Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-05


Cover with honor resting age?
The freighted days go over year to year,
In quickening splendor punctuai suns appear
But seldom breaks the perfect day
That shines all cloud, all doubt away.
Two of these rare, revealing days are ours,
This day, and Mays dear morn of tears and
flowers:
On these, if ever we may see
What was, what is, what is to be.
On these clear days (not deaths, sacred to birth
When gentler, wiser sorrow temperS mirth,
When serious cheer with hope imbued,
Twins trust with hope and gra.itude.)
On these clear days we see that time has
wrought
The consummation the old prophets taught,
Banner OF the Free unurled
To take the four winds of the world.
Writ through those colors is a country's creed,
Writ large in blood of the indellioe deed
Unwavering faith in simple right
Right-under God for this we fight.
Advance that strife, that multiplying star,
Our battle sing. the hope of lau DIS afar;
Emblem the old -Eolian strain
we know, and knowing, dare maintain"
By his unfellowed fame who rose to sight
Up the abysm OF our initial night
Freedoms full Sun-and darkness sent
Forever from her armament;
By that lone orb and him that next shall shine,
By them we weep in happy May,
Though passed, for aye our spur and stay
Here, last of all, where throned mid western
seas,
The real excel, the feigned Hesperides,
Shall hoary Honor pluck his beard
For shame of them he got and reared.
Never the day on his blue shield shall lean
And see US bonded to Oblivion mean
In helpless hands the rusting steel,
Upon our neck tn oppresSor's heel.
Miss Gertie Carle then led in the singing
of The Stsr-Spangled Banner" with band
accompaniment, the school children Join.
ing in the chorus.
THE GRAFTON.
Hon. A. g. Burnett, of Santa Rosa. was
next introduced as the Orator of the Day
and proceeded to deliver an eloquent ad,
dress, full of patriotic fervor. The orator
possesses an excellent voice, and was easily
heard, notwithstanding the noise created
by the moving thousands upon the floor
Mr.. Burnetts address was as follows:
When we lay aside our usual vocations and
devote this day to services that ittirglv com.
memorate the beginning Of this great and sue.
| cessiul experiment in civil government, we pay
| a merited tribute to the memory of the grand
men of our history. and we mamie our appTe
citation of the political institutions which theil
| wisdom and patriotism have given to the
world. If we did not participate in
the joyous acclamatons of the patriotic and in.
| telligent people of every section of the Union
we would be INV orthy of the proud and com,
| manding position among the nations of the
| earth sustained by this Government of oul
| fathers. Indifference to the proper observance
| of this day would indicate our inability to read
and under stand Alright the lessons of lofty pat.
| riotism illustrated by the toll, endurance and
| suffering of those patriotic men of old, who
| lived and died that their posterity might be
! tree.
We ought TO come to the observance of this
| national festival in the spirit in which we
| would remember tried and true friend who
knows no danger too great to be brayed for ouI
welfare, no burden too heavy to be borne fol
| We ought to strive toreach as large measure
! as possible of the love which the founders OF
| self-goyernment. They were led by desire to
! advance the cause of right at any cost and at
any sacrifice. They seemed to court hardship
| and to welcome DEATH II thereby any aid could
! be given to the principles which they had
| espoused. They demonstrated the power OF
| great souls animated by unselfish patriotism
| and stirred to action by the impulse of LOFTY
| ideas. They loved the work of their hands
| hot because they desired power as the ultimate
result of their lsborS, not because they dreamed
| of the establishment of a government which
| should occupy larger space than any other
| government in the history of civilization, MOI
| because they counted to build for themselves a
| monument that would for all time to come tell
| the story Cf their deathless fame. But having
Ouly u lSeDle glimpse OF the possible results OF
| thelr laboTS they came TO the ia, k of planting
| the seeds of an empire whose genius should be
| the genius OF universal emancipation, with the
| purpose-whatever might be the consequences
of establishing mans righ: to pursue happi.
ness and TO develop his nature along the line oi
his best impulses.
Not only was the structure the government
created, but the whole tenor of their lives and
conduct seemed regulated ''to form more per.
feet unioD establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defense
promote the general welfare and secure the
blessings of liberty for themselves and their
posterity." Their passionate love of liberty
was the polar star that direced all their efforts
and reflected with undimmed splendor all their
| abate their zeal in what they considered a just
cause.
John Adams and his associates did not hesi.
tate as to the course they would pursue towards
the mother country because the clouds ap
pea1ed dark and threatening. In the Language
attributed to that great scholar and Statesman
are expressed the resolution. confidence and
courage OF the master spirits whose lives are 8
| symbol OF everything in our country'S history
worthy of commemorstion "All that / have
| and all that l am, and all that l hope in thi.
| life, am now ready here TO stake upon it. And
L leave OF as began, that live or die sink OF
swim, survive or perish, l am for the Declare
ton. 1t is my living sentiment and by the
grace OF God it shall be my dying sentiment
| Independence now and independence forever "
Pursuing as we do the paths of peace, and re
ferrlng as we are wont, TO that feeble beginning
| in the dark days of 76 principally to make
more striking the contrast presented in the
| fruit OF the labors of our forefathers seen in 6
nation of 65000 coo people crowned with power
| and influence; enriched with the marvelou.
| DEVELOPMENTS of its arts and sciences and
| amazed at the startling picture of its own ex
| haustless resources, we can scarcely understand
| much legs appreciate. the lofty ideals that gave
| tone and character to the lives of those men
| who " builded better than they knew"
live could 1nfuse into our lives and impart
to our estimate of the institutions undel
which we exercise the duties of CITIZENSHIP
something of the spirit that constituted theil
| patriotism. this occasion would contribute in
| an extraordinary degree to our education fol
| the various relations that we sustain
| They loved liberty with an intensity thai
| has never been surpassed, and vet i
was liberty subject to law and rightfu
| authority. The men to whom we owe
our political system had a different idea of the
| meaning of that term from that of those who
prate the loudest OF liberty in these latter DAYS
They were led by the spirit of liberty along the
| paths OF right and duty, and within the lines O
| law and order. They wanted themselves an6
their children to be free that they might be sub
| ject to law and controlled by its mandate Il
| was the will and eapriee-not the law-o
| tyranny and oppression that they entered into
a solemn covenant to oppose, and, if possible
| to DESTROY. They recognized tue fact thar law
1 TO be entitled to respect and Obedience must be
] based upon the will of the Supreme Intelligence
, OF the universe, ami tina. is would not be His
/ will that one portion of the earth should die,