Butte record., 1856-07-19


panygyric and eloquent encomiums upo,
their characters. but these are but
sounding words, which pass away and are
lost in the mazes of infinity; we may erect &c
their memory tablets of brass, and may
deck and adorn them with the ingenious de-
vices of the architect and the elegant execu-
ton of the sculptor; we may construct IN
their honor mausoleum more durable than
that which contains the almost canonized
| bones of Egypt's most worthy kings; we may
chant their praise with song and minstrel
| sy. we NAV constitute them our household
gods, and pay them corresponding honors
but, fellow citizens, these things are but o.
an hours existence; they are es hippant a:
time itself; they pass away as dc the dream;
of youth, and are lost in obscurity,
The American people, true to the instinct;
of their nature, impressed with deep sense
of their obligations, and imbued with the
moral requisites of freemen, have this day
assembled to do honor to the men of the Re-
volution. They have come, not as comes the
slave, dressed in the habiliments of mourn
ing and sbacked with the chains of bon
dage but they approach the sacred temple
with feelings of reverence, with emotions Of
gratitude; and under the promptings of al
intense patriotism. They feel that human
praise cannot convey a just appreciation OF
the acts and ACCOMPLISHMENTS of the sages
and patriots of rs, but they know that time
has sanctioned the custom. and it is not un
worthy of general acquiescence.
We come now to consider briefly the rt
suits of the American Revolution. Til.
struggle had scarcely closed, and the con
test concluded, before the effects of depre
ciated treasury and an impaired public cred
it were most sensibly felt. The war hao
been long and tedious one, the mighty re
sonrces of England had been concentrated
for the purpose of comprising the desired
object. Our commerce had been ruined.
and the very life blood of the country had
been caused to flow almost Increasingly
Amid the CONSERVATION incident to this dis
ordered state of affairs, we we're blessed with
the aid of wise counsel and judcious admo-
milton. There were those who fully consid
cred the crisis, and who with wonderful fore
sight and discrimination, succeeded in dis
pelliDg the clouds which were lowering on
every hand, and found US way of deliver
ance out of the mazes of anarchy and con-
fusion which impended over US There were
/ those who seemed imbued with almost sd
pernatural power, and whose skillful and
efficient use of the same wrought change in
in our financial and political condition which
entities them to our everlasting remem
brance
The instances which our political history
| affords of the exercise of consummate ability
on the part of the legislators of those days,
/ are numerous indeed An all-wise Provi-
dence seemed to inspire the prominent ac-
tors of that period with n degree of sagaci-
/ ty, prudence, and Judgment, which led them
| to perform the delicate duties of their posi-
ton in a manner equal to the emergency
and corresponding to the immensity of the
the undertaking. But, fellow citizens, what
/ has been the result of their glorious efforts?
/ What evidence can we produce of the wisdom
of their plans, and the perfectness of their
execution Look around and behold A
| population, the increase of which defes par
| allel, whose advancement in the various pro-
| gressive sciences, paralyzes competition,
and renders comparison odious, an extent
/ of country bounded alone by nature and cir
| cumscrihed within no narrow limits Our
! excellencies of climate, too, are proverbial; :;
so conducive is it to health and physical de
velopment, that invalids of almost every ma
ton seek our salubrious atmosphere in the
| hope of securing that benefit which the pc
culiar character of their respective cases
may demand. Let us refer also to our pro-
gress in the arts and sciences, Behold for
I
been undertaken in the construction of rail-
roads and canals Of what incalculable
service are they The products of nearly
every portion of this great country can be
transported to any given centre within
period almost incredible. Intercourse is
promoted, commerce is promoted, and the
| general welfare of the people is the conse-
| quence. The statistics of the country ars
! I'll Af Il
produced by the fostering of this branch of
industry. The increase in travel and the
augmentation of trade has been absolutely
enormous; so much SO, that the capitalists
of England partiularly, consider invest
ments of this kind in our country as the
most productive and remunerative.
In the achievements of science, too, we
have not been deficient Revelations have
been made within few years past which
have given rise to serious speculation on the
part of those who have heretofore disputed
the theories which they promulgatc Men
have arisen among us of mighty minds; men
whose capacities are unbounded, and who
bow with laudabe devotion at the shrine Of
science and OF lecrning. We can with pleas
ure point to the great men of our genera
ton; men who have received their instruc-
ton upon consecrated ground, men who
have drunk deep of the Pierian strenm,
and whose most enduring monument is their
works 1t is unnecessary for me, fellow
citizens. in presenting instances of American
character; to traverse, beyond, the con
fines Of our own beloved State. Here we
will find abundant food for comment Look
at her behold her for yourselves She is peer
less and alone. We may speak in glowing
figure and expressive hyperbole of the
achievements of antiquity and the wonderful
accomplishments of more modern years; bul
when we Institute comparison we are lost
in a maze of astonishment which language
utterly fails 10 describe. Go with me into the
vast recesses of our mountains, and tell me
whether the breezes of heaven do not sing
praises to American enterprise more beauti-
ful and fascinating than the lyric eloquence
of Orpheus, or the gems of the dvinest mas
ters' Tell me whether human skill and
ingenuity can accomplish greater things than
the miners of California have accomplished!
Tell me whether imagination is not paraly
zed, and whether the achievements of the
most prolific age are not surpassed? &c
with me to our fertile valleys and scan the
stayless course of civilization. Our cities
vie with the proudest, and the evidences Of
peaceful progress are everywhere beheld
and although, fellow citizens. at this par
ticular time, gloom has settled over us
yet soon the cloud will be dispellcd by the
efforts of a moral revolution, and this maid
en- empire of the Pacific will be the bright
est, the most prosperous and the most power
ful in the sacred constellation of States.
@- Lovejoy, of the Old Mountaineer
passed through town yesterday, on his way
houe