New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-05
VIII.
RESULTS OF THE CENTURY.

10 This o,iDion Of mankind then how shall
the questioning OF this dayi How have the vlgor ana
success OF the countrys warfare comportcd win th'
sounding phrase OF the great maufestOl Has the new
nation been able to hold its territory on the eastern rim
OF the Continent cOvetous Europe driven in ITS
boundaries or internal disSensi0ns dsmembered It's IN
tegriyl Have its numbers kept pace Win hatuial
increase or have the mother countries received pacR 10
the shelter of rmer institutions the rorenaht tue VI
emigronon7 or have the woes OF unstable society dis
tresspd and reduced the shrunsen pOpuaon! mas 'he
free suffrage as qucksand, 0oScncd the fOunoauohs
M mower and undermined the pillars OF the Slater
Has the free press with iliimitabe sweep, blown
down the props and butresSes OF order ana authoS III
ooyernmeut driven before its wind the barriers when
fence in society, and unrOolcd the homes when once
were castles against the intrusion of knGf Has free
dom in religion ended freedom from reiisonf ana Ill
dependence by law run into independence Of lawi Have
free schools, by too much learning, made the people
madi Have manners declined, letters auguished, art
faded wealth dcclyed, public spirit witheredf Have
other nations stunned the evil example ana held aIoO
from infeconl Or have reelection ana hard fortune
dispeed the illusions under which TINS people burned
incense TO vanity and stumbled in their ways from the
ancient patlsg' Have they, fleeing from the double
destruction which attends folly and arrogance restored
the throne rebuilt the altar reaid the foundations OF
society, and again taken shelter in the old projections
against the pers shocks, and changes in human affairs
which ,,--,..
he ed calm OF states
Quite their hXturel'
Who can recount in AN hour what has been done in
century on so wide field and in all It's multtudnous
aspcctsi Yet l may not avoid insisting upon some
decisive ineamcntso OF the material, social and political
DEVELOPMENT OF our country which the record OF the
hundred years displays and thus present to the opinion
OF mankind" for its generous Judgment our nation as 1t
is today--our land, people, and our laws. And
first we notice the wide territory 70 which we nave
steadily pushed on limits Lines Of climate mark our
boundaries north and south, and two oceans east ana
west The space between speaking by and large covers
the whole temperate zone of the Continent and III area
measures near tcnfod the possessions OF the thirteen
colonies the natural features, the climate, tie pioduc-
tons the influences Of the outward world, are all i'm
ulied in the immensely OF this domain for they embrace
all that the goodness and the power Of God have planned
for 50 large share the habablc go~ The steps Of
The succcssiy acquisitions, the impulses when assisted
and tic motives which retarded the expansion oi our
territory; the play Of the competing elements In oar
civilization and their iucesGnt struggle each TO outTIn
the other: the iepgessibe conflict thus ruTscd III tie
bosom OF the state tie lesson In humility and patience,
in charity for all and malice toward Houc' when the
sudy Of the manifest designs OF Providence so plainly
teach us-these may well detain u tor mOmenfs
Illustration.