, 1883-09-22

other presidents, present or absent. 10 YOU
and all Others who have felt your arms lean
on them for support. this day crowns your
labors and We. Your fellow citizens, and
these foreign guests, applaud your triumph,
l cannot STAY your train 10 unfold the
manifold qualities in the management Of
this enterprise, which deserve Illustration,
but may insist for 4 moment upon a few
principal traits. cannoi discover thIs
there has ever been engrsfted upOa this en-
terprlse any construction company 10 suck
the prosperity tbs, belongs 10 the original
growth l do not perceive that excessive
! rates, either of interest FOR money or Of pay
ment for labor or materials for want Of
money, have imposed upon the enterprise
burdens disproportioaate 20 The values
| which lis deben;ures or its stock fairly
represent. do not find any just ground
for complaint IN political or popular est
| mate that the United States has burjened
| lis revenues with subsidies which. lori the
public interest, were unnecessary or eIceS-
siye, for from the beginning TO the end the
| enterprise has not received dollar from
| the public funds. | find no fair ground
for cavil at the lsnd grants Of the Govern
ment along the route, IS improyideni or
| showing no adequate return of value either
| 10 the Treasury or 10 eXpect2nt settlers on
| the pubic domain. Even if We look Al the
Government. in the mere light OF = private
proprietor, who will not himself incur the
expense and the risks OF opening communi-
| cation between his unpeopled wilderness
and the land-Seeking population, we IND
the Government, without dollar of outlay,
| made more than whole for the lands il has
Il /. .t, aF.,..
Of lis wide domain But, when We consider
that the future settlers ON the company ;
| lands. as well as in the reserved public
= lands, forever contribute 10 the tax paving
wealth of the people, and the strength and
| power OF the nation, We see that there IS no
| sensible analogy between the interest OF Il
| private person in the ownership of land and
| tha, of the Government IS an administrator,
| for the general welfare, Of the public DO
main And. finally, the settlers who Will
| follow your track, and at once find their
| frugal means and their farm products at no
| Disadvantage from distance or ISOLATION
| from market, but on level with All the
| world, will easily understand that. but for
the wise hberality of the Government in this
| matter of railroad communication, either
| the lands would have remained inaccessible
| TO agricultural settlers. or would not have
| been worth heir acceptance, rs 4 gItt, with
/ bounty besides.
| The Northern Pacific railroad thus cOm
pleted has, Mr.. Pre.ideat, through your
seesonable and successful connection Of its
| system with the well developed and fully
| operating scheme of the Oregon Railway
| and Navigation system, by the firm ties OF
| Justice and interest, beea secured against
| vicissitudes and disasters TO which, with
less prudence and less good fortune. II
might have been exposed Ii Is not, then,
| merely upon the continuous track that you
have Jus, established, bat, also, upon The
] united and impregnable chain of travel and
/ traffic between the Pacific and the Atlantic
coasts, that your company today looks
with satisfaction and your guests offer their
| congratulations.
| Mr.. President and gentlemen, the rapidity
and magnitude Of the recent strides OF our
country's progress in material development.
dwarf and belittle the steps in oar advance
raent which we used 10 consider with com
placency and admiration Less than forty
years ago. as lately as lSii, IN the little State
| OF New Hampshire, the energy OF Us people,
allied with the wealth of Boston, had pushed
their Northern Railroad over TIE rldge OF
highlands which divides the narrow bottom
lands Of the Merrimac from the wider valley
of the Connecticut. The apeuing OF Ihis
section Of the road. from Franklin 10 Graf
ton. was an occasion OF great eXul'atlon, and
a distinguished company of the solid men
of Boston had come Up from that city, III 4
forenoon, TO meet the gathered citizens oi
New Hampshire in a grand celebration.
The road traversed the farm OF Mr.. Webster,
and ne took part and pride IN the pomp oi
the occasion. Magnifying, As al orator
| should, the greatness of this triumph over
| the obstacles which nature had lnterpoSed,
| and over time and space, and pOrtrayIns the
advantages which were TO tiow from 1t. with
| out the least sense Of hyperbole, he eNclalins
| Fellow citizens, can we with9 wonder
consider where We are and what brought
us hereY" How vast all the dlSensIOns and
proportions OF the completed eAsrprIse we
now applaud, seem by the Side OF the
achievement which the great orator and
statesman of our country thus proudly con-
memOraied, TO these sober minded New In
elauders. as :: wonder! This last achieve
ment of the intelligence and energy OF our
people climbs over the lofty range Of mouH-
tains which divide the waters OF continent
between the two great oceans OF the world
Ii binds together by one more indlssoiuble
bond the destinics of great people who
look from the windows of their habItatIoAs
upon the horses of the sun as they rise from
the stormy waves of the Atlantic, and again
when they Guench their fire IN the smooth
waters of the Pacific. 1t forms one more
portage for the water borne commerce winch
plies between Europe and Asia IL brings
new fields Of tillage adequate to feed tens
of millions. under whose healthful and
happy toll their seed time and harvest shall
never fail and tens OF millions more, less
fortunate, who crowd the workshops and
factories, the cities and the mines of Europe
and America in this age Of industry IL VIII
help TO assuage inequalities OF nature ana
disparities of fortune among our own pec-
pie. and 10 spread peace, plenty and pros
perity To other NATIONS. Nor does It lessen
our gratitude and gratulatlons that this Is
not the first, and that ii viii not he the last,
that this wide land of ours witnesses On Inc
same great scale Of effort and benetcenee.
As our flying footsteps leave these heights
of moral and natural vision, | am sure tins
COMPANY will feel this occasion was not un
worthy of an assemblage which the Secre-
tary OF the Interior hOnOrs with his attend
aace. and the illustrious soldier. after FOL
loving his own fame around the word,
finds attractive in its interests; TO which the
Ministers OF the Powers of Europe lend the
favor Of their c0untenance. and which col
Iects so many eminent men OF our own
country and Of the old world 10 assist N
this international celebration
4 Ts.~f