The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-11-06
1.-THE DESTINY OF OUR REPUBLIC.'
[Phonogrnphically reported for the NEW
NORTHWEST by W. S. Cameron.l

This was the title of an address de-
livered by Mrs. A. ]. Duniway before a
large audience in Reeds Opera House,
Salem, on Monday evening, October 5th,
in response to an invitation signed by
many members of the Legislature, and
numerous others.
Rev. P. S. knight presided on the oe-
casion, and in a neat speech introduced
the lecturer.
Mrs. Duniway said:
FRIENDS, this testimonial of your
presence this evening almost overpowers
me. AS stand here, I look back
through the dim vista of almost quar-
ter of a century 10 the days when l first
landed, a young girl, stranger in this
our beautiful State, then a Territory.
Then rapidly my mind flashes across
the intervening years to the short time
that has marked my public life. Three
years ago was almost wholly unknown
outside of the little circle of my family
and friends who had known ME from
childhood.
Stimulated in part by that restless
spirit Of ambition which has all along
characterized the American people, and
inspired by a desire to do whatever my
hand might fiud to do with all my
might, that 1 might be able to leave
this world better than found it, have
dared to brave the storms of opposition,
prejudice and ignorance, and sometimes
it may be of my own folly; for 1 would
be more than human did l never err.
And tonight, looking into your listen
ing faces, and casting my Imagination
over the years that are gone, l go from
this beautiful scene-beautiful, indeed,
to me-to the far distant years of the
long ago, where little Pilgrim band
went aboard the Mayflower and trusted
themselves to the treaeherous and then
almost unknown seas, and guided by the
hand of Omnipotence, landed safely
upon Plymouth Rock. Then, glancing
hastily over our country's past history,
which is known, or ought to be, to every
schoolgirl and boy, we come to the time
when another Spartan few, imbued Will
a spirit of patriotism that emanate!
from on high, gathered themselves to
gether, and seeking not only their pres
ent good but the good of future genera
tions, took counsel concerning thos,
matters that pertain to the Destiny o
our Republic. Ali little did they thinl
one hundred years ago-that patrio
band-that at this time upon the verg,
of the Pacific Ocean we, their descend
ants, would assemble on occasions lik,
this to glance back through the history
of the far-receding years and on into The
future-the mystical, the beautiful, tn,
ideal beyond. Little did they imagine
that hardy pioneer band that gave birtt
to our Republic upon the inhospitablt
: shore of bleak New England, that fal
away across the Continent reposed the
beautiful valleys, the verdant hilIsides
the hoary mountains, the dashing water,
falls, the glorious possibilities that gract
our beloved Oregon.
And it is, indeed, meet that we, theil
children, descendants of those hardy
pioneers-ourselves yet pioneers, who
have wandered across the unbeater
tracks Of the Western wilds and pitched
our tents upon this distant shore of th'
. bracing and breezy Pacific-it is indeed
meet that we should pause in the hurry
and worry of everyday existence an'
drop tear to their memory, chant al
|, anthem of praise to their heroic patriot
ism, and sing deep and solemn dirg
over the graves of those who fell bat
Ting in the foremost ranks of liberty
that we, their children, might enjoy tn
priceless boon of freedom aud the peer
, less blessings Of education and religion
which they gladly laid down their live
!, to bequeath to us.
1t is idle for me to spend time il
talking to you, my friends, tonight
. about that occurrence in our history o
which every American patriot in who's
4 heart burns the fire that lights th
! flames of liberty has sung while chant
ing hymns Of praise to freedom.
But when we look abroad over ou
= country, and see that, despite its man.
a beautiful surroundings and gloriou
possibilities, there is yet so much of sui
!, fering to alleviate, so much of ignoranc
to overcome, so much Of prejudice to de
: stroy, so much of materialism and coars
selfshness and avarice and miser
. among us, we feel that there is indee
work for the philanthropist that take
on gigantic shapes and stirs the soul c
4 the deepest and most thoughtful hu
4 mauitarian to its profoundest depths.
\ Glance abroad over our country an
: YOU find that we have jails and gibbet.
: and penitentiaries and almshouses an
= asylums for the insane. You find, toe
that we have need Of these. You fine
too. the wretched drunkard going dow
10 ruin, while all manner of legalize
temptations are suffered to lie in wa
for the unwary, and beguile the veal
: into error and crime. And shall VI
= as people, forget these, the lowliest c
Gods children? Shall we cloak oul
= selves about with a mantle of our ow
= self-righteousness, and, because our line
!, have fallen to US in pleasant places
consider it beneath ourselves to loo
10 down upon those children Of Almight
- God who may need our uplifting care
- Shall we not rather feel that it is NJ
a beneath rs to stoop to lift the fallen, t
- strengthen the weak, to encourage th
timid, aud to help the faltering upon life
rugged highway? Our eountry's de