Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-02-19
CENTENNIAL THOUGHTS.


From almost every quarter we hear Of
extensive Preparations for an appropriate
celebration OF our Centennial Anniversa-
ry. While the grand National celebra-
ton viii be held at Philadelphia, where
the Declaiation of Independence was is
sued. where the signatures Of the band Of
E0y-six who pledged their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred honor were APP
pended to the document which contained
within it the seeds Of that liberty which
has spread over the Western World, it
viii not be nj PHILADELPHIA alone where
the patriotism Of the country will arouse
from its slum beriug fires, but from one
extreme of the Union to the other the
recollections oc the deed. Of '7G will i,indle
the heart. Of the people and incite them
TO adherence TO the principles Of free
government, to create which the patriots
Of century ago offered their lives upon
the altar Of their country.
Standing in the light ,hown by the civ
ili|ation, the progress, .be advancement
Of the p'e-cnt day aud looking back
through the shadow Of the century in
which the country has had an existence,
it is hard TO reaiize the extent OF the sac
ridtes made by the men Of the time which
tried mems souls. A narrow line Of CO.
lonial settlement, stretching along the
shore Of the Atlantic, mruaced from the
frontier by sayages, who looked with
jealousy upon the white interopers and
who had ever been the firm and cruel
allies of the French in the colonial wars,
it looks to us now to have been most
dating undertaking for this little body Of
people, half armed, pendent upon other
counties for most Of the necessities Of
civilized life 10 attempt to cope with the
"mistrcss Of the sens" The B,ili,h En-
which the coloui.ts could hop4 to hold
communication with other countries. The
natioual,tirs OF Europe held aloof from the
new nation, oud while hating everything
Eug.i-h, he-i;atcd to take step which
b. recognizing AD!eiicnn Independence
would lead to ana inevitable rupture with
the power which stilla>sertrd sovereignty
over the !arc-t half OF North Ameiic icu.
But the men Of the Revolution were made
Of stern material Descended from the
Purituns, the lIuguenots nnd other reig
ious eAiie,, they had determined chat this
land should become the birth place Of
civil rs it wa, already the birth place Of
religion. liberty. To thi, end their dele
gatrs in Congress assembled, had, after
-carefil reflection, weighing we'll the con
sequences Of failure, promulgated that
Declaration which we revere as the cor
ner stone Of our National Liberty.
A. our country has II past SO let US also
b1ieye it has II future. The spirit Of en-
terplise has crossed the continent to lay
the louudutipns Of Empire whore naught
but the savage held dominion at the hour
when our battle for liberty was progress
ing, ard in the ever changing current Of
cvcHts we know not what another century
may bring forth. "No peut-up Utica
contracts Our powers i the motto which
many hold to their hearts, and the coun-
try is fall ot restless spnits who would
gladly hail the opportunity Of yet further
extending the 'uea Of iIrcdom." Ii it
ever be boine in mind that freedom Of
thought, Of the pless, OF religions Liberty
and Of universal education mu-t be COM
bined "ith civil and political liberty, the
progress ot The nation through another
century "auuot bat be more astounding
than even it~ pasc has been. What has
been acoonp. has far will be but as
laying the foundation Of greatness. 1t is
to the continued plo.eryation Of our edu.
cailou0 system that we must look for ma
uona. secmity ;.every blow aimed ut that
system iion "a political OF rcctarian source
Ia .t'bot 'he lie Of the Republic Free
dom is mockeiy to those too ignorant
to appreciate it, beautie, it is hard for
them To Iuaw the Inc " here liberty eud,
and license begins.