Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-01-05
THE 25Oth ANNIVERSARY.

The 250th Anniversary of the
landing of the Pilgrims was cele-
brated at Plymouth, Mass, on the
21st ult. Hon. r. c. Winthrop de
livered an eloquent Grafton, OF
which the following is the ccnclu-
sion:
Can we not hear them at this mo-
ment solemnly warning us, lest in
the pride of our prosperity and
greatness our hearts be lifted up to
say, each for himself, "My power
and the might of mine hand hath
gotten me this wealth." while the
great lesson of our stewardship to
Him to whom VIC owe it all is for
gotten or neglected Can we not
hear them, at this moment, solemnly
warning US, lest, in the pride of our
freedom and independence, we for
get that 1.-The liberty we are to stand
for, with the hazard not only of
goods, but our lives, if need be-" is
"a liberty for that only which is
good, just and honest" and not a
liberty to be used as q cloak of ma
liciousness and llcentiousness Can
we not hear t;,rm at this moment,
from yonder hill of graves, solemnly
warning us, lest, in the pride of our
science, an eclipse of faith be suf-
tered to steal and settle over our
land, whose beginning may be i'm
perceptible and its end beyond cal
culation? Oh, let us hear and heed
these warnings of the fathers to the
children, as they come to US to day.
enforced not only by all the precious
memories of their faith and piety,
their virtues and sacrifice es and suf-
feriDgs, but by all the lessons and
experiences of the times in which
we live! We need not look beyond
the events of the single year which
is jus. closing-a year more mar
velous in its manifestations than
almost any which has preceded it
since the great year of our Lord a
year whose Christmas, alas is clou-
ded by the continuance, in a land
bound to US by the memories not
yet obliterated. of conflict which
must fill every Christian heart with
terror. We need not, / say, look
beyond the events of the single ju
bilee year of the landing to find evil
deuce of the vanity of all human
ambitions, and the impotence OF hu-
man power, and to see renewed and
startling p:oof that while
\ thousand years scarce serve to form =
State,
An hour may lay ii in the dust.
Let Us not be deaf to the warnings
Of the Fathers. Let us resolve that
no national growth of grandeur, no
civil freedom or social prosperity
or individual success, shall ever
render US unmindful of those great
principles of piety and virtue which
the Pilgrims inculcated and exem-
plifed. Let US resolve that what.
ever else this nation shall be, or
shall fail to be, it shall still and al
ways be Christian nation, in the
full comprehensiveness and true sig
niticaDce of that glorious term. And
then, as year after year shall roll
over our land, as jubilee shall sue
ceed jubilee, and our children and
our children's children shall gather
on this consecrated spotto celebrate
the event which has brought us
here to day, those great closing
words OF Webster fifty years ago
the only words worthy to sum up
the emotions of an hour like this,
and send them down all sparkling
and blazing to the remotest poster
ity-shall be repeated and repeated
by those who shall successively
stand where he then stood, and
where / stand now, not with any
feeble expectation or faltering hope
only, but with that firm persuasion,
that assured trust and faith, with
which l adopt and repeat them as
the closing words of another jubilee
discourse
Advance. then, We future gener-
ations! We would hail you. as you
rise in your long succession to fill
the pla ces which we now fill, and to
taste the blessings of existence
where we are passing, and soon
shall have'passod, our own human
duration. We bid you welcome to
this pleasant land of the Fathers.
We bid you welcome to the mirth-
full skies and ver,lant fields of New
England. We greety your accession
to the great ineritauce which we
have enjoyed. We welcome you to
the blessings of good government
and religious liberty. We welcome
you to the treasures of science and
the delights of learning. Wel vel
come you to the transcendents sweets
of domestic life, to the happiness Of
kindred and parents a2d children.
We welcome you to the immeasura
bic blessings OF rational existence,
the immortal hope OF Christianity
and the light of everlasting truth ;
After singing, the following beau
tiful hymn n written for the occasion.
by that grand, noble poet, w. c.
Bryant, was read:
Wild was the day; the wintry sea
Moaned sadly on New Ensland's strand,
When first, the thoughtful and the free,
Our Fathers, trod the desert land.
They little thought how pure light,
With years, should gather round that day;
How love should keep their memories bright,
How wide realm their sons hould sway.
Green aretheir bays and greener stiIl
Shall rouLd their spreading fame be
wreathed.
And regions now untrod, shall thrill
With reverence. when their names are
breathcd.
Till where the sun. with softer fires.
= Looks on the vast Pacifc's sleep. I
The children of the Pilgrim siIes "
This hallow'd day like us shall keor- .