Excerpt from Address at Dedication of Monument to Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana, October 27th 1908

In approaching a consideration of this administration, it is to be borne in mind that lines of policy most nearly affecting national life are not broken because of changes in control of the Government from one party to another, as our history has shown. There is a national life, like the subconscious one of the individual man, that bears the nation onward upon paths of action so essential to its wel fare that no party desires or dares to abandon, or greatly change them. The Monroe doctrine, so called, announced in 1823, has long since passed from the domain of political discussion. The pan-amer ican Congress during the Harrison administration, and the visit of an eminent cabinet officer of the present administration to the Republics of South America have met with universal approval.

We must in this relation also consider that such policies must come from the people. These do not originate with the individual. They are perceived, often dimly at first, then confirmed by time, intel ligence, discussion, and the common-sense of most, and when backed by the voice and votes of the majority, become lapt in law and operative in national life. Yet there must be the leaders, the thinkers, those to advocate and those to apply with earnestness and wisdom the policy developed; and to these, upon success attained, is justly given our acknowledgment of excellence. Their' names becomeattached to the principles beneficently enforced; their greatness estab lished. Indeed, the State itself, like Magna Char-ta, as has often been said, is but the declaration of principles, generated and grown, tried in forum and on field, and adopted by public opinion, antecedent to the State itself. But those men who formulate institutions or exe cute a wise policy live in history among its few immortal names.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.