Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-04-14
slafrhnar e ganrpaL
A Centurr Of Repnbllcanlsm.

Of the Republic Of the United States. So
Of the old world governments have exist
for thousand years. Spain, Austria, r
STA, Germany, Norway Sweden. EnglaI
have gone through decade of centuries wi
but slight changes in the form Of govel
ment. Whatever modification has be
made is in the spirit rather than in the fori
There has been a progressive tendency
even the most imperial governments towa
popular influence and control The poop
have become a powerful factor in the affai
Of state. Their influence is felt even whc
it is not formally acknowledged. 1t is niece
sary now for sovreisns to feel the popula
pulse, and they base the security of thei
thrones If not on popular suffrage, yet o
public consent
But we have nearly reached the close of til
frstcenturyof a purely popular government
government of the people by thepeople. Tn
outset of our republic was marked by the dole
full vaccinations Of imperial prophets. The
wisdom of thousand generations condemned
Nlt llNAAIN VI llft liioAlAuAibAloe 4hHaiNiff
to be our speedy inheritance And for nearly
a hundred years the voice Of the prophet OF
woe to the republic has been heard in all
other lands.
But we have weathered all the storms Of
fate all the perils of democracy; all the
bugbears Of prophetic imperialism; and the
experiment of popular government is ap-
parently as far from failure as ever it has
been. We have had wars and rebellions,
but so have other states. We have had cor
ruption in politics and fragrant abuses in adj
ministration, but so have other nations.
There is scarcely an evil that has marked
the course of despotism which caunot be
paralleled in the history of the republic. We
have had official malfeasance, arbitrary ar
rests, judicial faulty, terrible rebellions and
wide spread calamities produced by public
corruption. And yet with all the evils
which have attended our history, we have
also had peculiar advantages and blessings.
Both the safety and happiness of the indi-
vidual have been largely enhanced by our
republican system. All government exists
for the people, is the axiom Of popular
institutions and while it is impossible to
eliminate all evil from their administration
and working, we have yet secured a larger
amount of personal good to the people than
could have been gained from any other form.
Each individual has been left to his own
freedom, within certain clear and definite
limits Government has hedged him about,
not so much with restrictions and prohibit
tons, but yielded him full liberty in all
things that did not interfere with the rights
of others. We have had the least possible
amount of authority and the greatest posi-
BILE amount of personal freedom.
The system has worked admirably. Even
history must admit it, and philosophy must
go to work to find the reason for it. 1t has
not introduced the millennium, as some uto-
plan dreamers imagined it would, nor been
the precursor of the worst anarchy under the
sun, as some foes OF popular government pre-
dicted but it has worked well-better than
its intelligent friends at the outset feared
and we shall start on the second century Of
our national existence with more confidence
and hope than the wisest friends of the re-
public INDUCED at the beginning of its first
century.
There is no good reason why the first CEN
tennial Of the republic should not be greeted
and celebrated with universal good will
There is propriety that the city where the
national existence was inaugurated by the
declaration of independence should be the
scene Of the national celebration. There i,
a great propriety also that this national com
memoration should exhibit the tangible and
material proof of what has been accomplished
in this century of our republican history
And there is higher fitness in the idea Of
making this national exposition of our prog
ress for hundred years in connection with
an international display. The republic whose
birthday was greeted with such prophesies
Of i'll from all other states and nations ought
to be allowed to place the results of its OWL
progress side by side with the results of tn,
progress of other peoples. Such an exhibi
ton would contribute much to mutua
knowledge and mutual confidence ant
charity among the nations. The occasion
of its occurrence would be impressive and re
markable. The demand it will make upol
the other nations to present the richest fruit
of their science and industry would be ex
acting. The demand it will make upon GU
own people TO disclose the best results o
their knowledge and skill and labor, woul,
also be imperative. 1t would be sort o
international competitive exhibition on tn
hundredth anniversary of the greatest re
public of history, which has reached it
present position, under favor of God, mainl,
by the vigor, the elasticity, the courage anC
the hope inspired by the peculiar nature O
its political institutions. 1t would be likel,
to silence forever the hostile criticisms will
which the career of our government has beel
assailed, and reveal to other nations both tn
principles and advantages Of a republic.
1t is well settled that the United State
government is to bear no considerable par
in the coming centennial The means +
make it a success must come from indiyid
uals and from the states. 1t is, perhap,
well and best that it should be so. The IL
dividuals of the country are its real SOY
reigns, and they should be represented, an
also contribute freely to the occasion. Blu
the states are the real units in our goverl
ment. We are the United States, and tn
factors and units in the union are the res
pective, individual states. 1t rather belong
to them to take the centennial up and rende
it their care, and so make it complete sue
cess. Each state will be best able to indcat
and present for exhibition the foremost PROD
ucts of its industry and civilization. 1t ca
gather up and contribute its own choices
materials far better and far more econom
cally than the general government, or an
national committee. The authorities Of tn
various states are now being consulted, an
are moving in the matter. II they shall tax
bold of it tremendously, and if the legisli
lures shall make suitable provision TO hay
all the best industries and products of thei
respective communities represented at tn
centennial, there will be nothing wanting 1