The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-07-15

In the palmy days of Rome's glory, to b
called Roman citizen was considered q grea
honor. and q sure passport to recognition. an,
| to be assigned to the humblest position in th
! empire was priceless boon, one that gave t,
the incumbent reputation and character dear
| er than life itself. But to be called an Amer
| ican citizen in these days means infinitely more
| These magic words open the doors of palaces
| and give audience with the crowned heads anl
potentates of earth,-yea, more. give to thu
1lowliest subject crown of glory, and protec
tion and recognition to the utmost bounds o.
| earth. Our flag, by angel hands to mortali
| given, whose stars have lit the welkin dome
| whose hues were born in heaven, is respected
throughout the habitable globe. Our govern.
ment is of the people, by the people. and for
the people. Here the major portion of the
public domain is held by the government for
its subjects. where the humblest may farm the
broad fertile acres, carve out for himself and
loved ones q home at nominal expense, and the
strong arm of the republic will guard his in
terests and give him the same protection that it
does its wealthiest and most honored citizen.
Here caste is unknown. Intelligence, not dol
lars, is the passport that insares the possessor
admittance to the politest circles and most hon.
ored stations. Tho highway OF honor, fame
and glory is open and free to all who desire TO
walk therein. The highest station within the
gift of the people is prize that any one, how
ever humble his origin, may aspire to reach,
and by industry, perseverance and careful
training may attain.
exists, but all are mobiles and aristocrats ir the
highest sense of the terms.
The past century has fully demonstrated the
fact that republic is the best and safest gov
ernment known to man, and is able to with
sand all the powers of darkness that can be
hurled against it. Our people, with an inboru
love of freedom, stand with outstretched hands
hac fa he nd of nil mn
tions to come and partake freely of the eve er-
yelling fountain of universal liberty, whose
clear, pure stream continually flows through
every avenue of the republic.
tE In such an atmosphere, during the first cen-
tury of the American Republic, all the con-
comitants of our advancing civilization have
sprung into existence, and have been nurtured
and sustained by an ever generous people; be-
lieving as we do that the sounder in morals and
the more intelligent the constituent parts of
thessbody polite are, go also will the structure
the more perfect and harmonious be.
Gladly would We linger by the way and
speak of the men and women who have by
their virtue, integrity, intelligence, and con-
tinued loyal devotion accomplished such mar
vellous results as we this day behold, but time,
and doubtless your patience, is we'll nigh ex-
hausted ere this. Bear with me moment.
To-day we possess an undivided country con-
tanning within its borders all varieties of eli
mate, Inhabited by 50,000.0G0 of free, happy
and prosperous people, who move as mighty
army with bansers in q triumphal march to-
ward Americas ambition and destiny.
History furnishes NO parallel to our wonder
full and majestic strides in human progress. 1t
is not marvellous that we, as nation, are
loved and adored by the millions of the mana
cled subjects of the efete and decaying mon
arches of the old world, honored by the brave
of all climes, our virtues sung in every Ian
guage, and our liberties revered as sacred,
priceless thing by the lowly and oppressed from
the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.
Not stain mars the beauty of our national
escutcheon !; not one trace of tyranny weakens
the solidity of our national foundations not
Dlemish distorts the symmetrical proportions OF
the rising state. Within all our borders con
tentment spreads with bounteous hands her
frugal store.
From north to south, covering the great
chain of lakes and the mighty rivers that flow
seaward are seen the cure indications of wealth
and national prosperity. Christianity, inteili-
gence and patriotism are the forces that are
working out the mighty problems of our future
along the iron pathways, fow in one uniuter-
rupted stream the commerce of the world, while
over mountain, valley and plain is heard the
neiehings of the iron horse, waking the ee hoes
Of the mountain Businesses and the solitudes of
the desert.
And on this. our nation -b1rtnday, from le-
gions of glad hearts prayers and Thanksgiving
go up to the ear OF the Almighty. while the
yaultei dome of Heaven reverberates with the
shouts and rcjoicings of fifty million freemen.
Let us repeat the exalted cry of Adams, Jeffer-
son and Lee. hundred years of progress
has raised hundred millions Of men to new
sense Of freedom America is Republic
Europe has pressed on toward iberty-the
world is nearly FREQ. The Fourth of July has
bs come the anniversary most noted in the an
nails of mankind-the birthday of freedom, the
epoch of unbounded hope.