Evening star., 1949-01-20
Challenges Of Public
Will Remind Truman
OF His HumbIeness
This Is What Americans
Applaud in Inauguration
Of Our Presidents
Bv David Lawrence

Four years ago on this day there
were no parades but only a brief
ceremony on the south portice of
he White House as loving son
onderly lifted Franklin D. Roose-
1T to the microphones so he could
AXE his inaugural address.
The war in Europe had not yet
,ded. The Battle of the Bulge had
',st the lives of many American
I'd Allied soldiers. The fact that
President was being inaugurated
,r- the fourth consecutive term
>emed only as unprecedented as
e war itself-nothing was normal.
Today there Is no such sense Of
dness. There is anxiety in the
orld but also a calm confidence
at It can be removed by the pa
2nce ana persistence of informed
,oples-for they want no more
ar
Can Be Roman Holiday.
The inauguration of a President
an be Roman holiday. The temp
alton is to emphasize the political
riumph of candidate or party. This
is but a one-day phase. 1t passes,
along with the other oddities Of
American democracy, and might be
likened to the celebrations of other
peoples as they crown their kings
or fete their rulers.
The difference perhaps is that
there Is nothing permanent about
the tenure of Office here. 1t is tenn
porary. Four years is briet time
within which a President can try
to work out program of reform
and welfare. 1t is punctuated, more
over, in midterm by congressional
election when q coordinate branch
of the Government goes before the
people.
What does man who is inaugu-
rated President of the United States
think about in this climactic mo-
ment of his career? What thoughts
run through his mind as the people
cheer him and the eyes of the
Nation. are focused on him? Does
he think of himself as just an
extraordinary manor lucky man?
Might he be soliloquizing on the
fact that out of nearly 100000 600
persons he has been selected for this
honor in these fateful times? Does
he think of himself as better fitted
than the opponent that he de-
feated? Does he think of himself
as better. than any one else his
party might have selected?
In short, does President as he
stands there on the east front Of
the Capitol and takes the oath all
low, the ego within him to suffuse
his mind or does he conquer that
ego by thoughts of humbleness and
service to the people who have hon.
ored him?
Words of Humbleness.
The words that come forth on
these occasions are usually words of |
humbleness. Presidents deliver their |
inaugural addresses with solemnity |
and dignity. They know the people !
expect them to be modest and al
most deferential in their attitude,
though it will be recalled that, in his
first inaugural, Franklin Roosevelt /
delivered a defiant outburst with
phrases reminiscent of his political
campaign. He struck the first note
Of the class warfare which ensued
with greater and greater intensity in
the years that followed.
Mfr. Truman is a good man in
every sense of the word. He is hon.
est. He is God-fearing. He is eager
to serve the people and his country.
He has courage. His stubborn pride
Of conviction can often be virtue.
Sometimes it hides a tragic miscon-
ception of fact. His heart reaches
out with humanitarian zeal to serve
his fellow men. His chief weakness
Is his fidelity to faction. He is a
political partisan. It is the princi-
pal barrier to greatness in the pres
idency or any other Office. That is
why the challenges of public opinion
will be good for Mr.. Truman. They |
will remind him of the humbleness
expressed this day.
For here is the real difference be-
tween crowning a king and inaugu-
rating a President. A king can do
40 wrong-the concept associated |
with his reign is best expressed by
the phrase "the divine right of
kings" A President, however, can
be wrong and-what is even more
lmportant-the humblest citizen can
tell him so. 1t is this which we cele-
brate today. 1t is this which we re-
dedicate when we applaud with all
our hearts the Inauguration of
Harry s. Truman and wish him
good luck, good health and a most
successful administration.
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