The Portland daily press., 1875-12-10
ARMY AND NAVY UNION CsUxsE
Hon, Carl Sehurz's centennial
Thoughts"

Thoughts"
We doubt if the name of any platform speak
er would bring out larger audience than that
of Carl Schurz. Of course the Army and Navy
Union had ole of its best houses Of the season
last evening Mr.. Schurz was received with
applause, which was frequently renewed.
While many of the Audience would most earn
estly protest that the American nation is not in
so deplorable a condition as Mr.. Schurz pictured
it, their admiration for the genius of the man
made them more than willing listeners to his
peculiar eloquence. Mr.. Schurz's effort could
scarcely be called lecture, but was rather a
political essay. q
Senator Schurz began by reviewing the great
display of material resources which will be
shown to European visitors in the centennial
year. But the thought will trouble us, he ad-
ded, that we are not so complete as we might
be; we shall be apt to feel we should exhibit to
our cousins another thing, and that is. the
traits of the self.government of an independ-
emit people. We should like to be able to show
them that we have not only grown greater and
richer and more powerful, but also better and
QODl6rs Liz CGutcuutdi year ILLUS tuo AucIt-
can people in decidedly sober mood. We feel
that the great American exhibition may exhib-
it more than we would like to have seen. The
American Government, in its early years, was
the representative of the best thoughts and no.
blest virtues of the American people; now
where is the power and prestige of a noble ex-
ample, which made the infant republic the adj
miration of all mankind? We have grown ma
terially great, and morally we have shrunk.
What is the cause? There are two principal
ores; one is the growth of corruption, and the
other is the decline of craftsmanship. What
bright days of the republic, when man in
public place jealousy guarded his own honor
because he felt jealous of the honor OF the
country.-which made those in the public ser.
vice 9
ed to lift the politician to the level of the
statesman, but to drag the statesman down to
the level of the politician. No wonder, then,
that the best talent, and highest ambitions are
degraded to the lowest and smallest employ
ments. But must we quietly admit that our
moral greatness has irretrievably declined?
No; if we can not show to our centennial guests
pure and irreproachable government, we can
at least show them people earnestly striving
to the purer habits and principles of their
fathers.
Senator Schurz proceeded to examine the
causes of American political degeneracy, the
most prominent of which he considered to be
extravaganza and the love of display, leading
to the desire to acquire wealth rapidly and Gre
ating the spirit of speculation. Every man, he
continued. who, IN the greedy pursuit of rapid
gain, resorts to reckless speculation, not only
demoralizes himself, his wife and daughters,
but also contributes to the Generalization and
disgrace of the republic This is the only civ.
ilization in the world in which the offices OF
IA nd nF arfu
vices. A people who can endure such civil
service as ours must indeed have vigorous
constitution, bnt the most vigorous constitu-
ton must break down at last if too persistently
debauched. There are two things which we
can dove can by continued efforts at least
limit the mischievous tendencies; we can DEM
onstrate our respect for public and private
honor by word and act; we can convince our
children that the man who has money only
makes himself great by the way in which he
uses it; that culture and refinement do not
consist in large diamonds and fine turnout
at the races; that the appearance of being rich
without the possession Of wealth puts man
on the road to the penitentiary or the poor
house; that a woman who in the best moral
sense is her husbands partner is much more
20 be respected than the one who makes
blazing display of diamonds her greatest pride.
Hard times are upon u.s. 1t is the follIes of
our ways that have brought them. There are
bene6cent uses in adversely. Hard times tell
us that we cannot appear richer than we are,
consume more than we produce, with impdni-
ty. But with the movement to reform our SO.
cial life must 60 an honest effort to reform po-
litical life; but SO long as office remains the
spoil of partisan services, you may put rascals
10 Jail only to see more rascals coming up. The
only wonder is, not that our civil service has
produced SO many rascals, but that it has left
SO many honest men. 1t is opportunity that
makes the thief.
There is but one way to restore the govern
ment to the purity OF its first days; we must
return to the principles on which that govern
pubic officer was not required to serve God
and mammon at the same time; his recommen-
dalton was his fitness for the office; his duty
was to the government, but his political opin-
eminent was an hoAor, and not ground for
suspicion. This spirit we must revive il we
wish to restore the government to its original
purity. 1t will be the battle of the patriotic
citizens against the worst elements of both
parties, backed by the whole power of corrup-
ton. Civil service reform will never be &C
complished until the patriotic people OF the re-
public rise up and take the management of
| political affairs from the hands of the wire
| pullers, and take it in their own. That is the
republic from the poison which is attacking
| its vitals. When shall We feel more keenly
| that the memory of our fathers shall disgrace
us forever, il we do not overthrow these pow
| eYs Of evil, than in our centennial year? Do
| not the American people at heart desire to put
| of the men best qualified to administer it:
Now, in the centennial year, we are going to
| show to mankind how we choose the chic
| magistrate of this nation. What we need is
| once more true statesman at the head Of oul
ship, moral courage TO save the vitality ant
honor of the republic, If ever, we should now
listen to the voice of patriotic pride and nation
| al honor. have long looked forward, said thu
| speaker in concluding, to the Centennial year
No son can recall the virtues Of his fathe
without shame for his own failings. Will no
the same inspiration which made us bury al
sectional enmities and which brought us all
| together as brothers under the shadow of Bun
ker Hill, urge US to overthrow the great evil
which have crept into our national life? Witt
such people as ours, nothing is lost; and al
| NAV he oained