Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-05-01

When, as the suspicious task done,
nations eit, the sword Of power,
Was given to Glory unsponed son.
That noble race is gone; the
OF fifty years have risen and set;
The holy links those mighty ones
Had forged and knit, are brighter yet
Wide-as our own free race Increase
Wide shall il stretch the elastic chain
And bind in everlasting peace
State after state mighty TRAM
Mr.. Adams then rose amidst the plaudts Of the
auditors and read the oration which occupied about
an hour and half He traced the progress of the
disafecton of the colcnes-the outbreak at Boston,
and the early and preparatory incidents of the Revo-
luton. England, forgetting the lessons written on
the pages of her own history with the blood of her
children, endeayored to tax the colonies without
their consent the resistance was universal the
British sent their armies here to teach that John
Hampden was a rebel, and Algernon Sidney traitor;
and the English lawyers declared Parliament to be
omnipotent Our struggle before this was for char
tered rights After this fought for the natural
rights of man. and trusted in the onnipotence Of the
God of battles, and won the fight
The whole people Of the Is states then met in
Congress, and declared the - United States fren
and independent. The separate states were never
declared free in fact Eight days after the Dcclaratoe
of independence by committee, John Dickinson,
from the committee, drafted and reported the
celebrated articles OF confederation, by which ths
separate states assumed to usurp the sovereignty oil
the people. Dickinson had voted against the decla-
ration, and never signed 1T. This congress never
formed a constitution for the United States, and
never thought Of erecting form Of general civil
government, but declared that leach state retains
It's sovereignty" Where did each state get the
power il retained! From source; II was never
free a separate state, but only as branch OF the
IL, bound in one body and bond Of union. eenented
by resistance, and strengthened by oppression. The
pie ofthe United States alone competent TO de-
clare the United States free and indie dependent, and
not each colony because each bound in union, in
the first congress in liza, year and ten months
before the Declaration Of Independence.
The articles of confederation comforting individual
state sovereignty and BILE state rights were
drawn up by private concert the legislatures
Of the states, and their delegates to congress, with
out the consent of the people at all. The measure
had more the appearance OF revocation oil the De-
claration Of Independence than an instrument 10
carry II into effect. IL was then that the master
minds of Madison, and Jay, and Hamilton, were at
work to remedy the evil The incompetency of the
articles of confe ration a system Of government
felt daily; and in 1875 the first movement TO
correct the evil was made at Washngtons house at
Mount Vernon. There the confederated articles
were revised, and rough draft OF the present con-
stitution drawn up and approved In 1855 the CEN
vention met and framed tbs constitution. We fell
back from the irresponsible despotsm of state pow
err till then state sovereignty had usurpcd the
veregnty Of the people but by the constitution, the
master minds Of the revolution consummated the
work which they began by the Declaration OF lnde-
pendence.
o. the 3Oth Of April, 1880, George Washington,
the Ist President, naugurated under the Consti-
tuition On that day the work of l3 years was com
plcted. Then the most sublime effort ever made by
the mind Of man, the perfection Of the pare princi
Piles Of free government over civilized man were
first successfully carried out in practice. IL hose
great objects Of human government, the primary OBJ
jects Of human effort, which existed in the writings
OF Locke and others, were then acted upon for the
first time The experiment has succeeded. IL has
endured the test OF time. Not one Of the conven
ton now lives. The third generation now listens to
these statements. Ysur fair city, then numbering but
10000 inhabitants, now numbers JW,wO; your state
then containing but double your city's population,
now counts its children by millions; and already
have hardy sons traversed the once-thought IN
terminablc prairies Of the west, sealed the Rocky
Mountains, and are dwelling IN the paradise that
looks upon the peaceful and bright bosom Of the
Pacific Ocean.
Never since the creation Of the globe has such a
continuous scene Of prosperity and glory blessed
any people az vas conferred by the constitution.-
Yet II was most obstnately and psrina ciousy con-
tested. Never did human foresight so completely
fail in the doubts entertained OF its success Nor
Washington nor Hamilton dared To hope that ~
would act so well in practice rs il has done. Be
tween the 18th Of March and 18th of April, 1879,
Washington wrote thus to Knox" THIS delay is to
me in the light Of reprieve; my feelings are like
those Of cuprit going to the place Of execution
Without the requisite political skill to be taken thus
in the evening Of life from the quiet scenes Of do
nestle felicity, and required to take the helm of af
fairs and guide this untried aad doubtful machine,
leaves me small hope Of success. i am emsarking
my good vame in a shallow bark on unknowR and
tempestaOns sea, Dut ne the voyage long or snort.
two things, my integrity and frmness. shall never
forsake me. Whether / succeed or fail, please or
dsplssse upon other points, these the world can
er deprive me of"s
The heroes Of the revolution fought for and obtain
ed three things; unalienabe and natural rights Of
man, responsibility direct 10 none but God, and the
sovereignty Of the people controlled only BY the law
of right and wrong We destroyed throne, and
erected mmovcabc seat in which the de pendants
and representatives of the people might s in peace
and happiness, II God willed it, 10 the end of time
Connected with our revolutionary forefathers there
two conspicuous qualities displayed that are
seldom spoken 81 IN history; they are incidental to
man, form part of his nature and vet directly
posed a. each other. These are the spirit Of com
mand and the spirit of obedience. These two prisc
pies never perfectly displayed nor carried out
completely in the history Of any earth, except
ia the life of the mmor Saviour of men Although
these qualities are natural To so many, yet Homer,
the finest dclineator of human passions that ever
breahed, never introduced them in any of his cha
ractcu His Roman imitator family shadows them
forth in tho inconsistent Eneas Butthey were ne yer
so fnlly seen felt and universally displayed in the
life and actions Of any mortal man they were IN
the person and life Of George Washington. the father
of his country. fHcre there immense cheering
The act of leaving his happy home for the trou-
bes Of political life was tryisg one. Opposed 10
him and his principles were many eminent patriots
Of the Revolution They rallied under the flag Of
State Rights; their cry was for unlimited state sove
rcignty and unlimited state independency, not anne
nable 10 the Union These Denounced the best men
q The day, with Washington at their head, fede
fallsts and tories, lie was embarking upon this