New-York tribune., 1875-11-17
THE ADDRESS


honor Of of the Fathers of the Republic lhe name
thns 70 he com,uemorated popular apprehension may
have less familiarity and braney than many olheIs III
er earlier and later history hut II Is associated WIN
certain woll-dchned influence, which III the Judgment o.
large number Of our fcnow-eiti1ens oeSe'es u D' ~
in everlasting remembrance.
Inn wi,hcrspoop President Of the College OF New
Jersey emgratcd to this country from his hauNe
Scotland more than century ago. lie Was "n
accomplished scholar, sound theoogan a brave pat
not and Jealous friend of true liberty In particular
excelences he had probably many equals perhaps SUI
peiors; but in that combination Of qualities Wheh
fed him FOR the special service which he rendered TO
his adopted country he stands unTivaled IL was His s
fortune as delegate from the state OF NeWJerSc! 10
suhsribe his name 10 the Declaration OF American ihoe
popdence Articles OF the National Confederation
IL WAS not, however, any one quality o ms character I"
anv one original achievement OF Lis life which mas
prompted SO many throughout the land to rear mou-
inent bearing his name so much as the coh'lcon a'
he represents certain element OF our atlohahy "nch
deserves a distinct and grateful recognition For oe-
hever in the unity Of historic development under he
,upcrntendcnce of One Mindthe only phi!osophe con-
ceptiou Of hstory-noting be more profitable IMAM
the study Of events in tGeir contimni! and hteide
pendence.
None have greater need Of thorough knowledge ana
sober Judgment their obligations to the past than the
pcopIe of these United States. Eated by immediate
pcccss and dazzleG 10y visions Of future growth in ter
ritory uOpuation, and wealth. above all nations We
need the balance and ballast which comes nom WIS
and rational remembrance Of the days OF Olu ana u'
wears Of ancient times" National pride may be famed
"a flame d, the high wrought descriptions of cpheneia-
poli.irians to "A total oblivion Of those great moral
,auses which give 70 affairs all their impotence
and to our history all lis glory From the Ftye o. III
Rated selfcompaceucy with which, unfortunately we
aIe too familiar descriptive OF the enlightened cehtut!
through which passing and the poiiSons eonh'i!
IA which we live might suppose that our American
nationality was a ana sudden creation bursting
upon the world like certain divinity III |ioeiah
mythology batchcd from the ccs ot night, ana
spreading radiant wings on universal gloom ana DAY
bsrsn In fact il was 10 improyiscd achievement II
was the logical result of prc-escnt events 1t was The
growth and frutage historic roots In ancestral lands
beyond the sea- We have well'authenticated pedigree
a. which no man can blush trace our national lic
back TO reforms protests revolutions, and maryrohs'
which have mode and marked the progress of the Old
World through many generations Whatever tfuth tAere
may he in the words Carlyle, 1.-THE best thing England
ever did was Oliver Comwe if certain that TINS work
was not finished when Cromwell was buried III West
minister Abbey more than 200 years ago, nor when ms
weak end incapable SON. The year after, abdicated The
Protectorship Forms may change names may ll5e ana
fade events may advance and ecede as the waves OF The
incoming tide swing forward and backward, but
the English commonwealth is working now' as
q vital force, in the heart OF the "o1o;
and the great of those remote times are
to-day living speaking, toiiing with greater N2or
than ever in advocacy OF human rights on
both sides of the That cur American colonial life
springs from religious forces ls lsct 700 ~
n ed repetition; but these elements we're Dy no aesus
Homogeneous. The Puritan Of England the t9Vehahtef
o. Scotland, the Huguenot OF france the "1eiSId ol
Itay, the Refugee from Switzerland and the Nethef,
lands the Lutheran from Germany ana sWeeh uiiueu
Ty dCrent processes and impregatcd with the qualities
OF the several soils from whCh they came each cohulo
ticnaiiiy inst as numerous metals were combined TO
