The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1846-08-08
nnArION

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN This u q delights
FIJI dav. The 9TH IF July will always be dear
and ennObling TO the heaTt,af every irpe Anne.
rican. On this enchanting occasion, ten thou
sand fond and endearing recolIections crowd
into view. All the history of savage life; all
the moral darkness that shrouded this eoaRtry
previous to the migration Of our forefathers, to
its then uncuItivated wildsi Smith and the
Virginians, the Pilgrims and their labors, all
the Martyrs who died for liberty, all the Patri-
OTIS Of l776, all the Signers Of the Declaration
of independence, all the bright untieipailons
Of tho e%ventful future, the extension Of our
Empire, tie success Of our arms, the progress
Of our popular government; this thrilling scene
before me, this brilliant and respectable assem-
blage, the presence of so many patriarchs and
matrons, this coneourse Of the chivalry Of this
great country, this bright array Of genius, and
this brilliant constellation Of American beau
ty, while they recall the memory Of by-gone
days, excite in our bosoms the fondest, Prou-
destand most grateful emotions.
With such touching incidents as these crowd
ing into view, how, or where shall begin9-
Shall describe the situation Of America while
ruled by the Savage? Shall ! depict all the
vices and virtues Of savage lite? Or shall !
describe the condition Of the United States
now, blessed as they are with the benignaTt in
auence Of Christianity and the mild sway Of
, the Federal Constitutions What was the state
j Of this land in 1920? What was its true con-
} dition 226 years ago? What is the state Of our
country now What has caused this happy
change? to what does our country owe it's pre-
$ sent happiness and glory? Who founded our
institutions? Who taught us the elements Of
Freedom2 Who discovered our country Who
+ settled her wilds2
: The spaniards were the fret people to at
I tempt the discovery Of the New World. The
immortal Columbus, in their service, discover
: ed the Bahama Islands, on the 18th Of October
d 1892, The next day, they landed on San Sal
t vadOr. The Spaniards were not only the first
a to discover the New World, but they were the
most enterprising in their endeavors to conquer
e and c%olonize its wild and extensive countries.
Accordingly, onthe 9th Of April, 1919, Juan
i Ponce de Leon, a distinguished officer and COM
panion of Columbus, made his second voyage
and took possession of Florida. Pedro Melen-
dez, with another company Of emIgrants laid
the foundation Of st. Augustine on the 9Th Of
September, 1865, more than 40 years previous
to the settlement of Jamestown, in Virginia.
This was the first permanent settlement ever
made in North America; and St. Augustine
can boast a higher antiquity than any other
town in these United States. Spain, then, in
1865, established the first permanent colony in
st North America. The French come next
They made the second permanent settlement
in North America. De MOnts, in 1905, 40
years after the settlement of Spain in Florida,
removed to Annapolis in Nova Scotia, and in
1908, Quebec was founded by Samuel Cham
plain. This was the second permanent settle
If ment in North America made by the French, in
1905 and 1903,
4 But we viii leave these countries, as there il
/. nothing in theirhistory very interesting to the
At descendants Of the Anglo Saxon. Our coun.
Ii try owes but little to them. From them i re,
ceived comparatively nothing. Ours is not the
language Of CASTLE. Ours is not the Rhetoric
> Of Paris. Our institutions are neither Of
French nor Spanish origin. Our Moral Law
our Civil and Religious Liberties are not deriv,
ed from them. To these Nations we owe moth
\ ing, exc pit the aid which one Of them (Spain,
reluctantly afforded Columbus, a native o.
Genoa, to whom belonged the glory Of having
discovered the New World.
Accordingly ! will say nothing more abou
them. Not because | entertain any disrespec
!. for that polished Nation which gave the worlt
a Napoleon, and from which al; nations gladly
receive their best lessons in the polite arts 0
life. Not because | entertain the slightest an
!, tipathy TO the sunny land Of Spain, which gay,
!. mankind a friend to cheer and succor the illus
. tious Columbus--au Isabella, who, bursting
i through all the tinsel and pcmp and ~fooleries 0
rOyalty-looking beyond the veilApenetratin,
the yistas of countless ages, foreseeing all III
future greatness Of the then undiscoverel
. America, and through it the amelioration o
the human condition-the birth, expansion an
establishment Of Rational Liberty-consente
to part with her Jewels to assist the poor mari
|. ner, consented to give up all her ornaments I
&c aid in the realization Of all these blessing
~ which we enjoy on this glorious political Sal
:. bath,
No, no, nor yet because I wish to follow tn
example Of the Romans, who in order to cor
1. ceal the meanness Of their real origin pretend
- edto be descended from the GOds!!
h. While we disclaim having either France Z
Nj Spain for our mother country or the originI
source Of our liberty, our religion, our institl
he tons, our language, or our nation; we clail