Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-04-30

severity Sleighing is in full swing
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
nation which has ever come forth from
the womb of time.
Ex-President Grover Cleveland wal
the next speaker.
GROVER CLEVELAND'S ADDRESS
Ex-Presdent Grover Cleveland's ad
dress reviewed the events that led w
to the acquisition of the Territory OF
Louisiana, and quoted copiously from
expressions of statesmen of 1903, made
upon the subject. Among other things
he said:
How fitting on every ground it is
that the centennial of this stupendous
event should be jOyously and appro-
priately celebrated, and that it should
be celebrated here in the most popu-
lous of the states created from the ter
ritory which the Louisiana purchase
gave to us. And how in keeping it is
with the character of this acquisition,
and with it's purpose and mission, that
our celebration should not waste itself
on the pomp and pagantry that belong
to the triumphs and spoils of war or to
the rapacious dispossessions of ruthless
conquest. Every feature of our cele-
bration should remind us that we me-
morialize peaceful acquisition of tel :
ritory for truly American uses and pur-
poses and we should rejoice not only
because this acquisition Immediately
gave peace and contentment to the
spirited and determined American set>
tiers who demanded an outlet of trade
to the sea, but also because 1t provid-
cd homes and fneart5 4 livelihood FOR
the millions of new Americans, whose
coming tread fell upon the ears of the
expectant fathers of the republic, and
whose stout hearts and brawny arms
wrought the miracles which our cele-
bration should interpret.
"A century ago the people of this
country We're not seeking to gain gov
ernment benefit by clandestine ap-
proach and cunning pretence, but were
apt to plainly present their wants or
grievances, and to openly demand
such consideration and care from the
general government as was their due
under the mandate of popular rule, and
that in making their demands they re-
lied on the mutual obligations of the
relationship between the governed and
voked the reciprocity in political duty
which enjoins that for the peoples
obedience and support of government,
there shall be given in exchange, by
the government to the people, defence
of their personal rights, and the assur-
ance that in safety and peace they
shall surely reap the fruits of their en-
terprise and labor. 1t may also be we'll
to note the efficacy of the peoples call
upon the government in those early
days. and how quickly the response
by yielding to temporary
gusts of popular whim and caprice
not by comforting benefits on the few at
the expense of the many-but by
quick observation of the fact that the
withdrawal of certain rightful privileg-
es by another nation from American
settlers had caused them distress, and
by a prompt determination to relieve
their distress even if the unwelcome
visage of war frowned in opposition.
There were wise men near our pres
ident in 1903, who differed with him
touching the nations power to acquire
new territory under the original pro-
visions of the Constitution; and these
men did not fail to make known their
dissent. Moreover. in the senate to
which the treaty was submitted for
there was an able dis
cussion of it's constitutional validity
and effectiveness. The judgment of
that body on this phase of the subject
was emphatically declared, when out
of 81 votes, "a were cast in favor OF
An amendment to the
was afterward presented
to congress, but it's first appearance
was it's last. 1t does not appear that
the president interested himself in its
fate, and it died at the moment of its
1--WE are glad at this hour that Jef-
ferson was wrong in his adverse con-
struction of the Constitution, and glad
that he was liberal minded enough to
see that he might be wrong. And yet
may we not profitably pause here.
long enough to contrast in our thoughts
the careful and reverent manner in
which the restrictions of our funda-
mental law were scrutinized a hundred
years ago, with the tendency often
seen in the later times fippantly to at
tempt the adjustment of our Constitu-
ton to the purposes of interest and
"In conclusion, hope I may be per-
mitted to suggest that our thoughts
and surroundings on this occasion
should lead us to humble recognition of
the Providence of God in all that has