Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-30

invoke the continued and yearly growing in.
crease OF this spirit till every state and every
citizen shall cOncede that God hath given to
them the fatrest Inheritance beneath the skies,
and that Washington and Adams, that Henry
and Franklin thought out and formed for us
the best civil government which has yet been
given to any people in any age. Our extent
Of territory, our varied climate, our rich
soils; our mineral resources equal to all the
POSSIBLE demands which the most refined cIvlll-
zation may exact and call for; our vast sea-
coast; our inventive genius; our characteristics
as race give notice to the whole world tha5
we must be let alone In the mighty work which
God and nature have assigned us in the worlds
career. Perfect freedom alone opens up to man
his majestic possibilities, and puts into action
every force with which he has been endowed.
1t permits scope to every aspiration OF the soul
and mind. A civil government which can allow
TO each citizen In iJ the highest personal free
dom In the modes adopted for individual devel-
opment In the line OF real progress and happi-
ness is the best government. Does not our gov.
eminent give us this liberty In larger measure
own rulers and are sovereign In a true govern
mental sense, but that the government Is ab-
sent from US, lets us alone, permits and makes
lawful e'ery act which, under law, we may
resolve upon for our own personal good. We
may go and return. Every school Is open to
every child. The dictates OF conscience are
left free to all. The state has not made our
scholars, 1t has not given us our statesmen, but
1t has permitted the citizen, in no way aided by
hereditary rights and privileges, to make his
way to the highest place among scholars and
statesmen. Yes, my friends, we may Well re-
jo1ce to-day In our grand civil Inheritance. But
we must remember that not mere material re-
sources and personal freedom make a state.
What constitutes statee
Not high raised battlen ent or Iabored mound,
Thick wall or noated gate;
Not cites proud With spires and turrets crowned;
Where, iaughing at the storm. rich navies ride;
whe1eiow browed bsseness ] watts % Perfume to pride
10. men. bigh- minded men,
With powers as far above dun brutes endowed,
In forest brake or den
AS hearts excel cold rock and branobles rude;
Men who their rights know,
But know their rights. and knowing dare maintain.
Prevent the long. aimed ow,
And crush the tyrant while they rend the chain;
And n soveFei.n d. IA that states collected will.
Slts empress. crowaing gojd, repelling i'll.
Dark days and dark months came to the ma
tion when the immortal Lincoln was at It's head.
and while the men here buried were struggling
to save ii. During these days its needs impelled
promises 1t gave Its word and pledged Its
honor. What halo OF glory rests down upon
us day because the moral conscience of the
every one OF these promises; what tide OF ma
t1onal honor and prosperity has set in upon us
because CT this just course In the action OF the
government; our present and late financial sue.
cess In the management and reduction OF the
national debt has not come SO much from the
action Of the Secretaries of the Treasury as
from legislation which the people have or
view tie exact fultllment, In letter and spirit.
OF every money promise made in the midst OF
the war. Our career In this direction has given
us honor be fore the world.
Other promises were made. They were made,
not tl the holders Of money which the govern
ment needed and obtained, but to fathers.
brothers, SONS and lovers. They were offered
to the father as he sat by his fireside with his
wife and children about him In the full enjoy
ment OF home The government asked him to
forth for her defense. and to his almost certain
death. 1t asked the noble son to leave father
and mother. 1t coupled with these requests
honorable promises 1t was but right and nat
ural 1t should do so. 1t agreed TO take good care
Of the widow with her children and the parents
whose stay In advancing years 1t thus took
away.
During the years that have followed the con-
test, the promises have been hOnOraoly met,
ard though complaints have been heard as to
the manner and time of their fulnliment, yet
regard to this class OF her pledges She has
poured out from ner refilled Golfers hundreds
OF millions. This has been right. The moaey
should go out cheerfully and not grudgIngly
But for the men who lell. the government
Itself would have fallen-with it civil liberty
would have fallen. The moneys paid out on
the pension roll are but as dust in the balance
against the result Of the victory which these
men wrought out. These two pledges to which
have now alluded burdened the legislation OF
Congress during the war: we may well rejoice
kept. National good faith is above all price.
But it is duty to condemn as well as applaud.
Since the war laws have been passed providing
that the discharged soldier Of the Union army
should have the preference In appointment to
civil Office here In Washington, other things
being equal Such laws are right. But is it
And say it, not In anger, but in sorrow. This
thing Is all wrong. 1t is no way to treat him
who was willing to meet death that death
might not come to his country. II these laws
remain unrepealed. let no officer disobey them
When we consider the vastness OF our terri
tory, our rapidly increasing population, the
incoming tides OF people from foreign shores,
the many nationalities represented In our pop
ulatiOn, the multiplied and often conflicting
Interests OF the people, the presence AMI de-
structive forces OF vice in the large cities of the
true nature, its power to corrupt and destroy,
Its still greater power when employed in cor
porations, we ask whether our simple govern
meht. resting wholly upon and with the
people composing 1t, shall be equal to the
strains If not perils in reserve for it. We
devouty hope So for civil and religious liberty
tive government fails here, it falls for the
entire race and for all time.
How may we add to the social and civil
forces which shall lessen the evil and apparent
ly destructive elements to which l have just
alluded? Every American citizen should be an
American. he should love the government
under which be lives. and honor its republican
characteristics and by word and act should
teach a true love OF country. The genius OF
the government should be studied in the
family and the schools: Its grand history
scholar: The progress made in all depart
ments Of labor and enterprise should become
a just source OF national pride. AL the
| virtues should be cherished by the people.
| The tendencies to eneminacy and vice which
| the accumulatioDs OF wealth have never failed
| to promote In other countries, should be
| averteo by the adoption and practice of the
| habits and employments becoming the SIM
| plicity OF our form of government.
Wealth alone should be no passport to place
| or power. Personal worth and real merit alone
! should be recognized. All the virtues OF heart
| ard mind should be encouraged. Love OF coun-
| try should be fostered at home and In the
schools. Universal education should be the
| watchwOrd. All the states should provide for
| it and the general government should encour-
| age 1t.
| The speaker concluded as follows:-And
| now, felloW-citizens standing in this beau
| tiful place, and by the graves OF these
fallen heroes let us swear fidelity to the grand
principles OF right that lie at the foundation OF
| all good governments and here make the SOL
| emn pledge to cultivate and encourage all the
| virtues which adOrn human character and dig
nifty the state, to insist by voice and vote upon
| an administration Of the government in har-
| mony with its character and its laws, and to
| teach to the youth about us the enchanting
lessons OF patriotism everywhere found In our
national history.
| Acting thus we may properly say:
'Thou. too. sail on ship OF state!
Sail on, Union, strong and great!
Humanity. with all tts fearr,
VIII tana,tS al the hopes Of ,e foture ut .S years
After music by the Marine band, an original
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