State of the Union Addresses of Warren Harding
The addresses are separated by three asterisks: ***
Dates of addresses by Warren Harding in this eBook:
December 6, 1921
December 8, 1922
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State of the Union Address
Warren Harding
December 6, 1921
MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS:
It is a very gratifying privilege to come to the Congress with the Republicat peace with all the nations of the world. More, it is equally gratifyingto report that our country is not only free from every impending, menace ofwar, but there are growing assurances of the permanency of the peace whichwe so deeply cherish.
For approximately ten years we have dwelt amid menaces of war or asparticipants in war's actualities, and the inevitable aftermath, with itsdisordered conditions, bits added to the difficulties of government whichadequately can not be appraised except by, those who are in immediatecontact and know the responsibilities. Our tasks would be less difficult ifwe had only ourselves to consider, but so much of the world was involved,the disordered conditions are so well-nigh universal, even among nationsnot engaged in actual warfare, that no permanent readjustments can beeffected without consideration of our inescapable relationship to worldaffairs in finance and trade. Indeed, we should be unworthy of our besttraditions if we were unmindful of social, moral, and political conditionswhich are not of direct concern to us, but which do appeal to the humansympathies and the very becoming interest of a people blest with ournational good fortune.
It is not my purpose to bring to you a program of world restoration. In themain such a program must be worked out by the nations more directlyconcerned. They must themselves turn to the heroic remedies for themenacing conditions under which they are struggling, then we can help, andwe mean to help. We shall do so unselfishly because there is compensationin the consciousness of assisting, selfishly because the commerce andinternational exchanges in trade, which marked our high tide of fortunateadvancement, are possible only when the nations of all continents arerestored to stable order and normal relationship.
In the main the contribution of this Republic to restored normalcy in theworld must come through the initiative of the executive branch of theGovernment, but the best of intentions and most carefully consideredpurposes would fail utterly if the sanction and the cooperation of Congresswere not cheerfully accorded.
I am very sure we shall have no conflict of opinion about constitutionalduties or authority. During the anxieties of war, when necessity seemedcompelling there were excessive grants of authority and all extraordinaryconcentration of powers in the Chief Executive. The repeal of war-timelegislation and the automatic expirations which attended the peaceproclamations have put an end to these emergency excesses but I have thewish to go further than that. I want to join you ill restoring-, ill themost cordial way, the spirit of coordination and cooperation, and thatmutuality of confidence and respect which is necessary ill representativepopular government.
Encroachment upon the functions of Congress or attempted dictation of itspolicy are not to be thought of, much less attempted, but there is allinsistent call for harmony of purpose and concord of action to speed thesolution of the difficult problems confronting both the legislative andexecutive branches of the Government.