Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-01-03

her burden on BOARD, maze neauWay
against the current of the river more
than three and half miles an hour. l
refer to James Ramsey, name which
doubtless sounds strangely to the ears
of most of those who hear me, but
which deserves to be embalmed IN the
grateful recollections of the whole fam
ily of man, for whom he wore away ms
life to die unfriended in foreign land.
And the admirers of Fitch, who two
wears after, made his successful expert
ment upon the Delaware at this city,
and of your own famous Fulton, who
was the first to establish steam navIga-
ton twenty-one years thereafter, can
well afford, without detriment to their
memories, admit the justice to James
Ramsev's claims to be considered the
Columbus of that discovery. But, be
this as it NAV, the American steamboat
was the first step taken to disprove the
assertion of the French philosopher and
to dissipate the delusion OF his follow
ers. The next step in the same direc-
ton was made by Oliver Evans-the
son of the first Episcopal clergyman
who ever officiated in this city-who
suggested the use Of steam applied 10
land carriages, and proved its practical
bility here in Philadelphia by success
ful exhibition of the plan early In the
present century. Then, after the lapse
of years, when our population had
spread across the continent TO where
CALIFORNIA; golden gate ''fronts the fall
inc sun" and when. if ever the idea OF
MontesJuieu might be supposed TO have
appropriate application, there was an-
other American scientist quietly at work
in his labratory at New Jersey, whose
genius had anticipated this last emer-
gency. For in 1884, as | myself Wit
messed, the practical working OF the
principle of the magnetic telegraph-at-
forwards so ingeniously utilized by
Morse-was exhibited and explained IN
series of successful experiments to the
students of Princeton by their revered
instructor, Joseph Henry, whose mod
esty is equalled only by his merits, the
whole of whose useful and unseliiSh life
has been devoted to scientific investiga-
tons, to 1.-The diffusion OF knowledge
among men. and who deserves TO be
known as the Franklin of the nine
teenth century, 50 that thus by The ge-
Mus of Americans, intelligence can be
desEatched and received across the con
tinent in less time than was required III
the days of our fathers for the p9st-boy
to put on his jack-boots for a journey.
But | have been led into longer di-
oression than intended To return to
the topic of the Centennial.
Besides the impulse which it will i'm
part to the enterprising spirit and in
ventive genius of our people, one of It's
most salutary results will be to ditiuse
"a higher appreciation of the true dig
nifty OF labor, aud its paramount claims
to consideration as basis for national
power and wealth" and also to impress
the public mind, especially the minds of
our young men, with the important
truth that all honest labor is honorable,
and that, where there is health and OPP
portunity, not to work, with either head
or hands, mind or muscle, is simply not
to be respectable.
Nor will it he among the least of IFS
blessings, that it will be the means OF
bringing together in friendly intercourse
those OF our countrymen i'll the North,
South, the East, and the West, who
have heretofore been alienated from
each other by the emergencies OF mad
dencd and most unhappy epoch. And
the crowning eiace and glory OF that
glad festival of peace will be the su-
premc triumph over the prejudices and
passions of the past, in trcading ont the
embers OF sectional animosity-eyen to
their last, lingering sparks-and in re-
establishing on the firm foundations OF
mutual interests, mutual respect, mutual
confidence, mutual forbearance, and ma
tual forgiveness, that earnest, honest,
feeling of fraternity aud
good fellowship which formerly existed
throughout our country between the clt-
izens of every section and OF all the
States-such as our fathers felt IN the
old time before us, when they made the
cause of each the cause of all-such rs
they felt when, faithful to their mutual
pledge, they went forth, side by side to-
gether, through all the perils of the
Revolution, to maintain the truths, and
to right the wrongs so eloquently pro-
claimed in their undyiDg declaration
such, / say, as was felt ''by those whom
we call fathers" in the brave days OF
old. and such, | trust, as the God Uf our
fathers will permit our children and
their children's children to enjoy unln-
terrupted through all the centuries to
come
1t was a happy thought, ladies and
gentlemen, which suggested this com
memorative meeting in connection with
the coming Centennial of '76, as every
day in the calendar, from this time forth
until then, will be the Centennial AMI
versary of some exciting incident having
direct bearing upon the great event
which We are preparing to commemo-
rate. The important occurrence We Gel
citrate tonight was the first Of that se-
ries of kindred incidents which contrib
uted to prepare the minds of the Rev
olutionary patriots for their final deter
mination to renounce their allegiance to
the British Crown.
At that time it might readily have
been regarded as waDton destruction