The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-07-06

Ind war-thrOugh JOY ahu SUI
row, Thou hast preserved US, and hast
given US our great and undeserved pros
perity; and now as these millions OF
people lift up their voices in one long
loud shout Of joy to-day, wilt Thou show
myself still our nations God. Let the
influences of this days rejoicing tend to
the healing OF all unhappy diversions;
and let the blessings of the past be but
the prelude to far richer blessings in the
future. Make this nation to be richly
blest, as a people whose God is the Lord.
Bless this whole land; bless our rulers,
and all in whose hands are the interests
of the people at large. We ask all for
Chrlst's sake. Amen.
Next on the programme was
"wHITTIER's CENTENNIAL HYMN,
which was sung by a vocal chorus OF
forty or fifty male and female voices, Jun
der the direction of Prof. Bassett. 1t
was sung with good effect, and received
with applause. Having heretofore pub
llshed the hymn we now omit il.
Governor Jacob followed next, and
made the following appropriate address /;
SPEECH OF GOV. JACOB.
ave, therefore, the representatives of
the United States of America in General
Congress assembled, appealing to the
Supreme Judge Of the world for the
reccitude of our intent ton do in the name,
and by the authority of the good people
of these colonies, solemnly publish and
declare that these united colonies
are, and of right ought to
be. FREE AND INDEPENDENT
STATES; that they are absolved from
allegiance to the British Crown, and that
all political connection between them and
the State of Great Britain, is and ought
to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE
AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have
full power to levy war, conclude peace,
contract alliances, establish commerce,
and to do all other acts and things which
independent States may of right do.
"And Tor the support of this declaration,
with firm reliance on the protection oil
Divine Providence, we mutually pledge
to each other our lives, our fortunes, and
our sacred honor"
THIS was the declaration mode on the
4th day of July, l776, by the Represen.
tatives in Congress, of the British colonies
of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mary
land, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Georgia, which made US u
member of the family OF nations. On
this foundation has been erected temple
of national liberty, whose .ofty spire
is seen from afar by all the nations
Of the earth, and whose altar-fres have
given life, and light, and freedom to
many people. A hundred years have
passed away, a hundred years OF doubt,
of trial, OF struggle, and of victory; Il
hundred years signalized by the noblest
and grandest achievements OF
the human race; century containing
within its folds greater discoveries in
physical science, larger inventions for
multiplying many times the re-
suits of mans labor, and admon-
ishing the WEAKNESS and exhaustion,
a klndlier sympathy OF man for man, a
more general intelligence, and NOR
tolerant spirit in religious matters than
all preceding centuries; u
century at the close of which, despite Its
many evils, despite its crimes, vice and
despite the anxieties Of for
cign work, ami the burdens and horrors
Of civil strife, we can say, withou! hyper
bole, that we are wiser, better, stronger
AS Il nation in the beginning of the CEN
fury, we were too proud TO submit to
insult, but to weak TO resent 1t, at
the end of the century, we are too
massive in our strength to invite insult,
and to just and magnanimous TO provoke
it.
We commence the new century OF our
National existence ut peace with the
whole world, great in extent OF territory,
great in resources. great in arms and
great in the possession of a free govern
ment.
The soldiers, heroes and statesmen OF
revolutionary times are gone, but they
will still live in the grateful remembrance
II u tree people-live to teach us by eX-
ample and TO awaken IN us new love OF
To commemorate the grandest event
in our history, to do honor to those who
signed the Declaration of Independence,
aud TO the gallant spirits VINO on land
md sea, in the heats OF summer and the
storms of winter amid perjury and prlva-
lion, enforced 1t by the valor of their
arms; with uplifted hands to swear once
more before the altar of our country re-
1ewed allegiance to her and the cause OF
freedom, We, citizens, meet together on
his the Centennial anniversary of our
nations birth.
Throughout all the land to day, the
people come together to rejoice and be
glad; the rich, the poor, sweet youth and
noary age, the jewellers by the sea and
The toilers from the mountain side; from
nil and valley, plain and prairie; from
leld and farm, vineyard and forest; from
;ily, town and village; from shop and
mine; from store and wareroom; from
,tfice and pulpit, they come. From the
shores of the Atlantic, the shouts of the
people rise and swell on the
air, and are borne in the
path of the rising sun, across the CONT
aent, over mountain and river, and
plains, until lost in the roar OF the Pa
.:tic. The world beholds the sublime
,pectacle of forty millions of people,
,nce again united, never TO be divided,
by . common devotion to their
county, with swelling hearts uplift their
voices to welcome this day. All hail or
;ountry's natal day! We welcome thee;
we greet thee. Great God! Sovereign
Ruler of the Universe, we thank Thee
for our our beautiful land, for her bright
axes, her magnificent rivers, her tower
ing mountains, her fertile valleys, and
her wlde-spreading prairies, for the rich
products OF her soil, her fruit, her flowers
and her garnered wealth, for her pleas
ant homes, for her millions of children,
for her arts and srtizsns, her telegraph
and railroads, her temples Of worship, her
colleges, her schools and school houses,
her hospitals and ssylums for the feeble
and destitute, her government, her laws
A