New-York tribune., 1905-02-23
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
Lessons for the Present Day Drazcn
from Life of Washington.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

Philadelphia. Feb 22.-President Roosevet's
address at the University of Pennsylvania was
follows:
AS nation have had full share of
great men. but the two men of pre-eminent
greatness who, as the centuries go on, Will
surely loom above all others are Washington
and Lincoln; and 1t is peculiarly fitting that
their birthdays should be celebrated every year
No other city in the country is so closely
identified with Washington's career Phila-
delphia. He served here in 1II0 in the Contl-
mental Congress He was here as commander
of the army at the time of the battles Of Bran
dywine and Germantown, and it was near here
that with that army he faced the desolate win
ter at Valley Forge, the winter which marked
the turning point Of the Revolutionary War.
Here he came again as president of the con-
vention which framed the Constitution, and then
as President of the United States, and finally
as lieutenant general of the army after he had
retired from the Presidency.
One hundred and eight years ago. just before
he left the Presidency, he issued his farewell
address. and in it he laid down certain princi-
pies which he believed should guide the citizens
of this Republic for all time 10 come, his own
words being. which appear to me all important
to the permanency of your felicity as people.
Washington. though IN some ways an even
greater man than Lincoln, did not have Lin
coins wonderful gift of expression-that git
which makes certain speeches of the railsplitter
from Illinois read like the inspired utteranceS
of the great Hebrew seers and prophets But
he had all of Lincoln's sound common sense, far
sightedness and devotion to a lofty ideal Like
Lincoln, he sought after the nObest objects, and,
like Lincoln. he sought after them by thoroughly
practical methods. These two greatest Ameri-
cans can fairly be called the best among the
great men of the world. and greatest among the
good men of the world. Each showed in actual
practice his capacity to secure under our system
the priceless union of individual liberty with
governmental strength Each was as free from
the vices of the tyrant as from the vices of the
demagogue. To each the empty futility of the
mere doctrinaire was alien the baseneSS
of the merely self-seeking politician. Each was
incapable alike of the wckedness which seeks
H,-f If arr1,S m n
less criminal weakness which fails to provide
effectively against being wronged by others.
BASIS FOR OUR FOREIGN POLICY.
Among Washington's maxims which he be-
queathed TO his countrymen were the two fol-
lowing: Observe good faith and justice toward
all nations and To be prepared for war is
the most effective means to promote peace.
These two principles taken together should form
the basis of our whole foreign policy Neither
is sufficient taken by Itself. II is not merely
idle dream, but most mschievous dream, to
believe that refratning from wrongdoinS
will insure us against being wronged Yet, on
the other hand nation prepared for war is
menace to mankind unless the national purpose
is TO treat other nations with good falth ana
Justice. In any community II is neither the
conscientious man who is a craven at heart nor
yet the bold and strong man without the moral
sense who is of real use to the community; IL
is the man who to strength and courage adds
realizing sense of the moral obligation resting
upon him. the man who has not only the desire
but the power to do his full duty by his neigh
Dor and by the State. So, in the world at large
the nation which is of in the progress of
mankind is that nation which combines strength
of character, force of character and insistence
upon it's own rights with full acknowledgment
of its own duties toward others. Just at present
the best way in which we can show that our
LOYALTY to the teachings of Washington is
loyalty of the heart and not of the lips only is
TO see to it that the work of building up our
navy goes steadily on, and that at the same
time our stand for international righteousness
is clear and emphatic.
Never since the beginning of our countrys
history has the navy been used in an unjust war.
Never has it failed 10 render great and some
times vital service TO the Republic. 1t has not
been too strong for our good. though often not
strong enough to do all the good it should have
done
NEED OF ADEQUATE NAVY.
Our possession of the Philippines, our interest
in the trade of the Orient. building the
Isthmian Canal. our insistenCe upon the Monroe
Doctrine, all demand that our navy shall be
Of adequate size and for its size OF unsurpassed
efficiency. If it is strong enough I believe 1t
will minimize the chance of our being drawn
into foreign If we let it run down IL is as
certain the day that sooner later we shall
have to choose between probably disastrous
foreign war or a peace kept on terms that imply
national humiliation. Our navy is the surest
guarantee OF peace and the cheapest insurance
Continued second page.