Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-07-14


We stand at the farther gate of the
first century OF our Republic. Ninety
nine years of the most eveutful and
thrilling history ever enacted has gone
on record. Travel by rail-navigatiOu
by steam-dispatches by telegraph
the birth of our nation, ushering in
the era of the peOple-all crowded into
this short space. To which may be
added the emancipation OF the press
from governmental espionage, and the
uushackling of conscience from priest
ly dUgmatism.
When the next Fourth of July
dawns-the nation born OF Christian
conscience and baptized with patriotic
blOud-will pass the opening gate into
u new century. VIII pass the gate,
amid the gala-day gorgeousness of her
first great Centennial International
Fair. In the eyes and immediate pres
euce of the nations of the earth, by
their representations at that Fair, will
she begin the new century. Behind
her will flame the light of her past ex-
perience. And in that light will stand,
sharply defined, some OF her sad blum
ders. Blunders of legislation and
governmental administration Shoals
and treacherous seas, where her gall
liant bark well nigh went down, are
nor clearly mapped on her charts, and
the future helmsman may steer wide of
them.
She has learned lessons of her weak
ness and power-of the correlation of
State and Federal pOwer-the OmnipO-
tence of public opinion-the " UOr
pOpuli, coz Del passing from Il hack
MED adage, to "a well nigh historical
Observation-Disclosures legali2ed oppres-
sion, and law~sactioned wrongs, are in
| compatible with our fundamental
/ law-that ignorance, dissipation, and
crime, are her arch-enemies that
/ righteousness eXalls u nation" while
| "siu Is "A reprOach TO any people" She
/ has learned that as Christian nation,
| flooded with the luXuries and refine
ments of a Christian civilization, con-
science, and the press, must not be
tramIneled aud her free school sys-
TEN preserved from the communicating
touch of sectarian bigotry, and declare
eternal divorce between Church and
State.
She will step out into the new cen.
fury with her many gaping wounds
healed--or fast healing-ppened in the
late war, and concealed from the ma
tons gaze, under the broad mantle OF
charity. Fraternai organizations and
religious bodies will lend their power
to bridge the chasm, and bury the past
too deep for resurrection. Religious
preiudices are deep, for the reason thai
nothing takes so strong hold of a man
as his religious convictions but the
prejudice once overcome, the cement
(, of brotherly love and Christian forbear
ance will heal the breach. and make
the wall invulnerable. The churche:
are coming together. Masonic ant
otter fraternities, where the word was
lost between Northern and Southern
jurisdictions, have found the wore
again, and NORTH and south ar,
no longer known. The Patrons o
Husbandry will do much in this grea
work, regarding the agricultural inter
ests las they do of this nation as one
f Her national conventions of Sabbath
. Schools and temperance reformers:--
all, all, contribute to the grand con
summation of national unity. AM
virtually, the new century will dawl
on us as great and united people.
If from feeble infancy, in wilder
ness waste, surrounded with savage
at home, and hostile nations abroad
we, nevertheless, have risen to be on
of the great powers of the earth, wha
: may we not anticipate from centur,
e of history to be begun, with grea
= and wealthy nation fully armed an,
3 equipped for for bloOdless achieve
. ments, running through a hundre,
, years to come See to it, men ant
7 women of America, that her chario
wheels are not stayed by old hates an,
= prejudices, but with hearty good VII
1 unite in digging down the mountains
=, filling up the vallies, making tn
= crooked ways straight and the rougl
| places plain, that in her great mission
r of enfranchsing the nations, he
march may be swift and her victorie
e speedy and final.
. J. f. GOLDMAN.