And State Papers 271 



we want peace. We wish well to the nations of 

 mankind. We look with joy at any prosperity of 

 theirs; we wish them success, not failure. We re 

 joice as mankind moves forward over the whole 

 earth. Each nation has its own difficulties. We 

 have difficulties enough at home. Let us improve 

 ourselves, lifting what needs to be lifted here, and 

 let others do their own work; let us attend to our 

 own business ; keep our own hearthstone swept and 

 in order. Do not shirk any duty ; do not shirk any 

 difficulty that is forced upon us, but do not invite 

 it by foolish language. Do not assume a quarrel 

 some and unpleasant attitude toward other people. 

 Let the friendly expressions of foreign powers be 

 accepted as tokens of their sincere good will, and re 

 flecting their real sentiments; and let us avoid any 

 language on our part which might tend to turn their 

 good will into ill will. All that is mere common- 

 sense; the kind of common-sense that we apply in 

 our own lives, man to man, neighbor to neighbor; 

 and remember that substantially what is true among 

 nations is true on a small scale among ourselves. 

 The man who is a weakling, who is a coward, we all 

 despise, and we ought to despise him. If a man 

 can not do his own work and take his own part, he 

 does not count; and I have no patience with those 

 who would have the United States unable to take 

 its own part, to do its work in the world. But re 

 member that a loose tongue is just as unfortunate 

 an accompaniment for a nation as for an individual. 

 XIII. 



