Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-07-24

built the fences, reared the homes for
the vast multitudes, and dug the ore
and coal in the mines. 1t was the
muscle of the nation that wrought at
the forge and bench, behind the coun-
ter, in the shop, and in the field and
mill and mandatory, and on the boat
and car. Has the nation muscle and
nerve? Let the city with its lofty
spires, its palatial residences and its
commercial and mercantile blocks, at
test; let the net work of roads that
cut this grand domain at every angle,
and the long line of fences that has
made the country the largest specimen
of mosaic in the world, be summoned to
witness; let the lightning express with
its burden of immortal freight as it
dashes on at forty miles an hour, and
the steamboat as it plows through our
lakes, or up and down our mighty
rivers, cleaving the chrystal waters
with its PROV, or dashing the foam
from its fast revolving wheels, the
farm house. eli powered with trees, the
orchards burdened to breaking with
luscious fruit, the fields of golden
grain, and corn that shakes like Leb-
anon, all be brought into court to ties
tify to muscular development The
second trial through which the nation
passed was that Of mental discipline
and intellectual development; it was q
trial that began in the log school
house when the wheels of intellectual
progress were made to run easy by an
application of the oil of beech. The
struggle was continued by the Acad
emy and carried to it's conclusion by
the University and public press,
and resulted in the diffusion of knowl-
edge and the general intelligence of
the people. In this struggle the nation
has beeH pitter against ignorance and
Incidence and poverty and cupidity
and monopoly and priest craft and
false views of liberty. General indiffer-
ence has headed this army whose nun
bers are legions. Against this motley
crew the nation has martialed it's for
ces. The common schools have been
the infantry and grand center of this
army, The Academy has been the
light field artillery that has been run
up in the sparsely settled neighbor
hoods and poured raking fire on tue
ranks of the enemy. The University
has been our great stronghold, our
Vatican-where our magazines are
kept furnished with columbiads and
dalgreens for defense The press has
been our efficient cavalry, and with
the dash Of a Sheridan it has gone
everywhere harassing the enemy
General common sense has been our
commander=in chief, and though the
struggle has been long and doubtful,
victory has at last perched upon our
banners.
The latest news from the field of strife
is cheering, the scales have been shot
away from the blind eyes of ignorance,
the column Of Incidence was charged with
bayonet and completely routed; cupid
ity was captured with money bags in
hand, court martialed, and shot; gener-
al Indifference is mortally wounded, and
we may hear of his death at any time.
Thus victory came all along the line;
the war is virtually at an end and I hope
the national congress will make general
common sense a lieutenant general fol
life, at eight thousand year, and vote
his family a pension when he dies. AnC
now hear that all the common schools
have been granted furlough for three
months. The third trial was that o.
civil war; the nation must have grea
trial that would more thoroughly tes
its temper and mate strength, and dis
cipline that temper and develop that
strength. The war of the rebellion
came, one of the most gigantic of mod
ern times, in which was exhibited 6
courage and heroism almost unparallel
ed, in which was shown faith not less
than that which led the martyrs to the
stake. In which was shown the genu
inc benevolence of our christian civiliza
ton as illustrated in the sanitary Com
mission in which was seen the brother
hood of our race, and the great bond O
our holy religion, as all the churche
joined hands and went to the field anC
hospital under the flag of the christian
commission. Thus the nation came from
the fiery furnace purified and chastenec
and strengthened by the ordeal. But
was not for itself alone the nation Tough
but for freedom everywhere and for al
time. Europe stood in awe at tn
great and wondrous power and spirit w
. | JOSSSSSSu, Sillu SOOIl LuGlI LLIOuCS DCStll
to totter, and now two of its most impe
rial and absolute monarchies are fre
republics like our own. The tyranny o
the man of sin over Italy has terminates
in a limited monarchy. Austria ha
abated her tyrannical assumptions ant
cut the guardian knot of priestly dom
ination. The Russian bear has evel
shown magnanimity and unloosed hi
hold on thirty million serfs. Franc
r and Spain are our transatlantic sisters
and the constellation Of the continent
and the leaven of liberty that vii
ultimately subvert the thrones of tn
old world and build on their ruins tn
fair edifce of freedom. And now in al
our history of trial, of dicipline and dc
velopment, we have the promise of tn
rich ripe fruit of middle life and tn
honors, and troops Of friends and abund
ance of old age.
2 What progress we shall make in tn
4 next hundred years, the most far-seein
2 can scarcely conjecture; what wondrou
advances in the West, when all thos
t vast prairies become inhabited and Gu
h tivated; when cities and towns sha
a spring up all over those western cour
] tries. What will be our agriculture
= developments when hundred years c
II new discoveries and appliances are ado
+ ed? What will our cities be with al
/ other century's growth added? Ho
e much farther in the earth will we go
the next century, and what new tre
e sures will reward our toils-a hundre
: years more of art, of music, of scienc,
4 and of education?
is A crnot question with us tO-dov