The Jasper weekly courier., 1876-06-09
For ,h, Jasper cosrier.
The Centennial.
FROM OUR OWN CORREspOSDE~-.
PHHiLADELpHIA. june 7. 1876.

the past history OF his country; in the
history OF its dark and trying hours,
when men were shedding their life
blood, not only OH the ficlds Of conflict,
but drop by drop on the hard frozen
ground over which they trod, in the
dead Of winter, at q distance from the
we'll clad and we'll fed enemy. He is
interested also, in the bright and prosper
Gus periods through which his country
has passed, and the progress which Il
has made in the Industrial arts, and in
all the pursuits in which its citizens have
engaged. lie is none the less interested
in the future of his country.
Every merican citizen ought 20 be
able TO discover among his loftiest and
gran dest desires, one for the future pros
perity of his nation. a desire to see it
advance harmoniously in the acquisition
of everything necessary to the making
up Of grand and glorious country.
In l776 the thirteen colonies, which
the whole country, stretching
along the Atlantic coast, were officially
declared free and independent. In this
year. 1876, the whole country, stretch
ing from tfe British provinces on the
North 10 Mexico on the South. and
from the Atlantic on the East 10 the
Pacific OH the West, is celebrating the
Centennial Anniversary of that act of
l776. II is to the inter est Of every man
in this a. well as all countries, that this
Anniversary be such A. to show 10 the
world, the advancement made during
the century = century which, in the
grandeur Of it, accomplishment. has
never been surpassed. However great
the improvements in the material world
have been, none have been greater or OF
more benefit 10 mankind than the i'm
provements made by our forefathers up
on former systems of government, for
without these improvements in govern
ment. all the great inventions and dis
covcrics ould have been comparatively
useless.
This Centennial celebration will be
profitable to the people, by causing them
10 review the history Of the nation. Ii
is itselfs grand history of. the country.
Here is the old State house and the old
hell. rs representatives Of the stirring
times of l776. while by their side appear
the discoveries Inventions and improve
ments that have been made during the
century. The former bring TO mind the
strong but oppressed colonies. number
ing but three millions, and covering hut a
small strip Of land. with their manu-
facturcs o! the simplest Kind. The old
bell brings up recollections which are
dear 10 the heart OF Americans, though
il NAV be silent. vet it's very silence
proclaims with more significance than
tile thunder tones of cannon, that same
liberty. which il rung throughout the
land unto all the inhabitants thereof. =
one hundred years ago. More than this,
1t brings to mind the price paid for that
liberty, the blood shed upon the fields
of Brandyw inc, Germantowna and others
at greater distance from this place,
aud W ith force second TO none, 1t brings
TO mind the extreme privations and suf-
ferings Of our fore fathers, unclad, unfed,
and but poorly housed upon the bleak
hllsides OF Valley Forge.
The display near at hand shows the
results Of the blood that was shed I;
shows that free govern sient was cs-
.ablishcd, and that it has successful. Y
passed through the many and great
dangers which beset its pathway, and is
now stronger than ever before, with a
population of forty millions, with its
Territory sire .ching from ocean TO ocean,
and its manufacturing industry Of the
most important character.
Philadelphia is the proper place at
which to hold this anniversary, and yet
il was only after severe struggle that
this conclusion vas reached. New
York put forth strenuous efforts to have
lit held there. The city government
even offered to pay the entire expense.
PhiIadelphia made no such offer, and
while il is true that she put forth strong
efforts TO secure the Fxpositiun, those
efforts we're based upon justice and
common sense. Philadelphia believed
that il ought in Justice To- be held as
near as possible 10 the spot where the
Declaration of Independence was signed
and Announced TO the people. While
New York took the course that would
Ibaye made IL local. Philadelphla adopt-
ed the plan OF maxim 10 national; she
wanted the North, South. East and
West 10 stand upon an equal footing
land this Is the grand idea that should
hold srpreme sway in the heart OF every
Itrue A mer' m. and not that other idea
that woula make il merely local. Now
| York might OH the ground Of its i'm.
portance As the leading city In the Union
liav claim to the Exposition. Philadcl.
piia can u, re reasons quite as good, al.
Though Il is not the leading city in the
llaud. when measured by population
but i'm some other things is far ahead o.
New York. We merely have space Il
mention one of the enterprises OF thu
Quaker city, the largest manufacturing