Cranston, Rhode Island Remarks at a Governor's Reception for Civic and Community Leaders.

Governor Garrahy, Senator Pell, Senator Chafee, Congressman St Germain, my good friend John Pastore, ladies and gentlemen:

It's an honor for me to be here.

I think that one of the best things we can do is to learn. Senator Pastore is a man—a son of Cranston, a statesman from Rhode Island—who was elected Governor twice, elected to the U.S. Senate four times. He gave reelection a good name. [Laughter] He's truly an inspiration to me. [Laughter] And I want to thank him for being here, and all of you.

Harry Truman also said that anyone who pays too much to personal popularity or who makes decisions that affect the well-being of our Nation on the basis of public opinion polls is not worthy to be President of this country. It's nice to have both— [laughter] —to do what's right, to do what's correct, just, and also to be popular. fie couldn't do it, and I've not found it possible either.

In April of 1977, when I went to you on television and to the Congress in a Joint Session, I pointed out in my evening television address that to present a comprehensive energy policy to the Congress for adoption would undoubtedly cost me 15 percentage points in the public opinion polls. It was one of the few mistakes I've made. [Laughter] I grossly underestimated how unpopular that would prove to be.

But in the long run it has been the right thing to do, and the Congress, with your help, is now moving in a courageous way toward evolving for us, in law, a. substantive and permanent and adequate national energy policy. It's long overdue. It'll give us a framework around which we can build our lives, around which State and local governments can cooperate with one another and with the Federal Government, and around which private citizens can make decisions that will be right for themselves, for their families, for their communities, and also for our Nation.

I'm very grateful that I had a chance this morning to come and speak to and meet with the Coalition of Northeastern Governors. They have, along with you, been in the forefront of exploring for new ways to accommodate rapid change. And we live in a country where rapid change is now and will be part of our lives, but we have got a country that is resilient. We're tough; we're strong; we still have a pioneer spirit. The American people respond when they have a clear guidance and an understanding and are told the truth about the problems that we face and the challenges that confront our Nation.

We have never failed in history to unite in a time of crisis when the wellbeing of our Nation was at stake. In the past we've had an advantage, however, in some ways. In the First World War we knew what the challenge was; we united. During the Great Depression, we knew what the challenge was. It was not quite so well defined, but we drew ourselves together in a common purpose and with at common spirit. We worked together, and we prevailed. In the Second World War the challenge was evident. The American people united in a common purpose,, with a common commitment, with courage, and we prevailed.

And now there's a rapidly developing understanding that our Nation is challenged or threatened even again, and we are uniting finally. And when we do unite and work together toward a common purpose of having energy security, we will prevail. This is inherent in the character of American people.

We're different. One of the strengths of our country is our extreme diversity. We're a nation comprised of people from every nation on Earth. Hundreds of different languages are known by Americans. Wide-ranging ethnic heritages, customs, religious beliefs are preserved, because they are precious to us. Blood ties to other countries are precious to us. But at the same time, we put our differences apart or aside when our country is threatened, and we unite toward a common purpose.

We're a nation of immigrants, yes, we're even a nation of refugees, but that gives us strength, not weakness. And I'm very proud of what this has done in the last few weeks in our country. People are aroused to meet this challenge successfully.

One of the most important characteristics of American governmental system is our system of federalism—federalism, the coalition prescribed under our Constitution and laws for cooperation between a county official, a mayor, a Governor, a President, at Member of the Congress, because every mayor in this room, every county official in this room represents exactly the same people that I do. There's no difference of approach; there's no difference of responsibility.

And one of the most debilitating things in a time like this is for there to be an attempt made politically to benefit because our Nation is being challenged. It's not at time to grasp for selfish advantage. It's a time for us to put aside differences, except in an open debate that's part of democracy, and work toward the future. We've done it in many ways.

Your Governor has been a superb example of what can be done. I remember when I was inaugurated President, the State in this country that had the highest unemployment rate was Rhode Island. The unemployment rate in Providence, Rhode Island, was more than 10 percent. Now it's less than 6 percent. The unemployment rate in the entire State of Rhode Island was 9 1/2 percent. Now it's less than 6 percent.

There was a transformation taking place in your State and in your local communities that was very difficult. But because of good cooperation and the analysis of a common problem and the sharing of information, the tough arguments at times about how best to reach a goal, we have been successful jointly.

We've tried to organize the Federal Government to meet your needs more efficiently, when there was cooperation. I remember the devastating snowfall and ice storm that occurred in your State. It was one of the biggest burdens placed on their communities in years. But there was a good sharing, without recrimination, without blame, without casting stones, and we shared the responsibility along with the private citizens here and prevailed.

One great opportunity that we have as well now is to bring prosperity to our downtown urban areas in large cities and also middle- and small-sized cities. There is a sharing of responsibility here. The Department of Transportation has been working with your Governor and local officials to bring about a relocation of the Providence, Rhode Island, station complex and move it closer to your State Capitol. This will be a successful project that will give your downtown area a stimulus that will give you a better life for all people in this region in the years to come. These are the kinds of cooperative efforts that pay rich dividends for us all.

I'd like just to mention two other things. that extend far beyond Cranston or Providence or Rhode Island, even Washington. Ours is a strong nation. We are a nation at peace. I'm the first President in 56 years that has served so far without a single American being killed in combat overseas. This is not a personal triumph for me, but it's an indication that our Nation is a peace-loving nation. But we are at peace-loving nation that understands that peace can only be ours if we are strong, and we will stay strong.

There's not only a requirement for military strength, which we will maintain second to none, but there's also a requirement that the American people be strong, that we again have that word I used before—unity—and confidence in one another and a common purpose, because the best way that we can have peace is for any potential adversary to know that America is militarily strong, economically strong, politically strong, that we have the will and resolve to protect ourselves, but also that we are a nation which is morally strong, that our ethical standards are high, that the principles on which our Nation was founded still prevail.

I think we've had a remarkable demonstration of that just recently. When the Holy Father came here, Pope John Paul II, the reception that he received in our country was unanticipated and startling in its significance. I had a few minutes with him privately in the Oval Office, after we greeted the Members of the House and Senate, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court Justices, and others, and I asked if he was surprised. He said yes. And I said I was, too. "I knew that you'd be received with open arms and with friendship and hospitality in our country, but I never dreamed that you would have 1 1/2 million people assembled in Grant Park in Chicago," the biggest group of people ever assembled in the United States for any purpose, and. the overwhelming response from people of all faiths to him and kind of an outpouring, a demonstration of the hunger for the characteristics of life which never change.

Things do change that cause us concern, but there are some things that never change—the strength of families, basic commitments to love, to understanding, to compassion, to unselfishness. Those never change.

And I'm very grateful that we live in a country of that kind that is strong, that can accommodate change, that can bear inconvenience, that can marshal our forces together when our Nation is tested, that can put aside personal differences of background and commitment and interest and unite for a common purpose, that has a system of government that can meld us together to serve the same people, and where our standards of morality and ethics are the underlying, girding strength that provides the basis for everything else which we hope to achieve. It makes me proud to be President of a country like that—my country and your country.

Thank you very much.