The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-12-01

Thick wall or moated gate,
Not cities proud with spires and turrets crowned,
Not bays and broad armed ports,
Where laughing at the storm rich navies ride;
Not starred and spangled courts,
Where low browed baseness watts perfume topride,
No. Men, highminded men.
Men who their duties know
But know their rights, and knowing dare maintain,
These constitute State,
And sovereign law, that States collected will,
These men we have had,
Their enduring memorial is not so
much in their well fought battles for
their country's rights, as in the Halls
of wise legislation, in the vigor and
growth, and permanence of wisely
erected social and religious institutions;
in the peace, security, harmony, indus
try, thrift which they entailed upon
their numerous prosperity; in their
schools, their colleges, their churches,
the peaceful fresides, and the sacred
domestic altars. In the next place, no
country ever grew so rapidly. Two
hundred and thirty-nine years ago the
real germ Of this Republic was con-
tanned in the May-Flower, a little ship
not much larger than fishing smack
crowded with one hundred souls-then
one hundred-now over thirty millions! !!
They then after being tossed upon the
Atlantic for 66 days on the 21st of Nov
ember 1920 landed, and claimed little
garden patch, upon New England's
bleak and rocky shore which has
widened over a continent of hills and
valleys, having inland seas and rivers
instead of the little ponds and rlvulets
they first claimed. The marvellous
growth of this country is scarcely a
matter of history, for to many of us it
is more nearly matter of experience.
We have seen it; we are part of it.
Many of US here present can remember
when journey from New England to
western New York, the far off Genesee
was far more formidable undertaking
than a voyage to China now-when
with many tears and bitter lamentations
friends were to part from friends, Par
ents from children. going as it seemed
to the very outskirts of civilization,
among wolves and savages, never to
see them more, little dreaming that in
so brief a space of time, you or we
should so far out-strip them, in the race
and yet stop a great way this side OF
the far west. Stop amid schools and
colleges, churches and other Christian
institutions, and here sit down in peace
and quiet to keep this same good old
New England Festival so far removed,
even here from the howl of the wolf,
or the war-whoop of the savage, both
of which some of you.may have heard
in Western New York. But here we
are in Michigan country, when ]
was boy, which was put down on the
map as the jumping off place, the far
northwest. turn to the Encyclope.
dia printed in 1896, and look for Mich.
igan and [ find a territory whose juris.
diction extends over the whole country
East of the Mississippi and north ol
Illinois. On the 25th of January 1887
Michigan was admitted into the Union
rs State.
But a few years since and it was
thought that the Indians could here
live and enjoy their hunting. grounds
for all time to come. Here the tribe
from New York could come and settle
and the tide of the population and enter
prise would never reach them except
for fur trading. Here the wild red man
might remain to the end of time-fish
ing in his native streams, and hunting
in his native woods with none to en-
croach upon his pleasures and his
rights. Our wise men of 1918 looked
not forward to what we see. They
saw not even in 1887 what even to our
selves is marvel. Look at the taxa
BILE property of the State, then twenty
nine million-now over l5O,O00,O0O
Then the taxes s4,20O-now $l33, 900
Then population of 25O,0OO-nov
about 100000. Then our School child
rem 65, 5,OOO-now over 100000. Thel
the amount raised from all sources fol
primary schools S6,OOO-now owe
100000. Then School Fend o
nearly 100000 = now S1,6l3,OOO
Then for a University Fund Sl37, ,OOt
now $5O3,OOO. The no Norma
School-now School of 500 pupils
and fund of $4,000. Then the Uni
versity with 25 students and Profes
sors-now Is Professors and $50 Stu
dents.
Besides these, nearly 100000 hav,
been expended in establishing an Agri
cultural College with 100 Students
whose numbers would be doubled bu
tor want of room.
! An Asylum for the Deaf and DumI
and the Blind, and an Asylum for tn
: Insane have been founded on a seal
} commensurate with the woes of tha
, unfortunate class of beings. In les
than half generation has all this com
t to pass, and have we not cause 70
Thanksgiving? We had heard in on
childhood Of the mighty Mississippi
7 and it was marked upon the map, bu
so far westward, who ever expected t.
: see it? We had not heard of Kansas
Nebraska, Minnesota, Utah, Califor
, mia and some other regions wher
mighty empires of our own are spring
= ing up, as in a night, but not to perisl
: in night. Without thirty three Con
8 federated republics and room for twic
, as many more, we have something ye
| to think of, something for which to live
+. Go round about this land, survey he
. three millions of square miles of Terrific
f ry, twelve thousand miles of Sea Coast
4 look of hor broo1 ...1 x ,x,t, m.