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THE KING OF SIAM.
RECORD REIGN CELEBRATIONS.
ADDRESSES BY THE KING AND CROWN
PRINCE.
At the unveiling of the statue. H. R. H. the Crown Prince read an address of which the following is a translation:-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Sire, what I have tried to say is but a feeble part of what is due to Your Majesty, but it will suffice to show how one and all of us regard Your Majesty with feelings of undying loyalty and devotion, a sentiment which will be handed down as a sacred inheritance to our posterity:
[December 12, 1908
The evidences of Your Majesty's sincere existing condition of things, and while produc- solicitude for Your people are before our tive of great benefit to the people at large, it eyes; how You are striving conscientiously also involved a necessary alteration in the ways to execute the sacred duties that devolve on of government. Time was not permitted him, You in all matters, in order to promote peace however, to carry these changes far and the and happiness; how You are persuading Your measures then adopted could only be described subjects to follow in the path of righteous- | as initial steps to suit the altered circumstances. At Bangkok last month to mark theness and to eschew evil ways as a loving Upon Our succession, the necessity for fortieth year of the reign of His Majesty the Father watches over his dear children; how further changes became more and more pro King of Siam an equestrian statue of His You concentrate Your attention upon the fos-nounced; it became apparent that the provi Majesty was unveiled as a worthy mark of tering of the best interests of Your people sional measures introduced by Our Illustrious the appreciation in which the nation holds as the highest aims of Your life, untiring Parent were becoming inadequate, and that the benefits of the reign, and His Majesty in Your work, unsparing in Yourself, for Yon only a complete reform in the methods of laid the foundation stone of a new throne hall recognize no obstacle as insurmountable. Above administration would meet the new times and whigh, the Bangkok Times says, is destined to be all, as a man. Your Majesty has set Your Royal circumstances. To suddenly bring about sweep- not the least magnificent of the possessions of Person a au example for men, in strieting changes in the deep-rooted institutions nation, without the Kings of Siam.
probity, succeeding in this by Your fortitude and popular ideas of a fand constaney,
causing serious political disturbance, would be to attempt the impossible; and ways had to be considered whereby these reforms could be gradually but effectively introduced without producing any internal discontent. To accomp- lish this great aim thus became an object for constant thought and careful consideration of details to suit the progress of the times, and a strict watch was necessary in order that the opportunities to introduce improvements might not be allowed to pass by. It was in the nature of things that at the beginning the new institu- tions had no solid support on which they could rest. Everything had perforce to be created anew and-what is most important-the people had, to be educated in their ideas and ideals to an But such a appreciation of the improvements. result cannot be obtained in less than a geners-
the
of reforms could progress not be so rapid as was desired. Furthermore, the condition of things outside Siam, was, at the same time, undergoing great changes, to such an extent that Siam was rapidly finding herself placed in situation.created by surrounding circumstances, widely different from that in which she had stood from olden times. Hence it became incumbent upon us to endeavor to meet this changed ex- ternal order of things, in addition to the atten- tion given to our internal affairs.
of
THE KING'S REPLY.
following is a translation ---
His Majesty read a reply of which the
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tion.
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May it Please Your Majesty. The Princes of the House and nobles, officers of Your Majesty's administration. both military and civil, together with the monks, priests, perceptors, squires, tradesmen and commoners, It is our cherished desire that there should all Your Majesty's subjects assembled here be preserved for future generations. the to-day are jubilant at the thought that Your testimony of national feelings for Your Gracious Majesty has now fully completed Most Gracions Majesty, and to this end we have forty years of Your glorious reign. It is resolved unanimously to erect a statue of our the reign in record that surpasses all those beloved King which shall for all times stand as of the ancient Sovereigns of the Ayudha a national monument of our heartfelt devotion epoch, from King Uthong the Founder of that to Your Royal Person. I am happy to mention ancient capital, down to the present time. Nor that in this object foreigners enjoying the even in the history of the Siamese Nation of benefits of Your wige Rule have also participated remoter past is there to be found reliable in order 14 show their high esteem of Your record of any Monarch that had equalled Your Majesty.
For these reasons, The Statue has been completed and, with Majesty in the duration of rule. Were it for this unique historical distinction alone, cau
Your Majesty's permission, has been erected in pride in Your Majesty's attainment would have; the centre of the Open Court at Dusit Park. sufficient reason, but we prefer to look further:!
