The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-21
The Presidents Address.

When President Roosevelt stepped TO the
front OF the platform and began Mr..
Chairman" he was interrupted by the
flashllght of a photographer. AS the smoke
blew across the stage he laughed and said:
There goes the mystery now" referring to
the mystery of the creed. Beginning his
address again, the President said:
at is a pleasure on behalf of the people
of the United States, TO bid you welcome on
this hundredth anniversary of the begin
ming of organized home missionary work
by the Presbyterian Church. In one sense.
OF course, all fervent and earnest church
work is part of home missionary work.
Every earnest and jealous believer, every
man or woman who is a doer of the word,
sionary in his or her field OF labor-a mis-
sionary by precept, and by what is a thou
sand fold more than precept, by practice.
Every such believer eXerts influence on
those within reach somewhat by word and
infinitely more through the ceaseless, yet
well-nigh unseen pressure, all the strong
er when its exercise is unconscious, Of ex-
ample, of broad, loving. charitable neigh
borliness.
But tonight we celebrate a hundred
years of missionary work done not Incl
dentally, but with set purpose; a hundred
years of earnest effort TO spread abroad
the gospel, to lay deep the moral founda-
ton upon which true national greatness
must rest. The century that has closed
has seen the conquest of this continent by
our people. To conquer a continent is rough
work. All really great work is rough in the
doing, though il may seem smooth enough
TO those who look back upon it or who gaze
upon il from afar. Thoroughness is
avoidable part of the doing of the deed.
We need display but scant patience with
those who, sitting at ease in their own
homes delight to exercise a querulous and
censorious part Of judgment upon their
brethren. who, whatever their shortcom-
ings. are doing strong mems work as they
bring civilization
worlds dark places.
THE criticism of those who live softly,
remote from the strife, is of little value;
but it would be difficult 10 overestimate the
value of the missionary work OF those who
go out TO share the hardships, and while
sharing il, 10 wage war against the myri-
ad forms of brutality. IL is such missionary
work which prevents the pioneers from
sinking perilously near the level Of the saw
agery against which they contend. Without
IL the conquest OF this continent would have
had little but an animal side. Without il the
pioneers fierce and rude virtues and SOM
Der faults would have been left unlit by the
flame of pure and loving aspiration. With
out it the life of this country would have
been life of inconceivably hard and bar
rem materialism. Because OF II, deep be-
meath and through the national character.
there runs that power of firm adherence 10
a lofty ideal upon which the safety OF the
Nation will ultimately depend.
Honor, thrice honor to those who, for
three generations, during the period of this
peoples great expansion, have seen that
the force of the living truth expanded as
the Nation expanded. They bore the bur-
securely and died unknown, that we might
come into glorious heritage. Let US prove
the sincerity of our homage to their faith
and their works by the way in which we
manfully carry toward completion what,
under them, was so well begun
Coming up here tonight l made up my
mind 10 speak TO you of the manifesto
tiOns of the spirit of national righteousness
ri nj daV
and Of something that has happened with
in ten days; of the action of this Nation
which eliminated in the creation to-day
and in starting new republic on its course.
That has represented four years work
blunderings and shortcomings in the work.
of course: and there were men of little
faith who only saw the shortcomings and
the blindness-but IL represents work tri-
umphantly done. We have the right 10 feel
proud that we have kept every pledge to the
letter and established a new national pre-
cedent. | don't remember another such
case-and / have looked for one with care
case where as the result of such war the
victorious nation has contented itself by
starting new nation, free. the difficult
path OF self-government.
More anarchy and ruin would have been
before the island il we had been satisfied
with the victories OF war and left its peo-
pie 10 shift for themselves For four years
our representatives in the islands have been
representative largely of the army. I
sometimes hear the army attacked and I
have even heard missionaries attacked
Still, when great work is TO be done in
peace or war. il is good 10 have the army
to depend on our representative worked
10 build up the school system, 10 establish
sanitary measures, 10 preserve order and
10 prepare for the starting of industries
that the new government might begin with
the chances in its favor. Now, as a Ma
ton. we bid IL godspeed and we intend
10 see IL has all the aid We can give H.
I trust and believe our people in the ma
tional legislature will see 10 IL shortly that
they have the advantage of entering into
peculiarly close relations with our economic
system.
THAT is one deed consummated to-day
Now for the other. Ten days ago an APP
palling calamity befell another portion OF
the West Indian ISLANDS; territory belong
ing 70 two different nations: islands not
under our nag. but their need was great
and this people saw TIE need and met IL