The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-03-04
| A|IINlN0 THEODORE ROOSEVELT

audible at some distance, when he re-
peated the formal declaration prescribed
in article III. of the Constitution: Il
do solemnly swear that | will faithfully
execute the office Of President Of the
United States, and will, to the best Of
my ability, preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution Of the United States"
a second later he bowed and pressed
his lips upon the open pages Of copy
Of the Bible held toward him BY Clerk
/ Mckenna Of the Supreme Court Again,
erect, he faced the people, and for an
instant perfect silence held. A signal
had been flashed from the dome of the
Capitol to the Navy Yard, whence came
the boom Of a ten-ineh gun, first Of TWEEN
/ ty-one, fired in honor of the newly in
auglmated Chief Executive. The ten
/ sion was broken, and roar of cheers
resounded far and wide across the plaza
On the outskirts Of the crowd bands
We're playing; cannon in the Virginia
forts across the river and batteries in
the city We're joining the big guns OF
the cruiser Prairie" in the salute to
the President. For many minutes the
jangle of sounds continued before the
President could find chance to begin
his inaugural address. He said;
The Presidents Address.
My Fellow Citizens: No people on
Iearth have more cause Ia be thankful
than ours, and this is said reyerentIy.
in no spirit Of boastfulness in our own
strength, but with gratitude to the Civ
err Of Good who has blessed us with
the conditions which have enabled us
to achieve so large a measure Of hap
piness. To us as a people it has been
granted to lay the foundations of our
national life in new 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
We have not been obliged to fight for
our existence against any alien race;
and yet our life has called for the Wig
or and effort without which the man
lier and harder virtues wither away
Under such conditions it would be our
own fault If we failed: and the sue
cess which we have had in the past, the
success which we confidently believe
the future will bring, should cause in
us no feeling of vain-glory, but rather
i g sANSp GIN AtdL1dltpn "a I'LL
which life has offered us; fun ac-
acknowledgement of the responsibility
which is ours; and d fixed determine
ton TO show that under free govern
ment mighty people can thrive best,
alike as regards the things Of the body
and the things of the soul.
Much has been given to us, and much
will rightfully be expected from us.
We have duties to others and duties to
ourselves; and We can shirk neither.
We have become a great nation, forced
by the fact of its greatness into rela-
tons with the other nations of the
earth; and we must behave as be-
seems q people with such responsible
ties Toward all other nations, large
and SMALL our attitude must be one
Of cordial and sincere friendship. We
/ mnst show not only in our words but
/ in our deeds that we are earnestly de-
sirous Of securing their good win bv
acting toward them in a spirit of Just
and generous recognition of all their
rights. But justice 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 less insistent that We are not
wronged ourselves. We wish peace
but we wish the peace Of justice, the
peace OF righteousness. We wish It
because we think it is right and not
because we are afraid. No weak ma
ton that acts manfnlly and Justly
should ever have cause to fear us, and
no strong power should ever be able
to single us out as subject for inso-
lent aggression.
Our relations with the other powers
| of the world are important; but still
! more important are our relations among
ourselves. Such growth in wealth, iii.
population, and IN power as this nation
has seen during the century and quar-
ter Of its national life is inevitably
accompanied by q like growth in the
problems which are ever before every
nation that rises to greatness. Power
invariably means both responsibility
and danger. Our forefathefs faced GER
tain perils which we have outgrown.
We now face other perils the very ex-
istence Of which it was impossible that
they should foresee Modern life Il
both complex and intense, and the ire.
mendous changes wrought by the ex-
traordinary industrial development Of
the last half century are felt in every
fiber Of our social and political being.
Never before have men tried so vast
and formidable an experiment. as that
of administering the affairs of con.
tinent under the forms OF a democratic
republic. The conditions which have
told for our marvellous material wen.
being, which have developed To Al
very high degree our energy. self.reli.
ance, and individual initiative, have
also brought the care and anxiety I'M