The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-13

Il GbIlNlhllllN bNNAANlNN Nlll NOAAbAOlANA ga
their attcmpta u direct the course Of great
events or to place hitherto to their final
results,
Let me not seem tOspcak Us IL partisan
in making reference TO this conspicuous
result Of the wRr. \ mention Of 1t belongs
to this day in the sense that | have alluded
tOit. Let lis cndCavOr 10 look nj this
great struggle and its incidents and results
US history will look at them, for they are
fast disappearing from the arena Of
our current politics TO take their places in
the impcrishablG record of events. Ere
yet the Childrenin thisaudicnce shall have
fully learned the Significance OF this mt
mortal day, not II yrStigo Of politics will
attach tots Observation-Disclosures midst,
AT present, most communities arG more or
less divided in It's observance. Such, I'M
fortunately, is the natural sequence OF u
war like ours. But let Inc remind you that
there are those yet living in your midst
whose lives, If not their memories, go back
10 day in the history OF this country
when only II part Of the American people
Joined in celebrating the Fourth OF July,
and when there were those who stood Altar
of as disAdecteC and partisan spectators.
These latter had been opposed TO the war
of the Revolution in some shape or other,
either as allies or friends Of the British
government, or rs protested nCutral to the
contest, and therefore the day OF our ma
tiOnal independence did not awaken pre-
ciOus memories of thepast or bright hopes
OF the future in their breasts. II was only
US the years passed away and deadGned
the reScntmcnts Of that war, and made
the day more and moro familiar " the
rising generation, that the Fourth Of July
became at last II universal American jubi.
Ice, held almost as sacred rs the Sabbath
by the great body OF the people. =
There are few instances in history where
nations have failed to divide ut regular in
tCrvals in regard 10 great questions OF for
cign ana domestic policy. History rarely
records u case Of unity among any people
for IL long series OF years. Al all events,
not as regards any nation that has possess
ed the facilities tor expressing dissent.
Look, for example, ut the history OF Eng
land, and call to your remembrance how
much Of her progress has been accom-
plishGl by ono portion Of her people IN
opposition to the other portion. You will
rccollcct that she twice drove one Of her
I dynnstieS from the throne in spite OF the
armed and formidable resistance OF the
opposition. And you will remember that
fsIlc has carried on many Of her foreign
wars as divided nation. And also you
will call to mind the fact that even her
great domestic reforms, those Of them that
have been peacefully achieved, were often
accomplished amidst tumults carried to
the very verge Of civil outbreak. The cX-
Citrmcnt attending the abolition of slavery
in ller colonies, the abolition OF Catholic
disabilities, tho repeal Of the. Corn laws,
the extension Of the suffrage, and lastly,
and very lately, the diScstablishmcnt OF the
Irish Church, are familiar to all readers OF
English history. All Of these reforms
were accomplished by divided nation,
and some OF them in spite of bitter ind
powerful opposition And yet today,
strangely enough in one view OF the case,
now that these reforms have been actual
" accomplished, and that most Of them
have become historical, we hear scarce Il
word Of dissent us regards the wisdom
and dcsirabiity Of their accomplishment.
All Glasses of Englishmen join in CON
CALCULATIONS over the fact that they are
accomplished. The opposition that once
so C0nspiCuOusly arrayCd itself against
their success, and ut times COnvulscd the
nation, gradually fell away and finally
disappeared, no one knows how, nor when,
nor where There is no party in England
to-day that would, If il could, 30 back and
restore tho status quo Of those reforms,
save perhaps the one last named, which,
like our war, is hut freshly dead and bur
led. The history Of them has boon that
acuuicsccncc soon followed success, That
next followed satisfaction, and finally, III
tho iullnCss Of time, followed congratuIn-
ton and cooperation.
And us it has been in English history,
so in like manner, itshas been, Is now, and
will probably ever. be in our own history.
With lis, rs with them, results are not
willingly accepted by the opposition in
the immediate day Of their achievement.
DEailcctiOn must first heal up and time
must dcadGn certain amount Of public
senahivencss!. And nothing hut the lapse
of time will do this. l have already al-
Iudcd 10 tliC history Of tho fourth OF July.
And " might alludc u tho, history OF
the war Of 1912. And, still later, 10 the
war with Mexico In both these we had
war and anti.war party in the country.
But willie this was trnc, yet In mono d
! our difficulties thus iarcan it " said % US
ns II wassaid orancient Rome, that while
Cpsar had his. purity, and Pompcy had bis
4 party, the Republic had none. That day
has not vet arrived in our. history, On
The contrary, that well known motto, 81
familiar ~ every school boy, expresses Is
near rs may lc the instinct Of the Amerl-
can people: "Our country NlwNyEin the
right; but. right or wrong, our country
| And so to-day, my friends, coming back
u this sad and interesting occasion, we
participate in its ceremonies, not rs So
fmhnyo you conld wish,as united peo'
plr, 6utaStllb WHO, looking toward blythe
cyo OF filth, and relying on the uncrring
lessons of history, see in its future, II unity
Of acceptance and n heartincss Of com
mCmoNiiOn, such Us the elder Adams saw
when in letter to his wife, after he had
signed the Declaration Of Independence
no spoke Of its anniversary us Il day IL
our coming history that would he ushered
in with the ringing oil bells, the booming
Of cannon, aud tho glad Ncclaims OF IN
born millions.
We arc accustomed To look back 10 thu
days in which John Adams wrote that
LEI rs to The more enviable period Of orl
national history. No expression is more
haCknrvcd than that Onc about "lhc earlier
- tl,.. Dnn,I1s., ~ w.