Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-08
INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Washington. March S.-Thc Inaugural
ton address Of President Wilson, deliv-
cred to-day. is as follows:
Tho four years which have elapsed
since last stood in this place have been
crowded with counsel and action OF the
most vital interest and consequence.
Perhaps no equal period In our history
has boon 20 fruitful Of important reforms
In our economic and industrial lifo. or 40
full of significant changes In the spirit
and purpose Of our political action. We
have sought very thoughtful1y to set our
house in order. correct tho grosser errors
and abuses of our Industrial life, libcrate
and quicken the processes Of our national
genius and energy and lift our politics
to a broader Wow Of the peoples essen
It is a record Of singular variety and
singular distinction. But I shall not at
tempt TO review It. 1t speaks for itself
years go by. This is not the time for
retrospect. 1t is time rather to seek our
thoughts and purposes concerning the
present and the immediate future
Although we have conferred counsel ana
action with such unusual concentration
upon tho great problems of domestic
legislation, to which we addressed our
selves four years ago, other matters
have more and more forced themselves
on our attention. matters lying outside
our own life as nation over which
we had no control. but which. despite
our wish to keep free of them. have
drawn ms more and more irresistibly into
their own current and influence.
II has been impossible to avoid them.
They have affected the life Of the whole
world. It has boon hard to preserve
calm counsel while the thought of our
own people weighed thio way and that
under their influence. We are COM
currents Of our thoughts as well as tho
currents Of our trade run quick Mt all
seasons back and forth between rs and
them. The war inevitably sets It's mark
NfeA NAA
industries, on, commerce, our politics and
our social action. To be Indifferent TO
II, or Independent to 1t. was out of the
question; and yet all the while we have
been conscious that We were not part of
IL. In that consciousness, despite many
divisions we have drawn closer together.
We have been deeply wronged upon the
seas. but VIC have not wished to wrong
or injure in return; we have retained
throughout the consciousness Of stand
ing In some sort apart, intent upon an
interest that transcribed the inmedfa ate
issues OF the war Itself. As some Of the
injuries done us have become intolerable
we still have clearly wished moth
ing for ourselves, that we wero not
dealing. justice. the freedom to live and
be at ease against organized wrong.
It is in this spirit and with this
thought that we have grown more and
play was tho part Of those who mean
to vindicate and fortify peace. We have
been obliged to arm ourselves to make
| good our claim to a certain minimum Of
| right and of freedom Of action. We
| stand Arm In armed neutrality since 1t
seems that in no other way we can dem
onstratc what II Is we insist upon and
cannot forego. We may even he drawn
on, by circumstances, not by our purpose
| or desire. to a more active assertion Of
our rights as we see them and moro
Immediate association with the great
| struggle Itself. But nothing will alter
| our thought or our purpose. They are
tao deeply rooted In the principles Of our
| national nfe to be altered. We desire
| neither conquest nor advantage. We
wish nothing that can be had only at tho
| cost OF another people.
There are many things to do at home.
to clarity our own politics and add new
| vitality to the industrial processes Of our
| ,wn life. and We shall do them AZ time
and opportunity serve. but we realize
that tho greatest things that remain tc
be done must be done with the whole
world and we are making our spirtts
ready for those things They will follow
in tue immediate wake Of the war itself
and will set civilization up again. We