The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-03-14
our Centennial Year.

1910 Ia ca led by Americans the Cen
tennial year, because it is the nations
one hundredth birth year This does
not mean that it is hundred years since
the Pilgrims first came to America, for
that event occurred two and hsIf cen
turies ago. We did not become nation
then, but only little colony of Great
Britain, called Plymouth Colony.
Soon another colony was settled in
Salem, Charlesuown, Boston, &c. callei
the Massachusetts Colony. Colonies
were also established in what are now
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York,
Maryland and Virginia
In 1776 these colonies feeling them
selves unjustly treated by Great Britain,
united, and on the Fourth of July of that
year formally declared themselves an IN
dependent nation. After long and
bloody war, they actually made them
selves. and forced Great Britain to ac-
knowledge them, an independent nation.
Our nation was thus born full-gro wn
man. But if we might change the fig
ure, we should say our nation was born
when the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth
Rock; or rather, it was born in the cabin
Of the Mayhower, November 81, 1920, a
month before they landed, when they
drew up and signed paper, "solemnly,
and IN THE PRESENCE OF GoD AND OF ONE
ANOTHER, oovENANTING AND COMBINING
TOGETHER INTO A CIVIL BODY PoLITIc."
But if the nation was born then, it
was born not as a afull-grown man. From
babe it grew to youthful vigor, until at
length it reached the self.reliance and
maturity of early manhood just centu-
ry ago-l776 @ T..
In that year. instead of the handful Of
Pilgrims Of 1920, the people had increas
ed in numbers to threeAmillions. But
the towns and hamlets still skirted the
Atlantic coast, while back OF them, for
thousands of miles, was a vast wilder.
ness, through which roamed wild beasts
and wilder sayages.
In this, our Centennial year, instead Of
three millions of people, the nation num-
bers forty four millions; and instead of
forests, wild beasts and savages, the lar
ger part of the land from ocean to
ocean is overspread with States, cities,
towns, villages, churches, colleges,
schools, post.offices, telegraphic wires,
railroads, farms, and manufactures.
No nation ever had such good men
for its founders; men who with hardly
an exception feared God, and wished
above everything else to do right. AT
what we may call our second birth, when
we became an independent nation, God
raised US up men wonderful for real solid
worth-such as Madison, Adams, Jeffsr.
son, Franklin, but greatest and best Of
all, respected and loved now, the whole
world over, GEoRaE WASHINGTON
1t is said that the founders of Rome
were band OF robbers Certainly Rome
became the Great Robber of the Ma
tiens. The first Inhabitants of England
we're sayages, and those who afterwards
became the ruling class we're bloody in.
vaders and conquerors The men who
led off in the French Revolution were
infidels. That revolution hegan in scenes
Of terror, such as have seldom been sur
passed in human history, and ended in
the nations falling back to the rule of a
despot. Mexico aud the States of South
America, when they threw off a foreign
yoke, had no such men to guide and
mold them as this nation was favored
with, and they gained very little that
compensated them for their struggles for
liberty. ta g
During this our centennial year, let
The youth of our land glory in their fa-
hers, but much more in their fathers
God. - aa a lgaaii bgt n