The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-06-25
CENTENNIAL THOUGHTS.
PROPER CELEBRATION OF THE FOURTH OF
JULY.
THE AMERICAN CHARACTER.
Extract from Senator Norwood's Speech

Aoiiuk reCenG uooat0 In the u. .. Sen ate OIL
! bill appropriating 81 100000 for the Centen
NAL Exhibition at Philadelphia, Senator Nor
wood, of Georgia, speaking in opposition to tn,
project, delivered IAN address which fairl,
electrified that body. As q specimen Of hi
brilliant oratory we copy the peroration of thi
splendid speech:
4 had always believed from my early youth
that there was something in the mission OF
| the American people ameng the nations of the
earth like that of the Jews, who were the
Il chosen people of God. believe our mission IL
to level the mountains, raise the plains, and to
make smooth and straight the way that we
are the pioneers, the advance guard of human
freedom.
Already have our pickets, following the sun
| In his course, reached the eastern shores of
China and Japan, and taken possession of the
islands of the seas. With the banner of the 10
in one hand and the flag of their country in the
other, they are parting the jungle aud strsinipg
forward to reach the benighted and the op.
pressed. Behind us the millions in the Old
World are sleeping under the tyrsnt's spell. But
| they are lying in bivouac. and now and then
as the dawn draws nigh and sleep sits ligh 'er on
! their eSelids, bright dreams OF perfect freedom
| In land of constitutional laW comes to them
lin visions of the night" and beckon them
/ away; and, quickeped by the joyful longing,
they start and wake and try to rise. If we will
| be true to our faith to constitutional law, and
| hold up with steady hand our noble ensign, at
the reveille of freedom they will rise in jestlc
order and follow the standard which we, in the
But, air, why has our standard been thus ad
| vancedf Why do q hundred years their radiant
wings expand around itf Why has America,
during one century, SO far surpassed the States
of the Old Worldf Are we not Epglishmen by
originf Are we not q composite people-Eng
lish, Irist, Scotch, German, French Why then
have we done more than all the mother States
in the arts and sciences, in subduing nature.
destroying space, recisiming the wilderness and
desert, in missionary work, and, generally, in
the great labor appointed to men and the ma
EOn6-GhA RmRlIDratinn of
msnkindf IL it accidental No. sir; no. 1t is
the result of American civilization, and this is
due to the form and spirit of our government,
which is government of Law. Complex in
form, it is nevertheless, easy and steady in it's
movement. Rightly administered, il is invisi-
BILE to the citizen, and, like the atmosphere at
rest, bears equally on all and oppresses none.
Itleaves the citizen free free the casing air,
to grow in Independence, TO expand in man
hood, and to stand alone. Were 1 to al
tempt to describe the character of an ,Ameri |
can in one word / would sum it up in self |
reliance. Self-relance is the spirit and soul OF
selfgovernmenS; 1t is photographed in the
Constitution. The people in that covenant |
said but two things: "Protect against for |
eign foes and State against State. and leave us |
Tree let us alone" This spirit burns in the |
very words which deny our right to pass this |
bill. For the people said to Congress, "All we |
require of you to do to promote the arts aud |
science IL to protect the products Of our brains
and our hands against piracy and in fringement, |
by copyright aud pstentright. We ask no |
more and we intend you shall do no more for |
each and every power not herein delegated to
you we expressly reserve to ourselves"
1t was self-relianoe that nerved the few pa
Sriots at Mecklenburgh to issue the first de- |
clarRtion of American Independence. It hesved |
the tea into Boston harbor. 1t was this that |
made the undSunted Moultrie reply to bia de-
spsiring commander, Colonel, ~ hold the
fort" 1t gave as q rich legacy to American
Boone. Louis, of Virginia, and q thousand like
in trepid Spirits, and it equipped the soul of
Marian, the swamp-fox of she Revolution, and
inn in = |
sorts, through the Wilderneeses, under burning
suns whose kiss is contagion, and over Arctio
delds Of ice it has sustained the missionary
who in bearing his message from the Father
that there Is rest, home for the weary soul,
tells also the oppressed of o refuge in Q land
where no tyrsnrs foot for q hundred years has
The Declaration of Independence, whose CEN
;ennisl marks the grandest epoch in time, save
'nly the Saviour's incarnation, could never
lave been possible.
And. sir, shall we perpetuate this spirit or
hall we destroy itf If you would strike it
Town, pass this bill. Pass it, aud teach the
he Government, and not the Government
lpon them. Teach them that individual GU
erprise and self-reliauce are no longer profit
Able. Teach the Fultone, the Morses, the e
Cyrus Fields that the highway of genius to e
anne and fortune no longer lies through want, c
and the throes of thought in labor, !
iut thatit leads through the lobby to the halls :
# Congress Let the poor see that the sweat :
# their brow, transformed iuto gold, is dealt
mt by the Governmeu to the rich to make I
hem richer. Establish fete days and festivals | {
It the public expense, did the Roman con- t
uis when moving for empire, and soon the q
1upercsl will be followed by the Saturnalis. q
10, let rather in this Centennial reconse- !
rate ourselves to law--to constitutional Law !
Which is our only hope. As patriots-not as y
artis Ans--as sons who have received from our y
Athers rich Inheritance, as fathers whose off v
prinR must suffer by our departure from law, q
1t us not wander beyond the confines of the T.
onstitution, or TO its uncertain limit, TO search
'r doubtful power to do q useless act. This
'gislation has that increase of appetite' that
rows by what It feeds on. If we yield now, q
here is the resolution, the will that can stay q
his pressure to reach the public treasury : Il
chemes, devices, many and plausible, will v
leet you at every turn and press this poisoned Ii
halice Of the general welfare" to your lips. 81
nd who that takes this step in the dark can !,
sfuse to take anotheE7
But, should any friend of this measure ask =,
1hether favor celebration Of the Declaration u
American Independence, tell him yes 81
ut the celebration desire TO see and for the o.
ToEld to witness is fer different from the one f