The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-08-26
Centennial sini Smoke and al Smokers ,,rs

MR.. EDITORS: AC1lZen OF AdfOf6,
one of the oldest native born ihhabit
ants Of the State, being asked q few
days since, if he intended to- oepartici-
pate in the ceremonies at Philadelphia,
next year, airsw cred that he spnrposed
to go to Philadelphia, if .he wasp alive
and able at that timea-not TO celebrate
republicanism, but to seeb Egypt and
the East. He saw nothing, he said, SO
very wsnderfuIs in the occupancy and
settlement, of this continent during the
last four hpndred, years, The won
der is that it had not been done long
before. The human race, has been
slow to, find out and improve the
available resources of the globe. made,
it is claimed, expressly for its goodly
heritage. 1t delights rather in jostling
and crowding and mutual slaughter,
According to old theological chre,
nology large cities were builf iR oEu-
rope. Africa and Asia within four
hundred years from the delugess with
only Noah's small family to start from.
This continent has shown no such pro.
gress, nor has the. human family since
shown any such increase Or enterprise.
He wished Semiramis, and the Hang1
ing Gardens Of Babylop;i Cleopatra
and Caesar. were there to compare lin
learning and art with Grant, aud nonr
American eel ebrities. "Our bridges
and edifices! Go to the Nile, and
old Cambodia." Hum-um. True,
there is some gain. But we are full
Of conceit and political yerdancy.,n517,
Gas for, other matters, !. l. he said,
.1next year we shall see the end of the
first century since our Independence.
In the last fifteen years our entire sys-
tenn Of government has been changed,
States are known only in appearance.
Lincoln Knocked them ont of face, and
they humbled themselves down to
Ysu need not look down
South. Look at the vote in Ohio on
negro suffrage-or at that. struggling
and oppressed people in Utah. We
have abolished partial negro servitude
and substituted permanent and COM
plete slavery over all complexions.
The condition of the slave is political:
ly worse than before; and morally
and religiously- he is forever, damned,
if we are to believe the statement, of
the American Missionary society, and
others not interested in dhe plunder Of
the South. s, =. s..,,.,,,. ..ri..fo
We have destroyed two millions OF,
human lives, and stilled the cries of
the mourners with fialtering nonu-
mcnts TO the dead and pensions and
asylnms for the crippled and impover-
ished. We have begun 70 Build a
military and bonded aristocracy the
lneancst and "most venai the sun ever
shone on" We have filled social life
with hate-nisde a prostitute of our
religion, aud gambling pools Of every
place of power and trust from board
OF country school directors to the
broadest aud siimiest ring at Wash
ington that sports with taxes wrung
from the people. .-ifi,i 80 81 a''7
We haYe fattened the leanest patri-
OTIS with bounties, Offices, Increased
lands, sinecures, jobs, frauds,
and the plundsr of the South. =.
For all time we have made the bond
king, and commanded the people to
worship it with all their SEOUL and
might, and mind, and strength, and
earnings"
We have government now that
recognizes no right or virtue but
power; and which proposes to enter
upon the second century ofour nation-.
al existence with all the cardinal vir.
tues of our, ancestors disesteemed, out
of fashion and reversed. To complete
the picture of departure and degener-
acy, and seal the fate of the nation, it
Is only necessary to add that the peo-
pie seem generally to feel proud Of
what they have done, So 1t always
has been, and so, it always will. be-
''The thing that hath been it is that
which shall be; there is no remem-
brance Of former things" ..,.-.. ..,,
This the record forced upon, us in
this fifteen years trial of the Republi-
can party. What do yop think of it?
How do you like it as the closing
chapter of the first century; and how
will it read as the opening chapter in
the next? To fill up vacant fertile
land with people is nothing. That
has been done often before. To start
right is nothing in the political race.
To hold out right to the end is the
hing never yet attained. In this re-
,pect other nations have shown quite
Ia promising in the first hundred
years.
He should go to Philadelphia, but
he did not go expecting to make for
,igners, or even the 'poor heathen'
eel very bad over our display Of ma