestors, who were at once
the strongest and the most liberty-loving
among all the peoples who had been thrust
out into new continents, were the first to
revolt against this system, and the lesson
taught by their success has been thorough
ly learned.
I'm applying the new principles to our
conditions we have found the federal Con-
stitution a nearly perfect instrument The
system Of a closely knit and indestructible
union of free commonwealths has enabled
us to do what neither Greek nor Roman In
their greatest days could do. We have pre-
served the complete unity of an expanding
race without impairing in the slightest de-
gree the liberty Of the individual.
Qualifications for Statehood.
when in a given locality the settlers be-
came sufficiently numerous they were ad-
mitted to statehood, and thenceforward
shared all the rights and all the duties OF
the citizens Of the oldest states. As with
Columbus and the egg, the expedient seems
obvious enough nowadays; but then 1t was
30 novel that couple Of generations had
TO pass before we ourselves thoroughly
grasped all its features. At last we grew
to accept as automatic the two facts Of ma
tfonal union and local and personal freedom
AS whatever is automatic seems common
place, we now tend to accept what has been
accomplished as a mere matter Of course.
The very completeness with which the
vitaiIy important task has been done al
most blinds us to the extraordinary nature
of the achieyement..i'
Mr.. Roosevelt paid strong tribute to
the men who greatly dared and greatly
did, and declared the winning OF the west
was the great epic feat in the history of
HIS Closing Appeal,
In conclusion he said: For the sake
not only Of ourselves, but Of our children
and our children,s. children. we must see
that this nation stands for strength and
honesty both at home and abroad. In our
internal policy wel cannot afford to rest
satisfied until all that the government can
do has been done to secure fair dealing
and equal Justice between man and man.
In the great part, which hereafter whether
we Will or not, we must play In the world
at large, let US see to 1t that we neither
do wrong nor shrink from doing right be-
cause the right Is difficult: that on the
one hand we inflict no injury and that
on the other we have d,le regard for the
honor andsthe interest sof our mighty ma
ton: and that we keep unsullied the re-
nown Of the flag which beyond all others
Of the present time. or Of the ages Of the
past stands for confident faith In the fu-
ture welfare and greatness OF mankind