Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-11-27
the country, a harp of a thousand strings

euuS. NJ tniS q yCdLo d6O,
the last British sentry was withdrawn.
The imperial standard of Great Britain
fell at the fort over which it had hoated for
q hundred and twenty years, and in its
place the Stars and Stripes Of American
independence flashed in the sun. Fleet
and army, royal flag and scarlet uniform,
coronet and ribbon, every sign and symbol
of foreign authority, which from Concord
to Saratoga, and from Saratoga to York
town, had sought to subdue the Colonies,
vanished from these shores. Colonial and
provincial America had ended; national
America had begun; and after lapse OF q
hundred years the cradle song Of the hope
and promise of our national nativity Is
still
and sssured prosperity; glory to God in
the highest, peace on earth, good will to
man,
With the evacuation of New York mon.
archy ended: with the Inauguration OF
Washington the national republic began.
The result, indeed, had been foretold by
the course of events through all the colo
nisl period, which eliminated in the total
overthrow Of British power. The early
New England confederations-the colonial
leagues against Indian hostility-William
Penn's suggestion of provincial congress
the military association for common
interest and with a common impulse, in
the old French and English wars-Frank-
Inns scheme OF union at Albany-the hrst
doubt and distrust OF British authority
the morning gun of the revolution in JON
athan Mayhew's preaching-the thunder
burst of James 0tis's plea against the
writs of assistance-the keen and fatal
logic Of John Moran Scott in New York,
| with its plain forecast of separation-the
fiery warning of Patrick Henry to the
King-the massacre in State Street.-The
Boston port bill-the response OF New York
and Virginia-the Stamp Act Congress-
and at last, following
The shots on Lexington Green
and the yolley at Concord Bridge, the vary
ing fortune and final triumph OF the con-
test-all these, our renowned and glorious
traditions, immortal as the tale OF Their
uopylr and PlatTa, OF Sempach and Run
Dymede, revealed the common American
heart and conscience, the essential and in.
stinctiye unity of the Color'es; and surely
ard resistlessly as the revolution OF the
globe through the darkness of the night
turns the continent to the morning, the
progressive development Of the Colonies
brought the great consummation OF Amer.
lean national union, which consecrates
this spot.
But it was accomplished only after lolg,
and anxious, and arduous controversy,
with doubt and apprehension, and bitter
hostility. The general Joy that followed
| the evacuation of New York, the sStisfac-
ton with acknowledged independence, the
glowing anticipation, the boundless hope,
were succeeded by the reaction that always
| follows prolonged exaltation of public
feeling, and .deyc;oi and self sacrificing
public exertioH. Ihe young giant had in
deed conquered, but his victory seemed to
have cost him bis life.
Foreign Authority Had Disappeared,
but the country lay PROSTATE.
The times that tried mems souls in this
country were rather in 1856 than in lII6,
| for the colonial sbllity to win independ'
erce involved neither the righteousness OF
| the cause nor the character OF the people.
| The revolution had proved their valor, the
| new situation tested their wisdom; and
| without wisdom the revolution had been
| in vain. By tine common eXertion, sacri-
| fee and suffering, independence had been
| achieved, the enemy had been expelled,
| and the younger England OF the West had
| hum0led the crowned and unnatural
mother England upon the sea grit throne.
| In this, crucial moment, neglect or igno'
| rance of the obvious and Indispensable
means of securing the common safety,
| strength and welfare, the apparent revela-
| ton of American inCapacity 10 build ma
| tiunal American Commonwealth, might
| Justly ill
| livery Gcuerous and Patriotic Heart
| with Dismay.
| Yet any American GeSpaired during the
| gloomy years from I'>3 to 1857, and doubt
| eG whether the men were equal TO tue task,
| So had John Adams doubted and deSpalred
| on the very eve of the assembly OF the
| Crptipenal Congress. 1--WE have not men
.,l,, e. hn yfI Iaf IN
| d, tcieut in genius, IN education, in travel,
| in fortune. in everything" But scarcely
| had he written the words than he fastened
| 10 take his part in that immortal Assem-
| bly, and to 10 the very thing that he fear.
| ed no man was strong enough to do. Well
| did Jefferson call him the Colossus, for
| upon bis mighty and indomitable Will he
| lifted the country to the Declaration OF In
| dt peudepce. Why then doubt, since lnde-
| Incidence had been achieved, that national
| union was possible? The leaders OF the
revolution. the chiefs of the Continental
| Congress still lived Age had not dimmed
| their ewes nor chilled their hearts, nor
| w:thered their faculties.
| The work They Had Begua,
surely they were ready to complete, and
| the men who had made the English Colon.
| les American States were wise enough and
| strong enough to bind the American States
into apstion.
Nay, even doubt was treachery. For
still he lived-in the prime OF glorious
manhood he still lived, whose faith, and
character and courage, when patriotism
dtspaired and hope expired, had moved De
| fore his struggling country pillar
of cloud by day, of fire by night.
| To think Of the revolution is 20
see him. The whole scene is ra-
diant with his presence and his power. He
was, indeed, but one patriot among
pstriots, and an ardent and general patriot
| ism il was that marshslled Minute Men
| and enrolled Sons OF Liberty. 1t was a
81 blime popular daring that dehed the
B, itish empire and made good its defiance.
| Doubtless the American revolution was the
work of the people, but it seems the work
of a man. How can We conceive its heroic
IoSecutiOn,
Its triumphant Issue.
witboutits leader? Had he fallen at Tren-
tou. had he been captured by Clinton, had
ir trigues of selfish ambition prevailed
a. aiust him, had he not neryed-he alone
the hesitating army at Newburg, who
dare doubt that the vision of the "one far
off divine event that drew the country
through the War, would still have been
fulfilled? But what American does not
know, snd proudly own, that the perpetual
/ ana lDeDlTiuS d>SlAIdINC VI
cheer of the weary march, the joy of the
victory, the confidence OF Congress, the
pride and hope Of America, was the char
aCter OF Washington?
No voice for powerful Union was earlier
or stronger, or more constant, than MS.
The feryor OF his conviction kindled the
faith OF the country. Samuel Adams might
hesitate, and Patrick Henry doubt, ont
Washington was sure. Union alone hsd
won Independence, union alone could
secure il. Without union there was no
common revenue, no common regulation
of commerce, no settlement OF common
territory, no common bond between ada
cent States. Instead OF these. there were
discord, anarchy and subiugstion.
Then as m the passionate excitement
but uncertain movement of the early reyo-
luton,
A Paper Passed MystsrioRsly
from patriotic hand to hand, firing every
patriotic heart with the magic motto,
aJoin or DIE" so. in the air, now electric
NTH national feeling "Join or DIE De-