Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-02-05

local Legislature, and in making the laws
nearly every man who has arrived at his
majority has voice In order that all
may vote intelligently and understand and
discharge properly the duties of citizen
ship, we have the common school; few
persons of native birth can be found who
cannot read and write, and of the Legisla-
ture now in session at Augusta probably
nine tcnths have no education except what
thev received at this school of the people.
We are all kings, all subjects no one
knows who may be called to the Execu-
tive chair and the Legislature next year,
while they who are now holding those
places will return to mingle with and be
undistinguished from the mass of the peo-
pie, except as their peculiar virtues and
abilities may entitle them to public esteem.
Before the law one man is no better than
another. All may aspire to office but no
man is born to office. The poorest and
humblest may be President of the United
States, and the richest and haughtiest will
seek that distinction in vain because OF
wealth or BIRTH OF our last three Presi-
dents one was Kentucky backwoodsman
one tailor whom his wife taught to read
and the last tanner. The responsible
ties of Il government extending over three
million square miles of territory and forty
millions of inhabitants are heavy, and de-
mand ability to conduct them, but the
prosperity and growth of our nation shows
that we can depend upon the people for
wise rulers and Legislators and brave and
efficient officers by sea and land for stern
er duties. This State of Maine alone is as
large rs Scotland and one fourth as large
as all the British Isles, with a sea coast
which measured by all its indentations
is three thousand miles in extent. To
conduct the public affairs of such a State
successfully is no light concern, but our
farms, work shops, and counting rooms
supply abundant material adequate to the
task, while in Congress and the foreign
diplomatic service we are represented in
the highest posts of honor. That our
political institutions do in Il considerable
degree modify our social character is evi-
dent even to us Those who have been
accustomed to class distinctions will no
tice it more than we. Upon the whole
we would not change it and take the dis
advantages of caste, and could not if we
would while our present constitution eN-
lists Our opinion upon that point has
been written in blood, as all the world
knows.
In the officers of the Monarch we rec
ognize representatives of the right
arm of England, that branch of the
public service which, beginning in the
time of Queen Elizabeth, has carried the
nation forward to its present pitch of pow
er and greatness. Then the navy of Eng
land consisted of but thirty-three vessels,
and it was recommended by the best au-
thority that no vessel of war be built larg
er than six hundred tons. Those were
the "wooden walls" and "hearts of oak"
in which England trusted, from the line of
which has sprung the iron-sided steam
propeller Monarch, more than a match for
the whole navy of Queen Bess combined.
How greatly are we indebted to the brave
old navigators of England for a settlement
upon this continent! Our countrymen will
long hold in respect the name of Sir Wal
ter Raleigh, brave, accomplished, perse-
vering rover of the ocean though at last
he incurred his sovereign's displeasure and
we owe to him. Think of Frobisher, who
crossed the unknown ocean to our shore in
q vessel of only twenty tons burthen; Of
Martin Pring, who came to the coast of
Maine in q vessel of fifty tons; and Of
Weymouth. who followed and explored
our coast. and some Of our rivers in the
3 forest. AID Inhabited only by barbarians.
Things have changed since then, but those
men were Ike fbese who visit the Capital
Of yur Skate, ed itae sazne blood and nation,
AID = rusj oneWi1Ata0I or profession winch
has made Engaand's glory, and planted us
rpon this eoGaaneni. While we have rea-
son 10 complain of injustice in the late
war. We remember only to-day the hardy
navigator: who frs, explored these un-
known seas, the prowess Of the British
Navy, the mission of peace and respect
which brought the Monarch to our shore,
and we join in bidding our guests hearty
welcome and wish that they may have none
but pleasant recollections of our people
and country during their stay within our
borders.
BLAIR AGAIN,
l. Ln Go