The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-09


deep and abiding realization of all
which life has offered us: full ac-
knowledgment Of responsibility which
is ours and fixed determination to
show that under a free government a
mighty people can thrive best, alike
as regards as 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 ma
| ton, forced by the fact of its greatness
| into relations with the other nations
OF the earth; and we must behave as
beseems people with such response
bilities. 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 earnest
ly DESTROYS of securing their good will
by acting toward them in a spirit of
just ard generous recognition of all
their rights. But justice and generOs-
lty In nation, as in an individual,
count most when shown not by the
weak but by the strong. While ever
careful to refrain from wronging 9TH
ers, 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
1T because we think it is right and not
because we are afraid. No weak ma
ton that acts manfully and Justly
should ever have cause to fear us, and
no strong power should ever be able
to single us out as a subject for inso-
| lent aggression.
"0ur relations with the other powers
OF the world are important; but still
more important are our relations
among ourselves. Such growth in
wealth, in population, and in power as
this nation has seen during the cen
fury and quarter of it's national life
is inevitably accompanied by like
growth in the problems which are ever
before every nation that rises to great
ness. Power invariably means both
responsibility and danger Our fore.
fathers faced certain perils which we
have outgrown. We now face other
perils the very existence of which it
was impossible that they should fore
see. Modern life is both complex and
intense, and the tremendous changes
wrought by the extraordinary industrial
development of the last half century
are felt in every fibre of our social and
political being. Never before have men
tried ca vast apd forr,idoI,ro ~,
ment as that of administering the af-
fairs of continent under the forms of
democratic republic The conditions
which have told for our marvellous ma
terial well being, which have developed
to very high degree our energy. self
reliance and individual initiative, have
also brought the care and anxiety in
separable from the accumulation of
great wealth in industrial centers.
upon the success of our experiment
much depends; not only as regards our
own welfare, but as regards the well
fare of mankind. If we fail, the cause
OF free self government throughout the
world VIII rock to it's foundations: and
therefore our responsibility is neavy,
to ourselves, to the world as it is TODAY
and to the generations yet unborn.
There is no good reason why we should
fear the future, but there is every rea-
son why we should face it seriously.
neither hiding from ourselves the gray
ity OF the problems before us nor fear
ing to approach these problems with
the unbending, unfiinching purpose to
solve them Alright.
Yet, after all, though the problems
are new, though the tasks set before
US differ from the tasks set before our
fathers who founded and preserved this
republic, the spirit in which these tasks
must be undertaken and these prob
lens faced, if our duty is to be well
done, remains essentially unchanged.
We know that self government is diff
ficult. We know that no people needs
such high traits of character as that
people which seeks to govern it's af-
fairs Alright through the freely ex-
pressed will of the ffeemen who COM
pose it. But we have faith that we
shall not prove false to the memories