Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-07-17
Speech From Eieut-GOy. Dor
Sssaiyuap

| LicuL.-UoF- DOrSnelmcf was re
ceived with rounds of applause. H
said that America had not been mad
great by her soil and climate, by i'm
migration from other lands, or b,
the genius of the inventor, but by tlit
establishment and maintenance O
popular government. When immi
grafton to America began, the caus
cs which produced it were such a,
acted upon the masses of the people
Here came those who fed from Pro
testant persecution, and those who
fled from Catholic intolerance: Irish,
men who were driven from theil
homes by Cromwell's troopers, and
Germans whose country had been
laid waste by the soldiery Of Louis
XIV. All the European races, Ian
guages, sects,, churches, parties, anG
factions were represented here. Ir
time the British arms carried tn,
English language through all the
colonies, and wove the first bond OF
union. The King of England levied
taxes without the consent of the peo-
pie. Immediately all differences
were forgotten, and, inspired by one
hope, and seeking one object, the
children of many races stood before
the world one people. The common
people colODized America, and when
the War of independence was over.
the people established this Govern
ment. The life of a nation had been
iii the lives of d few men, and the
history of u nation had been the sto-
~ Of Il few individuals; but the glory
OF this nation belonged TO the people,
There had never been in our country
any man of whom it could be said
that If he had not lived the course of
our history would have been chang
ed.
AT the outset, the people deter
mined that those sectarian hatreds
which for centuries had distracted
Europe should not disturb the State
that they founded here, and they Sc
cured to each man the right to wor-
ship God according to the dictates of
his OWN conscience. At the close of
the revolution there were some who
thought that a monarchy should be
established here. But the people
knew that the ambitions, ical0usies.
hatredS, ignorance. and superstition
OF kings had caused frequent wars in
Europe. They were determined that
the Government which they estab-
llshed should not be assailed by that
form OF danger, and SO they secured
to themselves the second great right
tho right of self-government. But
they soon learned that neither the
right to worship nor the righ. to gov
eFn could long be preserved bv an
ignorant people, and therefore anoth-
er right was secured, the right of
eachscitizen to be educated at the ex-
pense of the State.
MI Dorsheimer sdh3S5aStfo:, 49,
III beyOnd their station, and thus be
made discOntented with the duties
hey will have TO perform in life. He |
believed that the differences of con-
iition, every day becoming wider
md deeper, gave ample security
against such q contingency. The
langer to be feared was that the poor
will not DC able to send their chill
iren to the school thai the struggle
or life will become so hard that even
he feeble hands of childhood will be
needed to get food for the family.
society could not afford not to edl-
cate the people.
There had always been in our
Mr.. Dorsheimer continued.
l class of men who distrusted the
people and did not believe in their
for self-government. Their
opinions were not openly protessed,
but they were uttered in private, and
they powe rfully influence our parties.
Che President of the United States
had during the last few weeks sent to
Congress yetos after yetOs which arc
based upon the opinion that if left to
themselves the people will not pro-
tect the ballot box. Those opinions
all came from one source. They
had their origin iii shat distrust of
mans fitness for selt-governmcnt
which from the earliest day has been
Il controlling force in human affairs
l,non which nearly all the govern
ments in the world are founded. The
spirit which decried popular educa-
ton AID which demanded that armed
soldiers shall surround the polling
places, was tie same spirit which
urged George III. to tax the colo
nies, which led Charles l. to the
and which has been the ex-
cuse of tyrants In every aye.
Mr.. Dorshcimer concluded: In
some way Americans in every genef~
alton must make good their claim to
the blessings tlh1ey enjoy. No one
can foresee the form of danger nor
the direction from which it will come.
Perhaps not in the dread shape OF
foreign or civil war; it may, then, be
some secret and subtle foe, more to
be dreaded than the foreign enemy
or domestic treason. But, when we
what the plain people OF
this land have done-that they plant
ed the early settlements upon these
coasts and defended them against
savage nature and more savage men !;
that they, with fearless hand, cut the
ties which bound them to the mother
country that they devised and put
in operation these Governments over
nation, State anu city; that they,
first among men, made good the right
to worship, the right to govern, and the
right to knowledge; that they knew
how to defend their country and
make it free; that they have resisted
every allurement to dishonor; that
thew have been able to deal success
fully with every problem of public
policy; and that in all straits the In
stipcts of the people have been wiser
than the wisdom of the wisest; when
we remember these achievements, the
o., ! hs of which the imagination
CON u1t measure, we will have nc
Doubt about the future. The people
80 oouol to avery paril. i'm what.