The southern press., 1852-01-10

A iblOIy ID COuoiliulcQ W Dc litc CCtucndfJ oAoiS
OF education-whers the very scho olboy ID bet
ter acqnainted with the history Of bis country
than in monarchies scarcely the professors are
in such county it would be Indeed but a ride
ulous parading of vanity for a stranger to dwell
upon facts which every child is better acquainted
with than he can he Allow me, therefore, gen
tlemen, rather briefly to expound what is the
practical philosophy Of that great victory which
you are assembled to celebrate what is the
moral OF the train as it presents itself to the
scrutators mind.
Just rs a man has to pass through several pc.
RODS or age, each Of them marked with it's own
pecuarilies, before he comes to a settled posi-
ton in life, even so uation. A nation has first
to be born, then to grow; then it has 10 prove
its passive vitality by undergoing a trial OF life
Afterwards il has TO prove its active force in
gaining ascendency in its own immediate hor
zon At last it must take its competent seal
amongst the nations of the world as a power on
earth. Every one OF these periods OF national
| life must be gone through There is no help
against it, II is necessary process of life.
And every one of these life-periods has its own
natural condition, which must be accepted as a
necessity, even ii We should not be pleased with
! it. AS there is no jumping in nature, equally
there is no stop to it. man must be child
before he becomes youth, and he must have
been youth before he becomes a man. But
them lift be ridiculous to desire from the child
! to act as a youth, or from the youth to be a
man, it is indeed impossible for the youth to be
still a child, or to the man not to become a man.
He must, because he Isl and if being man, he
does not act as it becomes man to act, well,
then, he loses the position ofa man. 1t is quite
! the same with nations.
! Gentlemen, having passed through the ordeal
OF an earnest life, with the view before my eyes
to have yet to steer through stormy gales, it is
natural that, while grasp with steady hand the
helm of the tempest tossed bark, | look with
calm attention to the compass of history to guide
me by its philosophy through the foaming
waves. And there is no history more instruc-
tive than yours, because you have concentrated
within the narrow scope of few years that ma
tural process of national life which elsewhere
was achieved but through centuries; and while
other nations, starting from a false point Of
false principle wavered in their progress like the
magnetic needle surrounded by iron bars, you
starting from true point, conscious of your
aim, advanced in straight direction to that
aim; and there you are, arrived, in short time,
where other nations failed to arrive in centuries,
consuming the strength of manhood in making
their way, and growing old before they got to
the settled position OF the man.
1t would be mistake and mistake not un-
dangerous, to believe that your nation is still in
its youth, because it has lived but seventy five
years. The natural condition of nations is not
measured by years, but by those periods of the
pr cess of life which had the honor to mention
already. And there is no nation on earth in
whose history those periods were so distinctly
marked as in yours First, you had to be born
There is the period Of your glorious struggle for
independence Etsrnal glory TO those who con-
Quoted it! You were baptized with blood, as
it seems to be the destiny of nations but il
was the genius of freedom which stood god
father at your baptism, and gave to you lasting
character by giving you the Christian name Of
"republic." Then you had to grow, and, in
q ed, you have grown with the luxuriant rapid
ity of the virgin nature of the American soil.
w as inSton knew the nature of this soil, fertil.
lied by The blood of your martyrs, and warmed
by the sun of your liberty. He knew it when
he told your fathers that you wanted buttwenty
years of peaceful growth to defy whatever power
in Just cause. You have grown through those
twenty years, and wisely avoided TO endanger
your growth by undertaking a toll not becom-
ing to your growing age; and there you stood
about another twenty years, looking resolately
but unprelendingly around if there be nybody
10 question that you were really a nation on
earth. The question was put in 1912, and de-
eded BY that glorious victory the anniversary
of which You celebrate to-day. That victory
has a deeper meaning in your history than only
that of repulsed invasion. 1t marks period
ir your national life--the period of acknowl-
edged, unshakeable security of your national
existence. IL is the consummatOn Of your dec
laration of independence. Yop have proved by
that ti,a ITnifad
able vitality, having the power TO conserve that
Independent national situation which your faith.
ers have established by the declaration of indie
pendence. 10 reality, il was the victory Of New
Orleans by which you took your seat amongst
the independent nations OF the world, never 10
be contested through all posterity. A nation
is really independent only when it proves by
fact to make good the word of The poets
"Come the three corners Of the world in arms,
And we will shock them"
The victory of New Orleans was proof of il
was the period Of denonstrative passive vital.
ity. And the process OF life went on. The
next natural period was to demonstrate your
vitality. That was demonstrated by the war
against Mexico.
1.-THE history Of New Orleans was the period
demonstrating the security Of your national ex.
istence, the victorious war against Mexico was
the peri demonstrating not only TINT nobody
can dare TO attack your existence, but that also
your national interests must be respected, and
nobody can dare TO oppose them.
The period Of active vitality IS accomplished.
Now one period then remains yet to achieve
that 10 take your seat, not amongst the nations
of the earth, becaure that you have since the
day Of New Odeans, but amongst the potoers
on earth. What is the meaning of that word
"power on earthp The meaning Of il is 10
have not only the power to guard your own par
ticuiar interests, but also to have n vote in the
regulation Of the common interests of humanity,
Of which you are an independent member--in
word, 10 become tribunal controlling the
ma uter ance Of the Law Of nations, precisely rs
your Supreme Court controls the maintenance
Of your own Consultation and laws. And, IN.
deed, all logic of statesmanship, all philosophy
of history, would be vain, il | were mistaken
that your great nation is arrived at this unavoid
able period Of the natural process Of your natu-
raj life.
The ,ympathy which met with in your glo-
rious land. the very toast you are plea, ed TO