New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-21

in the devotion of his adherents to Don Car.
los, in the warm affection of Frenchmen of
prominence to the Prince Imperial, and in
the undyins devotion of the enthusiastic
Irishman to the green banner of the ireland
of old.
Instances in point innumcrablc could easily
be adduccd extending through the whole
reach of recorded and traditional history.
from the noble Roman who knowingly goes
himself to torture and death for his country's
sake to the equally noble American who in
the very last extremity "only regretted that
he had but one life to lose in the cause Of
Liberty" and within our own personal
knowledge has been cOnvncingly exemplicd
in the unnOted deaths of thousands i'm our
last great struggle, who died and gave no
sign of the paramount strength of patriotic
and unselfsh sentiments and opinions and
scaled the evidence of their power and their
sincerity, as well, in the Oozing cbb of their
life's blood.
The power of mere sentiment, whether
shown in the unchanging faith of the MARTYR
or the constant and undying attachment of
the patriot, has in tic shaping of the desti-
nics of this world and the dignity lent to its
history, worked greater miracles than any
other than Divine power.
And, insist upon it, that now, as it ever
has been, whatever agency adds to the force
or enhances the vitality of the considerable
patriotism Of thoughtful and intelligent
citizenship, ministers directly to the perma-
nent sources of the health and strength of
the nation to which they belong.
| Does any man suppose that the Fathers of
'76, with the halter dangling before their
eyes, affixed their signatures to the Declara-
ton, from deliberate conviction that pecu-
mary gain to them would thcrefrom result?
Was greed the animlls Of that ever memOra-
BILE political announcement of millions for
defence, not one cent for tribute ?''
| In tracing their course over the frozen
ground of Valley Forge, did those who fol-
lowed Washington, or lurking in the gloomy
swamps of the Carolinas, did those who were
''out'' with Marion believe that patriotism
was ''thc love of Oflicc!''
So believe that when from every corner
of this broad land, from every State and
Territory, thousands and millions of the free
citizens of a free government shall assemble
in the very cradle and place of the birth of
all that politically they hold dear, and OK
changing with each other the mutual grasp
and the meaning glanccs of a common citi-
zcnship, there will be aroused in the bOsoms
of all a higher ant, purer sense Of the honest
and sincere attachment, cherished by all in
common for those free institutions whose
/
celebrate. than they have ever before been
permitted to feel, and which will strengthen
all the lands which can unite lrccmen to their
| native land, and kindlc n blaze of patriotic
feeling in whose dazzling light all questions
of minor differences, and all hurtful rccol-
| lection of past differences will be blotted
out.
Recognizing fully the obligations of large
majority OF those to whose suilrages l owe
my official presence in this hall, to the tardy,
but, in the end, the full aud complete vind-
cation of the sublime and sublimcly simple
announcements of the Declaration, l am
willing that others should find amusement
in contemplating the Centennial as '';,n over
grown and spcad-cagle 4th of July;" while
| for myself aud at least four millions of the
new Frcemen of this land of Liberty, will
| hope that in the mercy OF Gcd my own life
may be spared, till, among the crowding
| thousands of eXulting lrccnGn, l may on the
4th of July, 1876, stand in the very shadow
of Independence Hall and with glowing heart
| read the undying words of Webster: "When
my eyes shall be turned to behold, for the
last time, the sun in Heaven, may l mot see
him shining on the broken and dishOnOret
| fragments of a once glorious Union on States
| discovered, discOrdant, bcllScrent; our land
rent with civil ieuds, or drcnchcd, it may be,
in fratcmal blood! Let their last feeble and
| lingering glance, rather behold the gorgeous
ensign of the Republic now known and hon
orcd throughout the earth, still full high adj
vanccd, its arms and trophies streaming in
their original lustre, not a stripe erased or
polluted, not a single star misunderstanding
for its motto no such miserable intcrrogatOry,
rs what is all this worth :" nor those other
words of dclusion and folly, Liberty first and
| Union afterwards'-but everywhere spread
all over 1t in characters of living light, blaz-
ing on I'LL its ample folds, as they float over
the sea and over the land, and in every wind
under the whole heavens, that other scnti-
ment, dear to every true American heart
Liberty and Union, now and forever, one
and inseparablc!"
Entertaining such sentiments and cherish
ing the hope that the day Of the termination
of one hundred years from the birth of our
Government, may by common consent and
by universal adoption be fixed upon as the
day of the definite and emphatic termination
of all feelings of harshncss and bitterness,
arising from our recent contentious, l shall
not apologize for mine, however unfashiona-
| bic they may be held to be, but still continue
to hold them, hoping for them wider adop-
| ton and more commanding prevalence.
| In the presence of so many who are lnfin-
itely better versed in all matters of the legal
and constitutional authority of Congress to
make grant of pccuniary aid, do not pro-
pose to occupy much time with that part of
the discussion.
If the Centennial is right and proper in
itself, as think it is if it will promote tho
general harmony, increase the fervor of the
| common patriotism, and so strengthen the
sources of national strength if it will unite
more closely together the now somewhat
discordant and Earring interests Of the North
and the South if it will tend to discourage
and extinguish all feelings of sectionalism
if it will stimulate that immigration to which
more than to all others except organic agen-
cies we owe our wonderful national growth
if it will promote and advance our progress
in the industrial arts then 1 have faith to
believe that no specifically permissivc power
is constitutionally necessary.
In a commOn-sense way look about for
analogies and find them spread around me
on every hand. 1 find National Banks es.
tablished, circulating medium of paper
money created, Pacific Railroads built, the
the improvement of internal harbors and
rivers effected, vast sections of foreign terri
tory purchased and Incorporated with our
own, Board of immigration established
provision at large expense for periodical
Census, National Observatory established
and supported, and all, so far as l can dis.
cover, without any specific permission given
in the Constitution, and l am satisfied that
the good results expected and attained there
by give, in my opinion, sufficient warrant
and L am content to consent to an appropri
alton for the Centennial on the same ground
on which the picture of the Father Of his
Country was placed upon the walls of the
} Capital that took his name.
And howeyer others NAV feel at liberty