New-York tribune., 1905-02-23
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
Continued from FIRST page.

|
against war, and those who in whatever ca
pacity, have helped TO build II up aurIis e
last twenty years have been In gooo I laltn , ~
serving and living up 10 one ,9, oI 'i asbinaton
portant OF the principles whlch Was.iiils - -
laid down for the guidance or ms couh.I M Sna: Sl
Nor Washington the only one OF tti 1ut - b,.
Presidents who showed farsghted patriotism py
support of tho navy When Andrew Jackson
was in Congress he voted for the hrst Walsiips
built part of our regular navy, aiIu @
he voted against the grant of money 70 pay our
humiliating tribute 10 the pirates OF lne , Do
barry States. Old Hickory was a paerlot thIo"sls
and through, and there was not an ounce h eoit Jt
timdty In his nature, and' OF course. ne i~.'
only indignant contempt for poncy which @ pua- ~
chased an ignobe peace by cowardlce instead VI
exacting a Just peace by showing we were as
little willing 10 submit to as to inf1ict aggres
sion. Had a majority of Jacksons colieagues
and successors felt as he did about the navy had
il been built up instead of being brought to
standst ii would probably never nave peeH
necessary to fight the War of lSl2
Again Washington said: Give to MANKIND
the example of people always gu11ed e ss,;Ss os az
can be shown alike by our dealings within ana
without our own borders. Taft and Wright, IN
the Philippines, and Wood. in Cuba, have shown
US exactly how to practise this justice and be-
nevolence in dealing with other peoples-a JUS
tice and benevoence which can be SHOWN not
by shIrkng our duty and abandoning to sell
destruction those unfit to govern themselves, but
by doing duty by staying with them and
teaching them how 10 govern themselves, Dy
uplifting them spiritually and materially.
JUSTICE BEFORE GENEROSITY.
Here at home we are obeying this maxim of
Washingtons Just so far as we help in every
movement whether undertaken by the govern
ment or as is and should be, more often the
case by voluntary action among private citi-
zens. for the betterment of our own people. Cd
serve that Washington speaks both OF justice
and benevolence, and that he puts justice hrst
We must be generous, we must help our poorer
brother. but, above all, we must remember TO
De just, and the first step toward securing JUS
tice is to treat every on his worth as a
man, showing him special favor, but so far
as may be holding open for him the door OF
est and intelligent endeavor:
it." Just at the moment there is no attack on
public credit, but If ever the temptation arises
again let people at the outset remember that
the dishonest debtor is that man who would
persuade him that ii is anything but dishonest
for him to repudiate his debts
Finally, it is peculiarly appropriate, when
have come TO this city as the guest OF the
University of Pennsylvania, to quote another
OF Washington's maXims Promote, OBJ
ject of primary Importance. institutions for the
general diffusion Of knowledge. In proportion
as the structure of government gives force to
public opinion it is essential that public opinion
should be enlightened" Education may not
make man a good citizen. but most certainly
ignorance tends to prevent his being good
citizen. Washington far too much of a
patriot, had far too much love for his fellow
citizens. to try to teach them that they could
govern themselves unless they could develop a
sound and enlightened public opinion. No ma
tion permanently retain free government un-
less IT retain n high average Of citizenship,
and there be no such high average of citi-
zenship without a high average of education,
using the word in its broadest and truest sense,
to include the things OF the soul as we'll as the
things of the mind. School education never
supplant take the place of self-education still
less it in any way take the place Of those
rugged and manly qualities which we group
together under the name OF character. but 1t
be of enormous use in supplementing both.
1t is source of just pride to every American
that people have Sc consistently acted in ac-
cordance with Wasaington's principle of pro-
noting institutions 2Cc the diffusion Of knowl-
edge. There IS rothing dearer to our hearts
than our public school system. by which free
primary education is provided for every one
within our borders The higher education such
is provided by the University of Pennsyl-
vania and kindred bodies not only confers great
benefits to those able to take advantage of it,
but entails upon them corresponding duties.
DUTY OF THE COLLEGE MAN
The men who founded this nation had to deal
with theories Of government and the funda-
mental principles of free institutions. We are
now concerned with different set of questions,
for the Republic has been firmly established, its
principles thoroughly tested and fully approved.
To merely political issues have succeeded those
of grave social and economic Importance, the
solution of which demands the best efforts Of
the best men We have a right to expect that
a wise and leading part in the effort to attain
this solution will be taken by those who have been
exceptionally blessed in the matter of obtaining
education. That college graduate is but
poor creature who does not feel when he has
left college that he has received something for
which he owes a return. What he thus owes
he can, as a rule only pay by the way he bears
himself throughout life. 1t is but occasionally
that college graduate can do much outright
for his Alma Mater: he best repay her by
living life that will reflect credit upon her, by
so carrying himself as a citizen that men shall
see that the years spent In training him have
not been wasted. The educated man is entitled
to no special privilege, save the inestimable
privilege Of trying to show that his education
enables him to take the lead in striving to guide
his fellows Alright in the difficult task which is
set to OF the twentieth century. The prob
lens before us to-day very complex and
widely different from those which the men
of Washngtons generation had to face, but we
can overcome them surely, and can overcome
them only if approach them in the spirit
which Washington and Washington's great sup
porters brought to bear upon the problems of
their day-the spirit of sanity and Of courage
the spirit which combines hard common sense
with the loftiest idealism.