Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-02-09
SENATOR wALLACE's ADDRESS.
''PennsylvanIa's Formative Influence
on Federal Institutions"
A FITTING EuLoGY AND DEFENSE or THE
SYSTEM or PENN.

From the Lancaster Intelligeneer,
An audience of very fair size, includ-
ing many representative business men
and prominent members OF all the
lear ned professions in this city, gathered
in the court house last evening TO hear
the address of Hon. w. A. Wallace, de-
livered for the benefit of the city poor.
Promptly at 8 o'clock be was introduced
70 the audience by NJ. Brosius, ESQ.,, and
he was listened to very attentively as he
spoke from notes for an hour and balf.
He devoted himself strictly TO the an
nounced subject of his address, on which
he had manifestly applied q very consid.
erable amount of historical research,
inspired by State pride in the prominent
part taken by Pennsylvania in the for.
nation OF our federal system and the
wide influence exercised by the institu.
tions founded by Penn. lie fortified
his claims to her pre-eminence in this
work by abundant historical citations,
and the address was garnished with "a
number o quaint and appropriate stories
illustrative OF colonial life and laws.
Following is an abstract of the address,
which will be delivered at other points
in the State:
No apology is needed from a Penn.
sylvanian in addressing a Pennsylvania
audience on this theme. Her history,
name and fame as the bounteous mother
OF our federal government are worthy
of the best efforts OF each OF US. Her
power, wealth. agricultural importance.
her great future and her record in the
past, all prompt US to use our noblest
powers in her behalf.
The purpose Of this lecture is to lay
before you some of the past history OF
our great commonwealth. 1t has lately
become the fashion to decry and speak
CONTEMPORARY Of her. Are We blame
less in accepting these insults with
silence? Have We striVen to keep un.
sullied her fair fame? 1t is not The in.
tention OF this address 10 speak of those
later heroes OF the sword and pen
Wayne, Mitiin, Franklin aud Ritten.
house the desire is simply TO trace the
history OF Pennsylvania from the latter
half of the seventeenth century to the
Revolution. TO mark her prestige of ex.
ample in creating the institutions under
which we live.
Did she follow or lead ? Who built
the eternal barrier of common sense be
twixt Church and State. abolished slave
trade, and first gave her people uniyer-
sal suffrage? Virginia, New York and
Massachusetts, all claim these honors,
but theirs is an empty pretensIon.
Pennsylvania it was that planted the
seed whose fruit we behold in the feder.
al institutions OF to-day.
Institutions grow. they are not made
in a breath. As the infant becomes
successively boy. youth and man. so the
seed cannot leap into life rs soon as
planted. but must grow By slow degrees.
knickerbocker New York, Puritan
Massachusetts, the ''Old Dominion" and
Huguenot South Carolina all claim to
be the fountain head Of our federal in.
stitutions. And amid these conflicting
pretensions, Pennsylvania is silent, not
boastful. lna late publication, entitled
"a Century of Dishonor,' our State il
branded for the brutal massacre Of the
Conestoga Indians. The statements OF
a careful and reliable local historian ex.
planstory Of this sad event are utterly
ignored. But let those who charge look
TO themselves. The massacre Of the
600 Pequods aud the murder Of King
Philip make Pennsylvania misdeeds
pale into insiguiticance.
A early as I6i3, Massachusetts, and
the Plymouth colonies formed . union
against the French and Indians. But
IL was not the broad far. seeing policy
that VIM. Penn formulated and sent 10
Great Britain for approval. The latter
plan embraced congress, the embryo
of our present Congress, which had
power to levy taxes, declare war and ad
just the differences between the constit-
uent colonies. The time. however. was
not yet ripe for these developments.
and Penn's plan was not approved by
the Crown but the good seed was soWn
and the day Of its maturity was not far
distant.
Governments are made for men, not
men for governments, il the underlying
principle Of the constitution Of 1870 as
well a. that OF 1873. Add this feature.
more than any other, was made promi.
nent in the early history Of our com.
monwealth. In the movement for reliR.
ious tolerance our State and Maryland
led the way. WIN. Penn and Lord
Baltimore have the honor Of being the
first TO establish liberty of conscience in
the colonies. Liberty not i'm theory.
but in fact. And Pennsylvania merit
consists in Its uninterrupted retention
Of religious liberty, while that of Mary.
land for time passed away. Contrast
with these some Of the sister States.
Virginia from its foundation had its es
tailished church and salaried clergy.
men, and It was in fighting the exSc.
tions Of these latter that Patrick Henry
won his maiden spurs before the people.
The Dutch Reformed and Presbyterisns
oi New York prosecuted Q1akers and
Catholics. while virtuous Massachusetts
imposed the penalty Of floRging on those
who dared 10 kiss their wives publicly
on Sunday. These aud countless other
facts that might be narrated emphasize
Pennsylvania's prominence 10 heing the
first to recognize Tightfui equality.
And what OF popular rights? Penn
ne early as 1871 had said. "Let the peo.
pie be governed by laws OF their own
snecting." The assumed rights Of the