The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-19
GheGnteLLiaettesr
Ono Hundred Years Ago.

chnsetls, in which the first blood Of the
Revolutionary struggle for American in
dependence was shed. II seems like "thc
day of small things" to turn now to the
pages Of history and read the incidents Of
the 10Th Of April l775. The great war
Of the Rebellion, through which the
country has so lately passed, has united
IA for properly apprcciating the engage
ments at Concord and Lexington between
few score Of militiamcn and four or
five companies Of British regulars, In
which the total number Of killed and
wounded did not rise to the proportions
Of m every day skirmish, for months to-
gether when the great armies Of the
Union and the ConiedcraCy confronted
each other in front Of Richmond. And
yet these battles will he ever memorable
as tho actual outbreak Of hOslilities, so
long threatened between the Colonies aud
Great Britain-an outbreak that was fol-
lowed by seven long years Of war and that
finally resulted not only in tho indcpcn-
dence Of the Colonies but in the establish
ment Of that "mOrc perfect Union" be-
tween them, known then and ever since rs
the United States Of America.
II would!'bC useless in our short space
to speak Of the anticedCnts that led to tho
collision at Concord and Lexington this
day one hundred years ago, between Eng
land and the Colonies. Every school boy
who has read the Declaration Ot Independ-
enCe il familiar with the schedule OF
grievances there laid down, Among the
mass Of Americans that schedule pasScs
current land ever villas atruc and lndis-
putablO arraignmCnt Of the Mother
country for crueltics practiced upon her
children in tho wills Of tho Western
World. Notwithstanding the many able
exposes that have since appeared in this
country, and In England calculated to
materially modify the sounding SEN
tences Of tho Declaration, II will always
remain, like Sir Walters novels In
Scotland, an essential part Of our history,
and from sire to son will go down rs a
"Icgacy Of hate agal9st the British name
II Is impossible to realize that only one
hundred years have passed since this
great country was narrow border Of In
habiled territory, whose people owed and
owned allegiance to n foreign power
Within twelve miles OF Wheeling there
still lives man who was eight years old
before the "embattlctl farmprs" stood nj
Concord Bridge pnd fired those "shots
that we're heard round the wOrld' lie
was n youth ere yet we hal even colOni'
al form Of government, and had almoSl
reached mans estate when the COnstitu'
tion Of our present form OF govern
ment was adopted, It Is not toe
much to say that there has beet
no such span Of life since the
world began ~ the hundred and eigh
years that have passed over the head o
our venerable friend at MOnndsyille. l'
has seen the most radical transitions .
which history gives any account. w
sneak not alone, nor indeed chiefly, ot tn,
political occurrences Of that period, re
narkable and unprecedented rs they hav
been, but Of the wonderful and incredible
changes that have been wrought by TIL
arts and sciences. lie has seen the ris
and progress Of steam rs motive power
with all the marvellous changes on lane
and water that have been wrought by Iha
agency. These changes no man can cStl
mate who does not atop and recount th
revolutions in labor, in travel, In none!
making, in everything, that have follow
cd the Introduction Of slcam. In th
DAYS Of the Revolution the little arnie
Of the invader and invaded Rugged tn
sea coast ~ much ns possible as tn
country wis sparcoly settled IN the inle
rior and there were no rleans oil trans
porlalion save by the rlIdest wagons owe
roads that were made as tho armle
moved. Instead Of moving army corp
Of twenty and thirty thousand men, a
lockers corps and l,ongstrccts corp
were moved In the late war, hundreds q
miles in few days time, aud 30 secrCll
as to be almost unknown, the armies
Washington OIL one side, and Clintot
ltowe, CORVALLIS and other British ger
erals, on tho other, side, were dragge
along in wretcletl condition across sue
States "a New Jersey, Delaware, Virglnt
and the Carolinas, almost without food Q
clothing. Had our government bee
compelled TO fight the rebellion Hs th
British were compelled to fight this co,ii
try IL never could have put II down.
was the agency otstcam and railroads tia
enabled II To concentrate such inImenS
masses Of men at any one point wit
such rapiiily, and to supply them
effectively with every necessity OF a de
slructiye war. II was also the Use Of th
telegraph, an other wonderful achieve
ment Of science, that was unknown eve
when our venerable friend had ntLaihe'
middle age, that contributed so signal.
o shorten and determine the conflict
Nothing Of these and multitude OF othei
modern facilities for carrying on wa
we're known in tic days Of the Revolt
tton. For the lack Of them we were able L
wear England out in that long struggle
ller relations with Europe, and especial
lywilh France, prevented her from send
Ing a large botly Of troops at any on,
time to conquer us, and hence olir tactic
Of dividing and conquering were success
tul. The apatriot militiamen" wer,
plilup into small armies and could no
"a q