The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-07-08


contest and hoping for nothing betterl But not such
the spirit of the revolution No gloomy presage Of
vengeance of self immoaton presided It's councils
Open as the day challenging the attention Of the world
and looking hopefully TO heaven fathers gave their
banner the breeze dreary wilderness indeed seemed
stretch itself before them; but Divine inspiration
had revealed them the land Of promise Blessed be
God that be went before them by day in pillar Of
cloud TO lead them the way and by night in pillar OF
FIRE give them lights go by day and night He took
not away the pillar Of the cloud by day the pillar
Of FIRE by night from before the people"
Yes II was No can look back upon
those scenes and perceive the Almighty hand leading
and directing all. Not surely did 1t govern the
chosen people of old True, the age Of miracles had
passed The sacred mountain and the burning bush no
longer aested the OF the Deity on earth But 10
him who the providence Of God in the course OF ma
ons-to him who is not blind 10 the relation bew TINS
world of ours and its beneccn Creaort is clear as the
morning light certain his life, that Washington
yas chosen and the gift of Godhs eyes ever
fixed upon that pillar Of the cloud by day. that pillar OF
fire by night Test his character by any scale OF human
greatness and you will find immeasurabe TO sound
it by any pumme adopted merely for the depths of human
motives and human constancy and it will prove unft-
enable The surging tide of time has borne upon It's
bosom such ark of liberty proof alike against the
storm and sunshinefrm and incorrupble in all time Of
ribulaton in all time of prosperity No filter day than
this dwell upon his virtues to ponder on his counse
to recount his deeds; no filter pace-what place SO hi
these consecrated plains, where when his work
done he traced his immortal autograph and forever stamp
ed his name I?
1t is my part, by the charm-word of that name, TO
evoke. them from your memories where they faith
fully preserved In this audience it were superueus TO
do more In your hearts, in mine his history is treas
ured up your hearts, in mine his parting words
garnered. When they forgotten or nnheeded the
shades of night will have fallen upon history and
hopes
trace origin notion, then, TO the special ia
vor the Oliver of every good and perfect gift and in the
life and character of WASHINGTON learn what the
fitting instruments of such favor Kindred virtues in
deed pety and patriotism The soul Of man contains
nothing larger, nothing nobler. "GoD AND OUR CoUN-
raYn is cry which must up every generous
impulse of the heart every manly quality of daring and
devotion.
And now passing for the moment the intermediate
time and means let TO what point of progress
have reached How shall it be apty described Not in
brief and fugitive discourse like this but rather in vol
of statistics and libraries of philosophical specula
ton ii we look to the boundaries of our country
astounded the change We find her already stretched
from to ocean. From the EXTREMIST West we are
reaching forth the Of peace and commerce TO the
furthest East to gather in
&C., the wealth of Ormus and of Ind"
The shores the Pacific already alive with the busy
hum of and eemng with all the elements of
prc In thencredby Of from the period
when great region passed under the government of
the Union the most wonderful revolution has taken place
in its whole condition. physical and moral. fair and
beautiful statue, il lay dull and eless Touched by the
Promethean spark which sprung from the great event
which we commemorate il started into life and vgor
The history Of the world furnish parallel for its
progress and scarcely spot the face of the whole hab
table globe can promise imposing future. Were it
unsuted address like this plain facts and figures
from the public archives would be far impressive
than all the power Of the most commanding eoguence
such theme You have them at hand. Turn to them
and see of what marves free and happy institutions
are capable
Two oceans, either hand, mark our limits and
what shortly since lay between them wilderness as
trackless and apparently impossible than any I'M
known Of waters is already in large part occupied
by civilization and for the is taversed with
and certainty than fathers found in passing through
the limits of the thirteen States of the revolution North
ward and southwark to the lakes and the Gulf have
spread Great cities upon the Atlantic border great cities
upon distant rivers and lakes towns hamles villages,
plantations farms, and thriving frontier settlements
marked the magnificent progress Of the
try Science and the arts while adding to the of hui
knowledge and throughout the world have
unconsciousy contributed to bind together wide
yseparated regions, by nsuting standard of time
and space Men pass rapidly and securely between
utmost borders; the of Boston and the Of New
Orleans may together almost face
with whole empire lying between them and beyond our
shores,
g Far as the breeze can bear, the pillows FOAM"
whitens every and the stars of
sign familiar as the stars of heaven.
From the less than three millions of souls of the days OF
the revolution have swollen to nearly times that
number Our thirteen States have become oneand-thirty
with organized Territories besides this federal Dis
tric Our territory has expanded from about eight hun
dred thousand to largely three millions of square
miles Our czensoldiery of effective men, between the
ages of eighteen and forty-fve, nearly equal the
whole population of men, women and children bond and
Free the day when forcathers pledged their lives
their fortunes and their sacred honor the independence
of their country. The confederation which noby served
the exgences of its times has long since given place TO
perfect UNION which, while it mparts life and vigor
comedies separate action every member has consolidated
them all into gigantic body, conscious of every power
of unity and individuality and yet feeling its just depend
ence each and all of its constituents
To the day of that UMoS to the date of the cossrITu
which gave birth and prescribed the laws of its ex
stence securely trace all that gives dignity and
power among the nations Of the earth all that has given
such unexampled growth in everything that cons-
tues State all that warrants equal progress for the
future; all that this day showers upon all people
throughout all the land every blessing which human gov
eminent make From the time Of the Union
and the constitution, the national and State statistics
show, in every element of national grandeur an unpar
alleled progression The powers granted the federal
have been proven by experience be only