With gladdened hearts, we now pray your in our estimation, a Sovereign is not to be Majesty to be pleased to unveil the Statue. judged by the length of his reign only, but we This favour we crave shall be the augury of should rather seek to find how, under his long increased unity and prosperity of the nation rule, he has promoted the welfare of the peoples; under Your Majesty's benevolent Rule. and if it can be shown that he has conscientiously striven to bring good to the nation, then can he be called a Sovereign who has not reigned in vain. Now, when we call to wind the degree
Princes. Nobles, and People! of progress and prosperity Siam has attained during the last forty years, we are moved by i Our heart is deeply touched by the friendly feelings of appreciation for Your wise rule and and joyful sentiments in praise of Ourself and of gratitude for the blessings which Your the sincere, albeit searching, appreciation of Majesty has bestowed on the State and the people in incomparable measure. I venture to say, Sire, that You are the Incarnate Sovereign of right divine, having come among us at the most opportune epoch when Siam vndeavoured We listened to your repeated assurances that to tread from the old way to the new, the path the efforts which We have made to govern the progress, for if it had not had the benefit of State and promote the welfare and prosperity of Your ripe Statesmanship, guiding the people; of the nation have produced results which meet by Your sagacious policy in the right path, this with your united satisfaction and approbation. Land of the Free would never have reached theIt is indeed, true that the mere number of stage of advancement and prosperity which it years, however long, that a Sovereign has sat now enjoys,
upon the Throne need be no cause for admira-
It should not be left out of consideration The instances of Your Majesty's love for tion. for though such an event as Our own long UJIOLI with Your people are too numerous for enumerareigu may perhaps be looked
that a sound and good administration must needs tion. It is a lore as deep and as wide as the appreciative wonder, seeing that no previous depend for its chief support upon a universal In former times, when our great ocean whose shores are beyond the range monarch has equalled it in our national history, unity of sentiment. of human vision. Time would fail to detail yet there have been many sovereigns of other country stood aloof and had not entered upon inter- even a tithe of them. What words could be countries who have reigned quite as long and course with foreign nations, our own conception found to extol the praise of that supreme act even much longer.
of things was limited, little things were regarded of grace, by which Your Majesty had granted To Us, however, this lengthened period of Qur as great, and the scope of our aims and desires unto Your people, liberty, making them free own rule has a special significance in that it has was circumscribed; each one acted according to But when our country in fact as well as in name, the honoured pat-enabled U's to pursue uninterruptedly a policy of his own narrow ideals.
contracted international friendships with ronymic of our Race. The sacrifice of inherent | Government upon which we had set Our mind. prerogatives did not deter Your Majesty Every ruler is faced by the problems and is foreign Powers, and there arose the ardent from objeying the dictates of Your patriotic given the opportunities peculiar to the time and desire to place the government on a firm basis in order to preserve the independence of heart which places the interests of the uation place within which his lot is cast. at large ala ays before Your own.
the country and at the same time to foster the act of love is
an ornament
welfare of the people, then it became evident becomes a Sovereign rather than any coat of
that nothing but mutual confidence and help mail; it is a weapon mightier than all others,
among all, from Prince to peasant, could
the It will be remembered that in the times of accomplish end in view. This spirit with which he is able to achieve that greatest of
of unity. too, remote Royal Ancestors the chief
is necessary if we
would victories, the conquest of the hearts of men. our more For this can be done only by love and benerol-cares of Government were fighting the country's instil in the minds of the people a feeling
that they may ence. In this respect then, You are a great enemies, repelling invasion, extending and con-
confidently trust in the Victor, for not only has Your Majesty won the solidating the power of Siam, and, again. fos- Government to guide them in the path of heart of Your people but you have consolidated tering the development of agriculture among prosperity and progress, to do away with in- Your conquest with friendship and mercy. the people. To these tasks they devoted them justice and oppression. The same spirit is There could only be one feeling amongst Your selves. There was little foreign trade, and needed to make them feel that they belong subjects, that of devotion to Your person and a what there was of it was confined to adjacent to one nation without regard to origin or 8 spirit of sense of security under Your protection. Eren countries and carried on by only certain classes religious faith, to inculcate the people of other nations are unanimous in of the population.
patriotism, and to encourage them in the pur. their admiration; they value the friendship
suit of industry to better their general condi- of and international intercourse with
tion. country because of the friendly feelings You have shown them that move them to appreciate Your rare qualities and wise administration.
The changes which have taken place during the last forty years are such as even five hundred years of our previous national existence could not have accomplished. It makes Us especially happy to think that it is We who have occupied Our conduct during the past forty years, which the throne throughout these forty eventful years have just been expressed on behalf of you all and have enabled our beloved country to be by Our very beloved son the Crown Prince. guided in the patch of administrative improve-'
We have felt no greater pleasure than whenment and national prosperity along the line of a single and continuous policy which has not swerved or retrogressed nor had its steady course checked or turned aside by any circumstance, down to the present day, with the result, as testified by you all, that our country and nation have attained the state of advancement and pro- sperity which is so evident. These results are, indeed, to Us.a source of deep gratification.
indeed
Whether
This his rule has been truly beneficial to his people, that depends on how well he has dealt with those problems and how successfully he has taken advantage of those opportunities.
our
the
tu When Our August Father came throne, he entered into friendly relations with foreign nations and opened the way to more international commerce. This extensive brought about an important change in the
|
To produce all these happy results, a combe nation of circumstances was necessary-wis administration, popular support, intelligenc
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