Smyrna times., 1889-11-06

for dainty preparation, barely enough
Tor tightening of saddle-girths and
buckling on of spurs, before the good
horse stood ready to be mounted, and
our hero began his immortal ride on
that hot and dusty July day, to carry
into the Congress of the Colonies the
vote he held in trust for the people of
Delaware, and which was needed to
make Declaration of American Inde-
dependence the unanimous act of thir-
teen united States. More than a CEN
tury has rolled by since that eventful
ride; rider and steed have long since
turned to dust, but the echoes of those
flying hOofs will reverberate ears like
the footballs of fate,
Far on in Summers that we shall not sec. -
and the great heart of the nation will
throb with emotion when the story is
told, and told again, of the ride of
Rodney bearing the message of the
little State to her sisters in a glorious
confederacy.
CLOSE OF A GREAT CAREER
In October, 1888 Mr.. Rodney togeth-
er with John Banning and Richard
Bassett, was elected to represent the
county of Kent in the Legislative
Counsel, and by it unanimously chosen
speaker. On April 8, 1884, the min
utes recite that council met at the
house of Hon. Caesar Rodney, ESD.
the speaker, being to much indisposed
to attend the usual place of meeting
On that day he signed a message to the
House of Assembly, as speaker of the
counsel, and this was his last recorded
service. The adjournment was to Nav
"a, when he was too i'll to attend. and
IN a few weeks the cruel maladv bv
which he had been so long afflicted,
cancer, ended his mortal life.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
To you, young gentlemen of the Rod
ney Club, and to those of your genera
ton must soon be entrusted the con-
trol OF the state he loved and served SO
well. What will you gather from his
life? let his objects, his methods, a con-
sideratiOn of his springs of action,
inform you. When political action
and measures of government are pro.
posed, or candidates presented or pre-
sent themselves, apply the test of Rod
ney and ask: Will this measure or
this mans election promote the well
tare and reputation of my State and
country? DO not permit the great and
real ends Of free government to be
Obscured by passions Of party and of
petty factions or self-interest. lift
your minds into Il higher and clearer
and happier atmosphere. In our day
the creation of material wealth the
result Of modern invention, and pro-
| lection insured to ittby a government
OF laws, have begotten luxurious liv-
ing and spirit of plutOcracy, widely
different from true republicanism, an
lnsoleut and miserable system, contain
ing all the faults of an aristocracv and
not one Of its virtues. This today i'm
| perIls the fabric of government reared
by Rodney and his associates, and
! threatens to overflow our lit
tie State from exterior sources. The
presence and use Of money gathered in
richer contres to influence elections
here Is one of the features of plutocra.
NC aggression against which we should
be On our guard and every man vino
/ loves the good name Delaware should
| openly denOunCe it. Power is given
to Congress to fix the stand
ards OF weight and measurement. but
oIher standards are as necessary, which
no written laws can supply. I mean
the standards of mortality, of personal
and official character and competency
Popular conscience and the tone of
community must establish these, and
upon those who assume the functions
OF leadership the chief responsibility
OF setting the example must fall. There
Is a class ofminds to whom poverty is
never respectable but always contemp-
tible; who continually mistake big
ness for greatness, and who count men
and do not weigh them. To such per
sons the simple life of patriots who
pledged their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor for the vindication
of principle will ever remain sealed
book. When Ulysses was tauntinglv
asked what crops the sterile soil OF
Ithaca could produce he answered
Men! And may not we of Delaware
descendants Of the Blue Hens Chick
ems of the Revolution, afford to smile
at sneer or jest at our scauty area of
population, and say our best crop is
men-men like Caesar Rodney? What
! will be inscribed on his monument |
know not, but are there words more
fitting than than these of Emerson?
"'Spirit that made these heroes dare
70 die-and leave their children free.
! Bid time and nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee"
The descendants of the Rodney fam
lily were represented at the celebra-
ton by John H. Rodney, Esq, of New
Castle, Mrs. J. L. McKim of George.
town, Mrs. Bishop Morris of Oregon
formerly of Lewes, and John NJ. G,
Rodney, Misses Annie and Louise
Rodney, Mrs. Henry Geddes Banning,
J. L. Banning and J, H. Banning OF
| Wilmington.