Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-12-08

I
fords me great pleasure TO Tecur to tn
advancement that has teen made from
the time Of the colonies, ore hundre,
yeats ago. We were then people mum
boring only THEE millions; now we mum
her more than forty millions. Then Ou
industries were confined almost eXeIu
sively to the tillage Of the soil; now
manufactures absorb much OF The lsbOl
Of the country. Our libsft es remain
unimpsired. Toe bOUGsmen have beer
freed from slavery; We have become
possessed OF The respect, If not friend
ship, Of all civilized nations; our pro,
gress has been great in all the arts, il
| scierce, commerce, navigation, mining
mechanism, law, medicine, ete., and IN
general education.
OUR PROGRESS,
Our progress is likewise encours gipe
Our thirteen states have become thirty
eight, including Colorado, which has
taken the step to become q State, and
eight Territories, including the Indian
ard Alaska, and excluding Colorado.
making territory extending from the
| Atlantic to the Pacific; on the south we
have extended to the Gulf of Mexico, aud
Ia the west from the Mississippi TO the
/ 4 GNlllOs ObC huuu1Cu NS3TS aVO The
| cOtt0n-gin, the steamship, the railroad
the telegraph, the resping, sewing and
| modern printing machines, and numer-
GUS other inventions OF scarcely less
value to our business and happine SO
were entirely unknown.
MANUFACTURES.
In 1776 manufaC turers scarcely existed
even III all this vast territory, but in
1870 more than two millions of persons
We're employed as manufacturers, pro-
ducing two billion one hundred million
dollars Of produce, in amount an
nuauy nearly equal to our national
debt, From nearly the whole OF the
population Of 1875 being engaged in the
one occupation Of agriculture, in 1870 SO
numerous and diversified had Income
the occupations Of our people, that lass
than six millions cut OF more than forty
millions were so engaged. The extra,
ordinary effect produced in our country
by resort to such occupations has built
msrket for the prOducts OF fertile lands
distant from tbs seaJOsrd and the
markets Of the world. The American
system OF working various and extern
sive manufactures, next to the pillow and
the pasture, and adding connecting
railroads and steamboats,, has produced
IN our distant country a result not
equaled by the Intelligent parts Of the
other nations. TIE ingenuity aud the
skill OF American mechanics has been
demonstrated at home and abroad in a
manner most tistteriDg to their pride;
but for the extraordinary genius and
ability CT our mechanics the achieve-
ments Of our agriculluralists, manufac-
tuners and transpOrters throughout the
country would have been impossible Of
attainment.
OUR MINING INTERESTS
The progress of the miner has also
been great; Of coal, our production was
small; now many millions of tons are
mined annually. So with iron, which
formed scarcely an appreciabe part OF
our product half century ago. We
now produce more than the world con-
sumed at the beginning of our national
existence. Lead, zinc and copner, from
being articles of import, we may expect
to be large exporters Of in the near fu-
ture. The development OF gold aud sill
vsr mines throughout the States and
Territories has not only been remarka-
he, tut has hsd large influence upon
the business CT 81 Commercial nations.
OUR COMMERCE.
Our meCChaDt4 in the last hundred
years have had success, and estab.
lished o Reputation for enterprise, saga.
city, progress and Integrity upsurpas sed
by The people of older natiOnalties. This
good name Is not confined to their
homes, but gees out on every sea and
into SYery port where commerce enters,
with equal pride we can point to our
progress Ia all of the learned Professions.
AS We are ale now about to enter upon
the second Centennial, commenc-
ing our manhood as o nation, it is
well to look back upon the past
and study what will be best to preserve
and advance our future greatness. From
the fall Of Adam for his transgression to
the present day no nation has ever been
free from threatened dangers to its pros
perity and happiness. We should look
to the dangers that threaten and remedy
them so far IS lies in our power.
EDUCATION OF THE MASSES.
We are a republic whereof one man
is as good as another hefOre the law.
Under such form of government it is
OF the greatest Importance that all
should be pos sessed Of education and in.
telligence enough to cast vote with a
right understanding of its mt auing. A
large association OF ignorant men can
not with any considerable power oppose
a successful res!s auce to tyranny, as
oppression from the educated few will |
inevitably sink in acquiescence to the |
will Of intelligence, whether directed by
the demagogue or by priestcrsft. Hence |
the education OF the mass becomes of |
the first necessity for the preservation Of |
our Institutions. They ale worth pre-.
serving, because they have secured the |
greatest good to the greatest proportion |
OF the population OF aOy form OF govern |
meDt yet devised. All other forms Of |
approach il just in proper |
ton TO the general diffusion of educS- |
ton and independence of thought and !
action. As the primary step, therefore, |
to our advancement in ali that has |
marked our progress in the past |
century, suggest for your earnest con-
and most earnestly re- |
commend it, that q constitutional |
be submitted to the IegfsIs- |
lures of the several States for ra(ifics- |
ton, making it the duty OF each of the |
several States to establish and forever |
free public schools adequate to |
the education Of all the children in the |
rudineI tsry branches within their re- |
spective limits, irrespective of SIX, color,
birthplace or religion, forbidding the |
teaching in said schools of religion. |
or pagan, and prohibiting the1
granting of any school funds or school |
taxes, or any part thereof, by legislation, |
or Otherwise, for the benefit |
Of any other object of any nature or
kind whatever
UNTAXED CHURCH PROPERTY.
Ia connection with this important |
question l would also call your attention
to the importance Of correcting an evil |
that, if permitted to continue, will prob |
ably lead to gfe1t trouble in our land |
before the close OF the nineteenth Gen.
fury. 1t is the accumulation OF vast |
amount of unt1Xed church properly. Ia |
1859, believe, the church property of |
the United States, which paid no tax,
or State, amounted to |
about $50, OO0. 600. Iu 1880 the |
amount had doubled; in 1875 1t is about |
S200,O00 90; by 1900, without check,
it is safe TO say this property will reach |
3 sum exceeding $500. Goo COO, and so
vast a sum, receiving all the protection |
and benefits OF the government without !
bearing its proportion Of the burdens
snd expenses Of the same, will not be
looked upon scquiescently by these
who have paid taxes. In growing