The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-03-04
THE INAUGURAL SPEECH.
President Roosevelt Addresses ths
Multitude en- Nations DGsy.

My fellow citizens: No people OF
earth have more cause to be thank.
full than ours, and this is said reyer.
emily. in no spirit Of boastfulness in
eur owa strength. bus with gratItud,
10 the Giyer ~ Good who has blessed
us with the conditions which have
enabled us to achieve so large a meas
ure of wei being and of happiness
70 MS as a people It has been granted
to lay tho foundations Of our national
life in now continent. We are the
heirs Of the ages. and yet we have
had to pay few Of the penalties which
in old countries are exacted by the
dead hand Of a bygone civilization.
Ne fave not been Obliged to fight foi
our eNistance against any allen race;
and yet our life has called for the Wig
or and effect without the manlier and
harder virtues withcr away Under
such conditions It would be our own
fault if we failei; and the success
which we have had in the past, tht
success which we confidently believe
the future will bring, should cause ia
MS no foe!ing of vainglory, but rather
a deep and agiding realization of all
which life has offered US: full
acknowledgment OF responsibility
which is ours; and a fixed determine.
ticn tc show that under a free govern.
ment q mighty people can thrive best
alike as regards the things Of the
body and the things Of the soul.
Much has heen given to us, and
much will rightfully be expected from
us. We have duties to others, anc
duties to ourselves; and we can shirk
neither. We have become d great
nation. formed by the fact of its
greatness into relations with other
nations Of the earth; and we must be-
have as beseelns a people with such
responsibilities. Toward all other
nations, large and small. our attitude
must be one Of cordial and sincere
friendship. We must show not only
in our words but in our deeds that we
are earnestly desirous Of securing
their good will by acting toward them
in a spirit OF just and generous rec
ognition Of eli their rights. But jua
tice and generosity in a nation. as in
an individual. count most when shown
not by the weak but by the strong.
While ever careful to refrain from
wronging others we must be no lesa
insistent that we are not ,yronged
ourselves. We wish peace: but we
wish the peace Of justice. the peace
of Righteousness. We wish ID be.
cause we think it not right and not
because we are afraid. No weak M.
tion that Fcts mercifully ana justly
should eytr have cause to fear us
and no strong power should ever be
able TO single us out as a subject for
'nsolent aggression
Our relations with the other powers
of the world are important hut stin
more important are our relations
among ourselves. Such growth in
wealth, IN population. and In power as
this nation has seen during the cen.
tury and quarter OF It's national ire
IS inevitably accompanied by like
growth In the problems which are
ever befsoe nations that rises to great
ness Power invariably MEANS both
responsibility and danger Our fore
fathers faced certain pelils which We
have outgrtwn. We now face other
perils the very existence of which ii
was impossible that they should fore