 Distracted by cabinet maneuvering , Garfield 's inaugural address was not up to his typical oratorical standards . In one high point , Garfield emphasized the civil rights of African @-@ Americans , saying " Freedom can never yield its fullness of blessings so long as the law or its administration places the smallest obstacle in the pathway of any virtuous citizen . " After discussing the gold standard , the need for education , and an unexpected denunciation of Mormon polygamy , the speech ended . The crowd applauded , but the speech , according to Peskin , " however sincerely intended , betrayed its hasty composition by the flatness of its tone and the conventionality of its subject matter . " 
