Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-05-01
OUR REPUBLIC,
REV. D. H. coRkRAN's AD-
DRESS TO ODD FELLOWS.
The Greatness of America-The Dangers
That Threaten IIer-EVils in Inre-
stricted Immigratlon-The
Liquor Traffic.

! 80 VIZ khFS 81 wy
and intellectual entertainment In their
| hall last night to an appreclative au-
d'ence. After the opening prayer by
Chaplain Willism II. Oliver, quarte.te
consisting OF Messrs. w H. Carey and
j. Jackson and Misses Z. X. McCraeGen
AMI b COverdale rendered "Come, Rise
| With the Lark" An address was TO
have followed on "The Republic" by
Rev. l.. Marks, but that gentleman hav-
ing hen detained by sickness, Rev. ID. ii.
Corkran was substituted and he delivered
a very inter- sting extempore lecture on
the same subject wish the slight change
to "Our Republic"
Mr.. Corkran said he would not pretend
to fill the place, for he could not, OF the
able divine who had been selected to adj.
dress the meeting, but he would Simply
stand in his place and try to say some
thing hastily collected which might lie to
/ Il certain degree interesting. Referring
to the time when the centennial OF the
nation as Republic was being appropri-
Htely observed In New YORK. 1t was sug-
gested to him that the three ruling feel
ings of the beart were mother, home aud
heaven. He was sure il there was one
present who had a home beyond the sea,
he could not IN his heart forget his native
subtle boad of love that binds us to our
home. 'lu speaking OF native ladd, "
said Mr.. CorkrHn, 81 mean our native
land. this great country of our. though
we may not all have been born here
Whtn We look over the past and see the
great progress oar country has made,
there Is nothing like it " be found in the
world.
Other countries have made progress,
but America stands the splendor of all
countries and the admiration of all. Ma
tions after nations have arisen and fallen,
but there is none like ours. No nation
has taken such rapid strides in everything
that pertains to greatness and prosperity
as ours. The nations OF Asia, A irca and
Europe have arisen in their magnifcence
and splendor. The greatness OF Greece,
Italy, Athens. Macedonia, Carthage and
Rome have passed away and paled before
the rising splend OF the new world. Dc
they boast OF their soldiers America has
her Washington, her Grant, her Sheri
dan, her Mead, and many Others thai
have never been excelled in bravery. Do
they boast OF their learningf Amerlcf
has educational institutions spread all
over the land, equalling the schools o
ancient renown. Do they boast of theiI
l
the grandeur and magniicence OF hel
buildings and learning. Do they boast o.
their statesmen America presents hel
Adamses, her Jefferson, her Hamilton
her Lincoln, and hosts of others as bril-
liant as any named.
But we are great in our political lifi
and constitutional government. Thi
country has solved the problem OF sell
. government. 1t had been said in Europ
that the better clssses Of society might b
a admitted to voice in the government
! but America Is the only natio
In the world that has thrown opsI
her doors to all classes, high and low
rich and poor, If one is sovereign al
are sovereigns. When Thomas Jefferson
pepned the declaration that all men All
created free and equal he struck the KEY
note popular government aud under
this Inspiration the nation has growI
to Its present strength and power. Nc
other nation could stand upon this dec
laration.
1t has been taid that there is not In the
Declaration OF Independence and the
Constitution of the United States the
acknowledgment of a settled code of re.
ligion, no acknowledgment of fine bible.
No matter Tor this; 1t acknowledges the
universal iatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man. So long as these
principles are retained the nation will
stand. The tree may sometimes wltheI
at the top, but the vital life remains In
the heart and shows itself in sending out
a lile-glving power to every part.
When America declared herself free
from Great Britain France was despot-
ism and England and Germany were
monarchies. France is now a Republic,
enjoying the same blessings OF liberty
that we enjoy, and England, Germany,
Russia, Italy and all the other nations OF
Europe have been lifted up aud benefited
by the free government OF America, and
before war is declared by any IA ion OF
Europe against another they pause and
ask, "What will America do?"
All the elements of our success lie
within our own boundary. We have all
varieties Of fruit, irom tropical products
to the productions of the frigId zone, and
we have all varit ties of climate, and ouI
resource are 80 great that we can
scarcely be made to realize them. One
hundred years ago America was the poor
eat OF the nations oil the earth, but no na-
tion has prospered like her She was
then in debt more than she was worth,
but the deDt has been paid off several
times over, and the republic could now
bay Ru sia, Turkey, and South America.
1t could buy all England with her pos
scssiens in Asia and Africa and have
hS4OO, 900, 900 left. England has been ac-
cumulsting her wealth for centuries; the
United States has accumulated the
greater part OF hers in twenty years. In
agriculture the United States raised
3, 200, eco more bushels of grain the last
year lh4n she needed. Mr.. Corkran here
gave quite large number OF astounding
statistics In manufactures showing the
wonderful growth of the country.
While all these things are true, said
Mr.. Corkran, there are dangers to the
Republic. We are living III a Temarka-
bic age. There are changes going on
eyerywEer-. Re resenia'ivcs are now In
this ouuiry ir nj the Mciian and the
Persian king Of Atia, investigating
our science Of gOgernm Mt that 1t may be
introduced into those counties, whore
the laws are said 10 be unchan1 cable.
And lar oil Japan had her ambassadors
in this country, getting knowledge OF
our government, and they have already
rcyolutionized the Japanese 6 vernment
by the introduction OF Republican ideas
And the Chinese, o'withstandiHg our
bad treatment OF them are introducing our
systems of government into the Celestial
kingdom. A statesman said two years
ago, that upon Amer'ca depended the
future civilization OF tn age. Mr., Cork
ran in looking at the ev Is that threatened
our government, referred first to unre-
stricted immigration which was startling
In Its proportions.
We may well stop and think and ask
ourselves where We are drifting to. He
(Mr. Corkran), has no feeling against