The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-07-13
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RATION I
DELIVERED by
MAJOR HENRY D'ceHn0R,

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MAJ0 HENRY HcV n
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Ottum,co. Yo,oa, Jnlu 4th. 1871. 4
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aTo mako succeaaful hook y aait
Emerson. ayou must have I root
reader as we'll = = rood writor. q.
it is with ! public sDeech. i depends
for il merit and naccess. nn;ta i,
much on an epDreciatiye And sener
erous audience. As Oh tho power o.
even fnspirstion Of the orator. III.
plcdlh ~ recollection 81 Z hspoy
hour spent with q most generous and
Inspiring audience, in your busy and
and thriving city, during the politica
canvass of 1868, has beguiled me into
the rash experiment Of renewing the
acquaintance. Always q rash ven.
turo for an orator Of small capital.
Ifyou should be disappointed, as
fear and feel that You will be, L beg
you to cast the blame on your com.
mittee, who have led me into tempta.
tion, and like our mother in the gar.
den, made their approaches on The
weak side--vanity. s4
We are assembled to-day, fellow
citisons. in this favored spot of the
lovely valley ofthe Des Moines, a hun.
dred miles west Of the grand Missis.
sippi, to celebrate tho ninety. fifth
Anniversary Of our Nations Inde.
pendcncc.
a century is q short time in the
life Of q nation, yet our brief infancy
has been crowded with startling,
thrilling events. It's birth was sur.
rounded by trial and sacrifice. The
colonists, three millions in number,
scattered over half continent,
boldly proclaimed the rightful indie.
pendence of man, and pledged to its
maintainanoe their lives, their for
tunes, and their sacred honor. How
noblv thew redeemed that nledga,
makes q mart tha story of vopr an
,ilv tradition. Proelsim;nu ma their
watch.word the snhl;ma sruth that
% ali men are created eonal y Thew
enconntered ON the hattIa fald tho
we'll anno;nted armies of England
then the wealthiest and most mower
ful nation on the plobe backed too.
NV the hoarv nreind;cas If a thous'
and vears. and nnder the Lead of The
natr;ot aold;ar and Cbr;st;an s,.tas,
man. nv their valor. devot;on and
heroic self.sacr,f;ce thew wrnnc vic.
tory And their conntrv,a ;ndonard.
anca from thoaa war wor, vata-.ns
of Enpl.nd who in their turn ha.
came the cononerors Of Wa,erloo
and The heroes IF tho old world
Tven,v.f;va va.r. latar ;n dasonca
az frae trade and sailor, rights ths
vonnr rst;or w.s csliaa Snon -
measure atrancth 18th har I'D ana.
INV Soon temnorarv sncoasses were
cained hv thaf nuar.ennGdous foo,
They burned our Capitol, and by the
treachery or timidity OF Hull obtain.
ed the surrender Of an Insignificant
fortress. But the contest ended with
new glory to the American arms,
jackson, the Irish. American hero,
drove the BritlAh armv inko the aaa
at New Orleans, while the gallant
Perry blew their navy into the air
from the waters of Lake Erie. An.
other quarter of a centufv rolls
round. and we find ourselves engaged
in bloody strife with a sister Repub.
lie. The cause of controversy. en-.
tirely unworthy its consequences.
But discussion OF these and other
topics which crowd upon our atten.
ton. is outside nv present purpose,
l can onlv notice events,
The Mexican war. fierce. bloody,
and in the display of skill and illus.
tration of the science of war, signifi.
cant. brought no different result to
the American arms. Scnrcelv had
the news Of the pending contest
reached the remote governments of
the world. ere under tho lead Of that
GRAND old hero who bnt a few wears
syo won't to his rest the American
armv had planted the stars and
strines on the halls of tho Montezu.
mas.
Still neace was mot ret IN ba onrs
The last Quarter of onr frat century
was to witness the worlds battle,
Fratricide was attemnted in the Re.
nnhlic. The wicked inspirations q,
e false ed;ct--false in moral ma well
: - nol;t;cal etb;cs ;nc;ted the sons
IF Ravolnt;onarv aires in naar ona.
half of the nn;on ~ ra;aa their h.nds
aUainst the life Of the Nation The
Ioval m;ll;ons of the country At frat
stood awe struck VT the crime Of
tramp,inv an the f,ag az their fathers
For s momant thav has;tatod II in.
creduIous amazeme1t. and thon. as 4
wakinp from a fearful dream thew
rushed to the defence of their homes
and country bv tho hundreds and
there WAS presented To the world the
sad but sublime speotacle of n million
Of men in arms. arrayed against each
other with the last hone of human
freedom trembling ia tho balance
and the question Of mans capacity
| tor self government brought to ths
test of its last terrible ordeal. O
that strife Of giants. that war O
wars. it is not nv purpose here ane
| now TO speak, as !: will, at least incl
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