Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-01-01
THE CENTENNIAL YEAR.

We stand upon the threshold of anoth-
er year. And, we may add, we stand
upon the threshold of another century,
Not mere century of time, such as
comes to every people, but another cen
tury of National existence, and as such
possessed of significance to every Amer
ican which it does not have for the ma
lives of another land. One hundred years
ago, the land we are proud to claim as
our own, in whose progress, in whose
power, and in whose honor and glory our
hearts are bound up had no existence as
nation, and none but the boldest spirits
among those patriots then struggling for
a redress of grievances and the acknowl.
edgment OF Just rights, looked forward
to the hour when the ties which bound US
to the mother country should be forever
severed, and the New Nation of the
Western Hemisphere take place among
the dynasties which had withstood the
wars and plottings of centuries. Thro'-
out the land was heard "the clash of re.
sounding arms but it told nothing of
a battle for Liberty and Independence.
That event was yet hidden in the womb
of Time, awaiting ITS hour of birth when
all efforts at reconciliation had come to
nought.
In the year upon which we now enter,
the events of that period when the feel
ing which ultimately led to American In
dependence was widening and deepening,
until it became principle firmly fixed in
the hearts of the people from one end of
the Atlantic seaboard TO the other, will
be CLEANED from the pages of history and
become the subject of patriotic study.
One event which tended to unite the col
onists in favor of a final remuneration of
the ties which bound them to the mother
country more than any other colld have
done, was the employment of the foreign
mercenaries furnished by the petty prin-
cipalities Of Germany. The employment
Of the 1900 Hessians to conquer and
subdue the revolted colonists, instead of
inspiring fear and leading them to sub
which would not be assuaeed by the sub
sequent offer to acknowledge the rights |
for which the colonies were contending, |
and to secure which acknowledgment had |
been the primary cause OF their taking up
arms. While England sent none but her
own soldiery to fight her battles, though
the land was drenched in blood, it caused |
no such feeling of Indignation to arise as
that which followed the receipt of the
news that the mercenary soldiers of
foreign power had been sold like sheep
in the shamb bles, to be USED against the
struggling patriots. Though a century
has elapsed since Kniphausen and his
men landed to take part in the contest,
the term Hessian" is yet one of re-
proach, unjustly enough, as the poor fell |
lows who were sent over were as much
at the disposal of their royal masters as
if they had only been so many cattle,
In this Centennial year, when scarce
day will pass but will be fraugbt with
patriotic recollections, when all must
be led to compare the condition OF our
country to day with what it was a centu- |
ry ago, let US hope that the people of the
nation will bear in mind the duty they
owe to themselves, to the heroes of a
century ago, and to coming generations.
The hundred years inst passed have wit
messed our growth, from a handful of
struggling patriots to mighty empire of
people-the century before US is destined,
if we are true to ourselves, to witness a
yet greater stride for our country in the |
path of nations. The "star of Empire"
has moved steadily onward until its fur
ther westward progress is checked by the |
broad Pacific. The genius of American
enterprise has leaped across the broad ex-
panse of continent TO lay the founda.
ton of empire at the ultima thule of
American sovereignty. And now the !
tides Of civilization are swiftly rolling
backwards from both oceans, and ere
long the advancing waves Of each will
meet and mingle in the center OF the con-
tincnt. A kindred of blood, of birth, of
language, of government and of tradi-
ditons will bind us together as one peo-
pie, and if the teaching of sectional fanat-
les and demagogues be avoided, the sec
ond Centennial of American Independ-
ence will dawn upon the most powerful
nation the world has ever seen.