Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-01

good
Calm in the strength of hawless rcctitude
His rule of justice, order peace,
Made possible the worlds release;
Taught pride and serf that power is but
trust,
And rule, alone, which serves the ruled, is
just;
That Freedom generous is, but strong
In hate of fraud and selfish wrong,
Pretense that turns her holy truths to lies,
And lawless license masking in her guse.
Land of his iove with one glad voice
Let thy great ssterhood rejoice;
A century's suns o'er thee have risen and
set,
And, God be praised, we are one nation yet.
And still we trust, the years to be
Shall prove his hope was destiny,
Leaving our flag with all its added stars
Unrent by faction and unstained by wars!
Lo! where with patient toll he nursed
And trained the new set plant at first,
The widening branches of a stately tree
Stretch from the sunrise to the sunset sea.
And in its broad and shelteriug shade,
Sitting with none to make afraid,
Were we now silent, through each mighty
limb,
The winds of heaven would sing the praise
of him.
Our first and best his ashes lie
Beneath his own Virginia sky.
Forgive, forget, o true and just and brave,
The storm that swept above sacred gravel
For, ever in the awful strife
And dark hours of the nations life,
Through the fierce tumult pierced his warn
ing word,
Their fathers voice his erring children
heard!
The change for which he prayed and
sought
In that sharp agony was wrought;
No partial interest draws it's alien line
'TwixG North and South, the cypress and the
pine!
One people now, al! doubt beyond,
His name shall be our Union bond
We lift our hands to Heaven, and here and
now,
Take on our lips the old Centennial vow.
For rule and trust must needs be ours;
Gheoser and chosen both are powers
Equal in service as in rights; the claim
or Duty rosts on each and all the same.
Then let the sovereign millions. where
Our banner floats in sun and air
From the warm palm lands to Alaska's cold,
Repeat with us the pledge century old!
OAK KNOLL, Danvers, Mass.
AT the conclusion OF the reading the
assembly gave Whittier three cheers aud
tiger.
DEPEw's GRAFTON.
Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, the orator of
the day, was next introduced. He received
hearty greeting, and spoke as follows:
"Ihe solemn ceremonial of the first in
auguratlon,' said the speaker, 'the reverent
oath of Washington, the acclaim of the null
titude greeting their president, marked the
most unique event of modern times IN the
development Of free institutions. The oc-
casion was not an accident but result. 1t
was the elimination OF the working out by
mighty forces through many centuries of
self-Soyernment. 1t was not the triumph of
system. the application OF theory, or the
reduction to practice of the distractions of
philosophy. The time, the country, the
heredity and environment of the people, the
folly of its enemies, and the noble courage of
its friends, gave to liberty after ages of de-
feat, of trial, of experiment, of partial sue
cess and substantial gains, this immortal
victory"
Mr.. Depew reviewed at length the charac-
terlstcs of the pioneers of the country who
fled from the tyranny of the old world and
planted the seed of civil and religious liberty
in the new. They had been purified in the
furnace of experience and in high debate and
on,bloody battlefelds had learned to sacrifice
all material interests ana to peril their lives
for human rights. The traditions and ex-
peiience of the colonists had made them
alert to discover and quick 10 resist any
peril to their liberties. The farmers shot at
Lexington echoed round the world; the spirit
which it awakened could do and dare and
die, The thunders OF Patrick Henry in Vir.
gina the fervid eloquence OF james Otis in
Massachusetts, the pledges of Hamilton, Jay
and Clinton that New York would contrib
ute men and means to the common cause, in
fused confidence in the wavering, yet their
VISION only saw league OF Independent col
onies. The veil was not yet drawn from be-
fore the vista, of population and power, of
empire ana liberty, which would open with
national union.
The continental congress partially grasped,
but completely expressed, the central idea OF
American republic. More fully than any
| other which ever assembled did il represent
the victories won from arbitrary power for
human right. In the new world il was the
conservator Of liberties secured through CEN
turies of struggle in the old The men who
fought the battles ana staked their lives and
their means on the issue OF the revolution
| were the heirs and guardians OF the priceless
treasures OF mankind. A year of doubt and
| debate, the baptism of blood upon battle.
! fields, where soldiers from every colony
| fought under common standard, and coi-
! sOlidated the continental army, gradually
! lifted the soul aud understanding of this i'm
4 mortal congress TO the sublime declaration :
! 1--WE, therefore, the representatives OF the
| t'nited States ot America, IN general con-
| gress assembled, appealing TO the Supreme
! Judge Of tho world tor the recttude OF our
| intentions, do, in the name and by the au-
thority of the good people OF these colonies,
4
| united colonies are, ana of right, ought 10 he,
| free and independent states"
! The immortal charter of freedom was
signed by men upon whose ncads tyrant,
had set price. Fer them il was death
| warrant or a a,iricma of immortality, rs with
| irm -tfspt high purpose and hniaunted reso-
iuttcn. they subscribed thsir names.
More clearly than any statesman OF tie
| period did Thomas Jefferson grasp and
divine the possibilities OF popular govera-
/ ment He caught and crystailed the spirit
! of free institutions lie was singularly free
from the power Of precedents and the chains
of prejudice. Upon the famous axiom, OF
equality before law, he constructed his sys-
tern. IL inspired him to write tho Deciara-
tion OF Independence, breaking the links
binding the colonsts TO imperial authority
aud pulyeri,iug the privileges OF caste
With peace came the strifes OF factions, OF
jealousies between distant communities, the
! intense growth Of provincial pride and in
terests, which for u time threatened the OK
is.ent3 ol TIC a-.ioE. Congress iaci iiamel