The Hawaiian gazette., 1876-12-13

facilitates manufactures in cotton, and wool, and
silk, and iron and wood and rubber and leather,
and almost everything TO such az extent, and 10
such great as we'll as little things that the very
trades, and arts, aud common modes OF life have
been revolutionized. IL is over The machine doing
bis handlwork that the skilled mechanic now
mostly presides, and we hardly lift hand for
any thing that is not helped by some convenient
conlriyance. Is il strange that with such helps
and incentives America should now be prodOc-
ing and utilizing more iron aud cotton aud coal
aid some Of tbs precious metals than the whole
world was using hundred years ago! But We
cannot dwell longer on this material progress.
There are other results Of the century, for
which we may have even higher gratitude.
can only call attention to some of them.
Americas best product has 10: been wheat or
gold or steamboats, or teIegraphs-but men. She
Is covering her broad dominion with true free
men, intelligent, educated. qualified to act in
liberty. She has produced patriots. statesmen,
generals orators scientists bartisers, physicians,
preachers scholars, merchants and mechanics
whom the world will not forget. She has had
pulpit of unparalleled educating. elevating re-
yivng and purifying power. She has bad
bench aud bar that have been to her houor not
only for their ability bat in giving practical
clearness to the principles Of Justice, in syste-
matizing laws. and in promoting the auihorta-
tive force Of written constitutions. She has
raised up vast army of the nobest educators.
In the pure sciences which have risen into such
prominence during the century, her sons have
done their part aud in the practical arts tar more
than their part Bat her chief glory is not in
the many names that she can cherish and honor
in special callings, but 10 Der progressive citizens
generally. Take it from top to bottom, no ma
tion ever had body of citizens that could com
pare with hers. She lifts up Der common men
to free and growing manhood. She gives TO all
stimulus TO persanal Improvement She ex-
poets every citizen 10 be growing mao. The
human race, we know. is fallen. Crimes aud
corruption are everywhere. The grading OF
society is from bad to worse all over The earth.
But how much has America done 10 make every
man feel that he has chance, that he can rise,
that though born in humblest circumstances he
may come to highest position and influence. She
has done much to make the world feel that q
mans honor is not in his family or birth. or
caste, but in his worth Through her influence
many a shackle of oppression has been broken,
and multitudes have been emancipated from the
contempt OF th,rse who assumed 10 be their bet
tiers. 1t doubtless still seems strange to The old
monarchies that man who would not even be
received into their aristocratc circles should be
taken up and made the ruler of so great u ma
tion. They can hardly give equal place in Dig
nifty and greatness with themselves to nation
that takes one from among the common people
-One that has been rail-sptter, a tailor, or a
farmers boy and clothes him with such sublime
magstracy. What grauder result OF the CEN
fury is there than this steady Onward march IN
free manhood. We give thanks that our cOun-
try has grandly gone forward in this very diree-
ton which our revolutionary fOrefathers marked
out, and towards which our pilgrim fOrelathers,
before them, bent their steps.
Aud how great matter for thanksgiving is
it, that our country thus lar has not failed OF
any of the great ends that she has sought She
has had trials and troublesome questions TO deal
with. She has had financial distresses and per-
picking political difficulties She has had bloody
devastating wars. But every time she has come
forth out of her trials and conflicts wiser and
stronger. In every war she has gained the end
for which she fought In that Of 1912 she Sc
cured her rights as neutral trading with billi-
gerents; and commerce ever since has been con-
Quoted on the principles for which she then
commended In the late great sad civil war 10
which she poured out so much blood oil her
noble sons aud suffered such devastation and iu-
CURED such burden Of debt, she gained oil Tor
which she fought so long and bitterly. The
Union was saved The slave was freed. The
power of free constitutional government to up
hold its authority was maintained, and the great
Republic was held to its grand mission on the
EARTH The great question in regard to America
has been-can a government whose sacredness
and authority ore in written constitution ln-
stead OF personal royalty maintain itself? In
this respect the nation has been true to its
principles true to its origin. true to itself from
the beginning. Its government has undergone
no revolution or charge. Its constitution has
been unaltered except in two or three amend
ments to bring it more in accord with the real
spirit of the instrument itself. Says recent
writer: Among all the lessons which the
world has learned from the progress of the
American people, none are Of greater value than
this, that government, by written constitutions,
is strong enough to restrain human passions ID
times of greatest excitement, and, ct the same
time, mobile enough TO be compatible with true
progress"
Nor is the late loud cry Of corruption aud job
berry so threatening to our free government as
the political din would seem to indicate. Care
iul evidence shows that the country has not
grown worse in this respect. In her earlier days
her judges aud legislators accepted perquisites
aud considerations that they would not dare ac-
cept IN these days. Helpers to contracts aud
grants took pay then more and more openly,
than now. During the revolution one OF the
most trying and discOnragng things was the
frauds in contracts, horse flesh instead Of beef,
barrels half filed. spoiled provisions, new eaky
worthless boats, etc. Washington writes 10
Reed, e Such dearth Of public spirit, and such
want of virtue, such stock jobbery, and fertility
10 all low arts to obtain advantage OF one kind
or another 10 this great change OF military
| never saw before, aud pray
God mercy that | may never witness again."
The fraud ia not MORE but the standard is higher.
Reforms have come to be ralying cries since
then. In mauy things man would be con
iemned now. for what would not seriously
affect his standing then, There was no move.
ment in temperance then. Now it is great
reform question over the whole country. Even
party spirit rams not so high as it did in earlier
days There is ielt to be more federal power,
more oneness Of nationality, and less OF sectional
rights in the government than was formerly felt.
Nor has religion lost ground in the century.
Nay, never before has Christianity made so great
progress Says Secretary Clark, 10 his paper
before the American Board at HEREFORD: "rhe
outlook for Christianity a hundred years since
was certainly dreary enough. The sciences, the
philosophy, the culture Of the age we're oil
against il, It's aggressive power seemed reduced
10 minimum. The Professionalism OF the Re
formation bad long since spent It's force 10
Great Britain the movement naugurated by