The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-01

The wilderness and the solitary place
have indeed been glad for them.
Farewell the past; welcome the fu-
ture. o our Kingi May we not fail Thee,
o Thou God of nations, since Thou hast
called us to tasks so sublime and hast
spread every banquet with hands OF love
and for the richer triumph Of Thy king
dom, in and through the governments OF
men. To this end may we have that
righteousness which, coming from above;
is life and hope. Then our youth shall
be renewed like the eagles; we shall
mount upon wings; we shall run and not
be weary; we shall even walk and not
faint Give US the. ennobling expectation
that as our God hath commanded our
strength because of the very greatness of
our way In the past, even so shall He lead
US on from enterprise to enterprise OF
even from Gethsemane to Calvary of self
sacrifice, SO that we may follow the I'M
crowned holiness from glory unto glory
Aceustom us to the truth which shah lead
us to seek first the kingdom of God, that
in the light and for the purposes there
Of all triumphs of science applied, all
conquests. of discovery, all victories of
philosophic endeavor, all fruits of the till
ed soil, all tanned tides of ocean, all songs
of happy homes, ali opulent l1teratures
yet to. be written, all art waiting here
shall be added unto us. Then shall He
be crowned, indeed, and with many
crowns"
DR.. Gunsaulus concluded with the
Lords prayer, in which the audience
Joined.
President Francis Speaks.
President Francis, as the chief ex-
ecutive of the exposition, then deliver
ed the following address:
"A great thinker has said: The senti-
ment from which it springs determines
the dignity of any deed This universal
exposition was conceived in a sense Of
obligation on the part Of the people of the
Louisiana purchase to give expression
to their gratitude for the innumerable
blessings that have flowed from a century
of membership in the American union to
fold benefits of living in land whose
climate and soil and resources are I'M
surpassed and of having their lots cast
IN an age when liberty and enlightenment
are established on foundations broad and
deep. and are the heritage of all who
worthily strive To rise to the full meas
ure of such a sentiment required an un-
dertaking of comprehensive proportions,
and the participation of all races and of
every cline.
Six Busy Years.
six years have passed since the con-
cept1On began to assume form. The first
year was devoted to arousing the interest
of this community and securing the CO.
operation of the states and territories of
the purchase. The next two years were
spent In enlisting the sympathy of other
SecIlOnS OF our own country and In gain
ing the RECOGNITION and assistance of the
general government. Three years ago the
work of preparation was begun. 1t has
been vigorously prosecuted on every sec
ton of the globe. The movement has en-
larged in scope from day to day, and
taken on more definite shape from year to
year. Discouragements were frequent
enough. but were never disheartening,
and are now all forgotten. We remember
only the words of cheer and commenda-
ton, the patient consideration given to
what was often looked upon as misdi-
rected enthusiasm, but which was per-
sisted in, and almost invariably converted
| indifference or scepticism into helpful and
active interest. The magnitude of the en-
terprise was never lost sight of by its pro-
| motors, but its mammoth proportions, con-
stantly increasing as they developed new
or for a moment shook the confidence,
weakened the energies, or diverted from
their well-defined purposes, those who
had been intruSted with the responsibility
| and the work. Today you see the con-
summation Of their efforts.
Assistance Acknowledged.
.'The sincere and helpful interest of the
| FEDERAL government, the unanimous CO.
operation of the states and territories
and possessions of the United States the
participation of almost every country on
the earth, is evidence of the wisdom and
thoroughness of the work of exploitation.
| and establishes unquestionably the uni
versal character of the exposition.