Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-04-29
miscellaneous.
Extract from an Grafton,
DELIVERED AT
Concord, Mass, April l9Ih. 1878.
III GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS.

Inc most formidable problem for
popular government which the opening OF
our second century prcscnts springs from
source which WAS unsuspected A hun.
drri yeats 40, aud which the orators OF
hIty years sine" iorbore to maine mi,
was the y stem OF slave labor. which van
l-hed 10 civil var. Blt slavery hal Dot
been the fatal evil that il was, II aith its
abolition ~ consequences had disappear.
ed. II holds "a, still in moTtmain. IL,
dead hand Is strong, a> it, llyiug power
was terrible. Emancipation has len the
republic exposed to new aud extrAprtliu-
aTy trial Of The principles aud practice, OF
Tree government. A civilization resting
upon slavery. 4, formerly in part OF the
country, however polished anl ornate, !,
necessarily Irl,toCratlc aud hostile To re-
publican equality, while the cx ,cucirs Of
such society forbid that universal ctlu-
cation which i indispensable 10 wise popu-
lar government. when war emanriprtr,
tie slaves and makes them equal citizens
thr ignorance and vcnality winch are the
iatAI Iesaclts OF slavery to the subject
Class. whether White or black, and the ua.-
urAl alienation OF the master Cl4,-. which
alone has political knowledge aud cNprri-
cuc". with all the >ecrot cou>pIravic- the
rccAir~S corruption, the political Auaycry.
>Piiu-ihS naturally from such a situation.
.
That seems = invite the military iutrrf.r.
ence AMI supervision OF the government
all TIN, accumulation of difficulty aud dam
ger lay, strain along the very fibre Of
free institutions. For lt suggests the two
io1d question whether the vast addition OF
tle ignorance VI the cInaucipated vote To
IHtt @! Tue immigrant vote may not oyer
"hclm The Intelligent vote ol The country.
ana whether constant appeal to the cen
tTAl hand OF power, however necessary II
may seem, aud FOR whatever reason ot bu-
uah!iy aud justice il NAV be urged, mus
not necessarily destroy that local ,clfrrIl-
ahcc winch was The very seed Of tie Am
erichn republic, aud fatally iamlar!zn the
country with that employment OF military
power which j. Inconsistent with irr. i'm
,titutipn.. ana bold resistance 10 ,,h.rn
hh~ forever consccrated the spot on which
wc stand
These are some OF tile more obylou.
changes IN the conditions under which the
republic = ~ be maintained. | mention
them merely; but every wise patriot see,
an poLders them. Does he therefore dr.-
pond: Heaven forbid, When was there
ever az auspiciouS day for humanity THAT
MAS not one Of doubt and of conflict> Tn.
robust moral manhood Of America con-
fronts the future with -teadfast faith and
lhdomItabIe viii. raising the old battle
cty "i me race tyr surer law aud larger
iIhcftS. IL sees clouds. indeed, 4. sam
Adams saw them when this day dAlvntd.
Bat with him il sees through ana through
thcm. and with him thanks God for the no
ri"uS morning. There is. indeed. a fashion
of ,kepliclsm Of American PRINCIPLES even
among some Americans. but il i one OF
thc oldest and worst fashions in our histo-
Ty Ihere IS cynicism which foully fan
cles that 10 ts beginning the American re.
public moved proudly toward the future
with all the splendid assurance Of the Per.
slan NerXes descending on the shore. of
Greece, but that it sits to-day among shat
tered hopes, like Xerxes above his ships
at SaIamls. And when was this golden
age. Was 1t when John Adams appeaIed
from the Uaseness OF his own time to the
greater candor and patriotism of thiss Was
II when Fisher Ames mourned over lost
America, like Rachel for her children, ana
would not be comforted! was il when
William Writ said that he sought in vain
Tor man lit for the Presidency or for great
responsibility: Was it when Chancellor
Livingston saw only threatening future,
because Congress was so feeble! Was il
"heh we ourselves saw the industry, the
commerce, the society, the church.. the
courts, the craftsmanship. the conscience.
OF America seemingly PROSTATE under the
loot OF slavery: Was this the golden age
OF these sentimental signs, this the region
behind the north wind of these reproach- |
iui regrets And Is 1t the young nation
which with prayer and faith. with unriring
devotion and unconquerabe will, has lifted |
its bruised and broken body from beneath
that crushing heel, whose future is dis
trusted
Nay. this very cynicism is one of the !
Toes that We must meet and conquer. Re- |
member, fellow-citiZens. that the impulse |
oil republican government. given a century |
ago in the old North Bridge, has shaken
every government in the world. but has |
been itself wholly unshaken BY them. Ii |
has made monarchy impossible in France. |
IL has freed the Russian serfs 1t has unit |
Ell Germany against ecclesiastical despot-
Ism. IL has flashed into the night of Spain.
IL has emancipated Italy, and discrowned |
lne rope as King. In England. repeating
the uisaoiiltles oil Catholic and Hebrew, ii
forecasts the separation of church and |
state, and step by step transforms mon
archy into another form of republic. And
here at home how glorious its story, In a
tremendous war between men OF the same
oiood-inen VINO recognize and respect
each others valor-we have proved what
was always doubted, the prodigious pow
er, endurance, and resources OF republic.
and in emancipating an eighth Of the popu-
lation We have at last gained the full op-
portunity of the republican principle. Sir.
1t Is the signal felicity Of this occasion that
on the one-hundreth anniversaryof the first
battle in the war OF American Indepen-
dence, may salute you. who led to victo.
ry the citizen soldiers Of American liberty.
as the first elected President of the
free republic of the United States. For
tunate man to whom God has given the
priceless boon of assOciating your name
Win that triumph Of freedom which will
presently bind the East and the West. the
North and the South. in closer and more
perfect union for the establish ment of JUS
tice and the security of the blessings OF