The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-07-18
The Celebration in Eighty .Nine.


II is proposed TO celebrate at Washington
Ia 1889 the one-hundredth anniversary Of
the establishment of our Government under
the Constitution. The celebration should
be one commensurate with the dignity Of the
occasion, for the year '9s will ever BIZ asso-
ciated with mauy events which must have
bearing on the future Of humanity. Eighty
nine is the figure Of revolution.
Before the summer of 1889 had set In two
nations had embarked on governmental ex-
psrnents, one consciously, the other without
appreciating to what its pOlity was carrying
It. The United States began to build and
organize, France todisestablish and disorga an
izs. The results of those experiments have
bssn in some degree similar, though reached
through experiences most diverse. Each
has organized freedom, though in different
degrees. France started out TO attain con
stitutioual reform, aud went through revolu-
ton TO anarchy, aud from anarchy to despot-
ism. To this succeeded constitutional mon
archy, followed by democracy, succeeded by
imperialism, which in turn gave way To re-
publicanism. But the United States has
ever remained the organized democracy II
set out TO be.
The fortune of the United States has been
TO survive many governments which were
old when II was the infant among nations
The republic of Venice. after career Of cen
turtles, was extinguished ere the Republic Of
the United States was ten years old. Before
the United States had reached its twentieth
year as an organized Government, the Ger
man empire, under the Hapsburg rule, had
been knocked to pieces by the man Of
genius, who was an unknown French lieu
tenaut when George Washington took III,
| oath of office. The French Bourbon King
our old friend and ally, had lost his throne
aud his head before the United States wa!
four years old. Spain. TO which the energy
of Charles Ill had brought back the promise
of some of her old power, had sunk into he
long le,hargy before the United States hac
finished the first quarter century Of its exis
tence. The kingdom of Poland disappeared
in our first decade, and Holland came to bs
French dependency ere our fourth Presiden
was chosen. So, though young nation, til
United States has seen many old govern
ments aud principles 80 out, and many nev
ones tried and abandoned.
Republioanism once seemed likely TO com
prehsnd the Old World at the time IL hat
established itself In the New. But afte
wrecking thrones aud dividing nations
weakened by its own exertiOns, II fell, leav
ing behind It a recollection which has tenn
pered succeeding monarchy, and prepared
the Old World for tue resurrection Of tn
principles that reaction thought II had fol
ever extinguished. The cause Of the differ
snt experiences Of the two experiments i
plain. Our forefathers stood on their princi
pies as freemsn. To beoomea democratio re
public In name as they had long been in fac
required no sharp transition. Their right
under the great charter Of English freedom
their history as English colonists, were al
the SCROLLS they needed. But the people @
France, having no such reoollections, turne
, to the democracy of antiquity for their guide
and sought to bring 1t bodily into world
, which It was foreign and for which It was III
fitted. Modern French Republicans hav
had the wisdom to conserve, and to adjus
, their government to the age. There Is there
fore hope that the French, like the America
Republic, has before 1t long career OF us'
fulness, realizing that, as the great Gsrms
has said, outside the circle of the law thel
, la no liberty.