form the famous brass of ancient Corlnth ,..u
Thoughts concerning scotch Presbyteiiaiism, one OF
ff. rom q
John wherspoon Surely, no ono viii suspect me OF df
signing 10 this occasion TO set Ioth ScceSlasilca
preferences to appeal TO ecclesiastical pgudlces
Palsicd be my tongue H. at time ElGn i shoiH ~ le
ann every good citizen to fuse ali minor considerations
auto sentiment OF American citileshlp cauioe anu
,nagnaaimous should say anything by way OF Fostering
what seciarian and sectional We are here as Anel
can citizens and Presbyterian ecceslastcs no
intelligent man. whatever his convictions ana prefer
cplce NAV be as 10 church order and worship, would
think ii invdious 70 refer 70 the dnerent
in which Protestaniism assumed iofh IN Nor'hciu ana
Proiestantism, first organized in England was
largely political measure II an eXclauSc OF Poles
with rival claims. Henry VIII was no less Pope he,
cause ne bore the name OF King Never was pontlhca
supremacy asserted in more abso lutte form, boih III
church and State, than by this tury and passionate
Isious convicton English PrOtestanten took the form
of n compromise. and hike all compromises ths entaled
discomfort, restlessness. and anlagons Two pafnes
Ike Esau and jacob, bound together rom lhcl twin con
eeptOn, have been Struggling @hu %TtnnS i;+ ir ne
aScendency in all successive stages OF Ehgsh history
Controversies today agtating courts conventions
ara n6 6ES nn EaSc 9Dortance enough in themselves TO
redeem them from The category Of poncnhous uines
-Gewgaws fetched from Aarons old wardrobe OF The hamen
n tieT were not understood by al parties to be the
symbols aud remnants Oi the Old ancestral angonl>h
Professionalism in Scotland had different Dirih ana 90
las had different lie aud development II was mo- po-
bica expedieut, born of mondrcbs lust aVarce and
ambition IL was rational religious e0DNlclon ahdh ho
amere change Of despousms The great ReforIner oi
Scotland John Knox educated for Tire Romsh Church 60
on as ne discovered that he could not be fcttered by
tntiguated authority whether prlestly or scholastic,
Iy ono bound sprung the ultimate principle the para
mount authority n the Bible, and tho supremacy OF
Christ above All tie reicn!ios and assumptions o hen
The sharp and irreconcabe distinction between these
two oppOsite sysems caught by The scotch rcorntrs
a. Iy Intuition Those words, "Chrsts Crown which
tooeh stantsn early inscribed upon that nag
AID battle, the pride of lowly cottage and ordlY castle
were NO nnnSsmns deolse, ~ II h aus o. 'S
n.dcantly styled IN their hist covenant bound one
another before the majesty OF God 10 set forth manau
aud honor the most blessed word Of God m opposition to
ali Tyranny, supcrstiton, and ldolatry Here we nave
Scottish history for the iast JOO yeafk-a MS
tory having AZ distinct type ~ scOLh9s atcs ana
highlands. When the crowns OF England aud scot
temps Of the English monarchy and preacy 70 force
tIer church system upon scotland In the Antigua
small oaken stool which Jenny Gcddes buried at the
head Of the Edinburgh, when, IN obedience "
command his MASTER he attempted 10 force the
Eugsh service upon the reluctant ears OF an indignant
people, singular prOleelle, but tue signal shot oi
great revolution rcYoeatODe OF which have not yet
died out OI the world No portion OF modern history
her successive struggles for Iogous liberty Greatly
to be regretted that tue genius OF Walter Scott MAS not
n closer sympathy WIN tS frespy o. hi7 ma ns
atrocities OF Cayerh0use when drag00nnng the Cove
nantcrs, and the honesty and simplicity OF
Idous faith have been immortazod by him in
tie character Of jennie Deans, the one insect
,s n swarm IT. sc"5IamSs nnbest mem have awavs
antanod the obg ations Of the State to aid and uphold
through an The divisions OF her Presby population
has been that the church lie ia no sense the creature o
thc State No nation boast OF Doblor army of mar
yrs than Scotland defense of that principle from The
days Patrick Hamilton ~ tue men Of our own times
vHom you and have. known and admired VINO win