The Red Cloud chief., 1876-07-13

harras~ed and annoyed them. Their
hands we're tired. Energy and enter
prise langos-bed without the isesos Ia
assist them,
They we're strong men bound with
bands they could not rend. Blu, the
cords that would not break, constant
struggling might wear out. aud they
'oiied on, until. after years passed. one
By o the ties were sundered. The
want that hovled about them Vas
driven from the door. The debts that
clamored for paymen, we're discharged.
The harvest brought with il . httk
gain. Success bsea,bed upon them
the breath Of hope and they wrought
IN might where before they had labor
ed 10 weakness. They achieved con-
quests where they had met with fail
u,es. found profits where their feeble
ness had incurred but debts. The
future became roseate and purle With
the hues Of victory, and the Illinois
farmer rose from poverty add misery
into ~sf1uence and happiness. The
white walls Of pleasant cottages, give
back their radiance To the sun as he
moves in bis orbit over the Mississippi
valley this bright July morning. Cat
tie that feed upon 9 thousand hills tell
Of present and prophesy future abund-
snce. Cities and villages have sprung
up 10 the path Of the emigrant wagon.
The commerce Of the nation with its
ceaseless din and hurried hustle is
wnirled Over the once uDinhabi,ed
prairies. The American pioneer is
gone. but the population and wealth
OF the Mississippi valley, the results
Of his enterprise, perseverance and
herOism have crowned his efforts with
success, and the American people
meeting on this Centennial Anniver
sary to celebrate the birth of the IA.
ton and review its progress will not
be u~ngratefuI to his memory.
Yes, Honor, unstinted and in full
measure to those old pioneer farmers.
History makes no mention of their
struggles. Fame reports none Of their
achievements. Not 10 the full blaze
Of glory do their deeds appear. Not
With the criaasoD pen of the warrior
are their triumphs recorded. Nothing
that is lofty, glorious and inspiring at
tended their progress save the brave
spirits within them. Illuminating
small and almost Insignificant, rather
were their struggles, and humble thei.
victories. Yet, not always are courage
and herOism confined to the most
sounding and inspiring achievements,
to the pOmp and splendor Of life. The
courage Of the soldier marching on to
victory, through the smoke Of battle,
10 the blaze of musketry and the roar
Of cannon is not the highest courage.
The spirit to dare a great deed and
achieve a brilliant success Is not always
the nOblest spirit. 10 brave death
itself Is not courageous than to
brave the wearying and di-couraging
and disheartening duties of life. The
marvellous feats that history records
and fame trumpets are not the most
heroic things of earth. The sounding
pomp and glittering pageantry of glory
will animate the most timid and the
weakest to action. But to toll in
weakness. to labor in distress, to be
checked Oh the right and defeated on
the left by the mutations of poverty,
to work body and mind year after
year and count no gains, to see zach
returning season defer the fruits Of la
Dor to the distant future, to wait
courageous when the hands find
naught to do, to strive with might
though hope promises no reward, 10
all the weaknesses and feeblcness, in
all the disappOintments and despond.
%encies, in all The disconraec,n. nts and
disbursements incident to the settle
ment of a wilderness by poor men, to
toll bravC'y on, requires a courage The
highest and loftiest, and a purpose tho
most unyielding and lnyincible.
Any man Can summon up the cour-
age to win a victory that will blazon
his name with glory, but to work
bravely when the hands are tied
by poverty, the body feeble with sick
ness, and the mind sick with failure,
demands not the bravado of a day or
year. but a resolution fixed and firm
for life.
Such men were the pioneers. What
they endured and suffered has been
poorly told. The experience of many
in this audience could inform You
much more truly and fully. Some of
you have talked with those men,
whose grizzled boards, furrowed brows
and broken frames. spoke with q feel
ing %eloquence Of the struggles and
trials and hardships of pioneer life.
You have e the wife. her beauty
wasted. her features pinched aud mar
rOwed by want and privation. You
have seen a tear glisten in the old
mans eye, as be told of the littl, one
whose merry prattle cheered the cabin
home. dying on that bleak prairie,
when medical skill would have saved,
but vas not %attainable, whose suffer
ings found no deliclcies q v a mOth-
er's tears, no Injuries save a mothers
lips. Through such hard>hips, over
such difficulties, amidst such discour-
agements, the settler of the Missis
sippi valley labored until success. re- |
warded his Efforts. There. have been
grauder. more snowy and ostenta,ious, |
but no truer types Of American hero
ism, than vas that of the illinois and
Iowa pioneer farmer.
THE CALIFORNIA MINER.
Winging its eagle fight over the
vast area between the Mississippi and
the Pacific, the genius of American
progress folds its uuwearied pinions
the summit of the Sierras. Drag |
ging its slow courss up the eastern
slope of the western mountains, q long |
train Of wagons pursues Its tedious
march. Over the broad plains of the
Missouri, where the buffalo roamed,
along the course of the Platte to its |
source, up through the deep defles
between the snow capped peaks of the
Rocky Mountains, down into the
trackless desert beyond where the sage
hyueh and caCtne oufv Urow m !