Under the benignant providence of Almighty God the representatives of the States and of the people are again brought together to deliberate for the public good.

Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true character of our government.

If a man . . . would shake and not be shaken, grip and not be gripped, taking care always to squeeze the hand of his adversary as hard as it squeezed him, then he suffered no inconvenience from it.

All distinctions of birth or of rank have been abolished. All citizens, whether native or adopted, are placed upon terms of precise equality. All are entitled to equal rights and equal protection.

It is confidently believed that our system may be safely extended to the utmost bounds of our territorial limits.

We must ever mandate the principle that the people of this continent alone have the right to decide their own destiny.

Peace, plenty, and contentment reign throughout our borders, and our beloved country presents a sublime moral spectacle to the world.