New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-14
speech Of Hon. Alexander White,
Of Alabama, In IL, q House Of
Representatives. May q,
1874.

| NV AAouoS oChis, III SOlIIlllLIcc VI tiit
Whole, and having under consideration tho
bill Gil. Il. No. 29SG) to appropriate So, 600,
900 in aid OF the centennial celebration ant
international exhibition of 1876
Mr.. WHITE said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: rise on this occasion
rather to express the deep interest which
as an American and rs an Alabamian, l fee
in the subject under consideration than tC
make any formal speech. AS l was ap
preaching the Capitol but while since
passing along the streets, heard the chin.
ing of the bells, aud as | got nearer l recOg.
nlzed that they were Iinging Hail Column.
bia." by au easy transition my thoughts
swept over our country, and the reflection
pressed upon my mind that over our vast
territorial domain, in every city, in every
town, and in every hamlet, there was on
might be ringing forth the tones fthe church.
going bell. calling upon the people to exer-
else the highest privilege which any govern
ment can bestow, that of worshipping God
each according to the dictates of his own
conscience; and l feel that every American
might well Join in sympathy with the ringing
of the chimes, and exnItingly eXclam, "iIail
Columbia, happy land"
| And, sir, to whom do we owe this unpre-
cedented, this exalted condition: TO what
is it traceable: TO the event which we pro-
pose to commemorate and the men who pro-
| claimed the Declaration of American Indie
pendence.
| Looking at this subject from this point
alone, | confess L have no hestancy as to
what my action shall be, and as to what
think ought to be the action of the American
| Congress, nor rs to what action will alone
secure the appreciation of great and mag
unanimous people.
| Why, sir, We are told we SHOULD not pass
this bill providing for the celebration of the
one hundredth anniversary of the nations
birthday, as though it was some ordinary
event. put it to gentlemen, when was il
in the history of the world any nation ever
proposed to celebrate its one hundredth birth
day? Look back along the pages of history
and tell me where in its rcmOtest search we
can find any nation which had grown to con-
sidcration in wealth and power such as
prompted it at the end of one hundred years
to celebrate its centennial rs u national
jubilee. We propose to celebrate that ami
| vcrsary of the United States of America as n
day notable in our own life rs a nation and
an epoch in the history of man, by calling
together of the people from the thirty-seven
States and the Territories of the Union, and
by the cOnvOcaton of all nations, for a COM
mon eXhtion in all the useful arts of the
inventions and improvements of civilization
unequaled in developed industries in the an
nails of the world.
Rome was one hundred and fifty years old
when she entered upon her wars with the
Samnites, the first manifestation of that spirit
of aggression upon her neighbors which led
her in the course of ages to be the cOnOuerOr
and the mistress of the world. The Grecian
States had passed through thirteen centuries
of obscurity before they inaugurated the cx.
petition in which AgamemnOn, liking Of
men," led forth the Grecian heroes TO avenge
the wrongs of MenelalIs. This event, the
celebration of which is contemplated by the
bill under consideration, is uneXampled in
the history Of the world, and one which might
well be the subject for the profoundest and
as | conceive, the most grateful reflection on
the part of the entire American people.
But, Mr.. chairman, what is the character
of the objections we hear made to this bill
and this celebration? l could not but be
impressed with it, l hear gentlemen here
ha.glng over the dollars and cents which il
will cost. Not hundred years ago the men
met in Independence Hall, in the city Of
Philadelphia, who bore within their true
hearts and in their exalted spirits the fate OF
this nation and the dcstinies of the world
Did they talk about their not being able to
pay? Did they derisively ask where the
WIS w SoilC hpiii W cuotttIIl tiCN
noble efforts for the delivcrance of the Amer.
lean people from tyranny and oppression
Did they not know that they were mourning
eXpense? Did any man in that assembly
attempt to interpOse question like thai
which was put Yesterday by the gentleman
from Massachusetts, Mr.. +. II. Hoarl to the
gentleman from New York, [Mr. Tremain,
l''Where is the money to come from?' Die
any man in that assembly talk about gold
as We heard to-day from the gentleman from
New Jersey, Mr.. Phelps?l When l heart
his remarks about the mode in which hi
thought the centennial would most hOnOra
bly, aud successfully eliminate, was stronSl,
reminded of another occasion in the histOr!
of this country, one familiar to you all. l
was on the occasion of the delivery of tn,
celebrated speech of Patrick Henry, whei
he described the eXultant scenes which fol
lowed the successful termination of our pro
, tracted and often doubtful war of the Revo
; luton, when he pictured free peOpl
rejoicing over a country dsenthralled ant
made independent, and when, in the mids
of the firing of guns and the ringing of bell
: and the shouts of the rejoicing multitude
there was heard the hOarse voice of an arm
, contractor crying out Beef" "Beef!'
"Beef!" Sir, say to the gentleman from
New Jersey mfr. Phelpsl his cry to-day l
the same CIV. lie COlcS HtGc, anu Ill Ill
midst of the preparation for the great even
, of the anniversary of the independence G
this country he cries out "GOld!" "Gold!
"GOld" That, to his mind, is the one thin
t needful, which is to postpone all else, t
t constrain and prevent the American peOpl
from celebrating as a nation the anniversar
of this the most significant event in its his
tory, aud one of the most important in tn
s calendar Of time.
admire the earnestness and the abilt
f with which the gentleman presses his linar
cal scheme but submit that there are Othe
things that are good and worthy the cOnsit
Grafton OF IN American Congress, besides
c Presumption of specie payments
! Now, sir, to recur for one moment to I'll
scene to which have called attention, an
= TO those who were the actors in that grandes
drama of human action. What would Hal
It cock think of the question propounded ye'
tcrday by the distinguished gentleman irOI
" Massachusetts? What would Gerry an
:. Jefferson and Carroll and Sherman an
. Franklin, and all that illustriOus assembl
/ that was gathered there-what would the
o think, could they know that we were que:
G tioning and canvassing whether the woul
celebrate the centennial of the day cons'
Grated by them to liberty; whether the Ame
lean people, the recipients of its inestimab
s blessings, shall celebrate it or decline
O celebrate it, because it may involve the e.
q penditure by the nation of few million do
lars?
}, The gentleman from the Chicago distrl'
[Mr. Ward] says that he and his constituent
turo and he mar