The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1889-03-07

panied the institution of the government
under the constitution, or to find inspira
tion and guidance in the teachings and ex
ample of Washington and his grea
associates and hope and courage il
! the contract which thirty-eight pop
ulous and prosperous states offer to ths
thirteen states, weak in everything
except courage and love OF liberty that then
fringed our Atlantic seaboard. The terri
tory of Dakota has now population
greater than any of the original state:
Except Virginial and greater than the ag
gregate of five of the smaller states in 1870.
The center of population, when our ma
tional capital WIS located, was east of Balti'
more, and it was argued by many we'll in
formed persons that it would move cast
ward rather than westward. Yet in 1856
it was found to be near Cincinnati and the
new census. about to be taken, will show
another stride to the westward. That
which was the body has come to be only
the rich fringe OF the nations robe.
| Blu. our growth has no. been limited to
/ territory, population and aggregate wealth,
marvellous as it has been in each of thoso
directions. The masses of our people are
better fed, clothed and housed than their
fathers were. The facilities for popular
education have been vastly enlarged and
more generally diifused. The virtues of
courage and patriotism have given recent
proof Of their continued presence and IT,
creasing power in the hearts and over the
lives of our people. The influences Of re-
ligion have been multiplied and strens-
thened. The sweet Offices of charity havo
greatly increased. The virtue Of temper
ance is held in higher estimation. We
have not attained an ideal condition, not
all OF our people are happy and prosperous
not all OF them are virtuoEs and law abid-
ing. But on the whole, the opportunities
offered to the individual to secure the COM
forts of life are better than are found else-
where, and largely better than they were
here one hundred years ago.
The surrender of large measure of SOW
ereignty to the general government. effected
by the adoption of the constitution, was
not accomplished until suggestions OF
reason were strongly reinforced by the more
imperative voice of experience. The
divergent interests of peace speedily do
manded "rlore perfect union.'
The merchant shipmaster and manufao-
tusSI OlSCONSICu t4iiu QtSClVScu " our StalcS-
men and to the people that commercial
must be added to the political freedom,
which had been 80 bravciy won. The
commercial policy OF tho mother country
had not relaxed any of its hard and oppres--
sive features. To hold in check the devel-
opment of our commercial marine, to pre-
vent or retard the establishment and
growth of manufacturers in the states, and
SO to secure an American market for their
shops, and carrying trade for their ships,
was the policy of the European statesmen.
and was pursued with most selfish vigor.
Petitions poured in upon congress urging
the imposition of discriminating duties
that should encourage the production of
needed things at home. The patriotism of
the people, which no longer found field
Of exercise in war was cnergeticaliy di-
rected to the duty of equipping the young
republic for the defense of its independ-
ence by making its people self-Gependent
Societies Cor the promotion OF home manu-
factures and for encouraging the use OF do
mestics in dress of the people were organ
lied in many of the states. A revival at
the end of the century of the same patri-
otic interest in the preservation and devel-
opment of domestic industries, and
defense of our working people
against injurious foreign competition
is an incident worthy of attention.
1t is not departure, but return that we
have witnessed. The protective policy had
then its opponents. and argument was
made as now that its benefits Injured to
party classes or sections. If the question
became in any sense or at any time Sec
tional, it was only because slavery existed
in some of the states. But as for this there
was no reason why the cotton producing
states should not have led or walked
abreast with the New England States
in the production of cotton fabrics. There
was this reason only why states that divide
with Pennsylvania the mineral treasures of
the great southeastern and central noun
tain ranges should have been so tardy in
bringing to the smelling furnace and to the
mill the coal and iron from their near
hillsides. Mill fires were lighted
at the funeral pile of slavery. The eman-
cipation proclamation was heard in
the depth of the earth, as we'll
as in the sky, men were made free, and
material things became our better servants.
How long will those who rejoice that
slavery 10 longer exists, cherish or tolerate
the incapacities it put upon their commu-
mites. look hopefully to the continu-
ance of our protective system, and to the
development of the manufac-
turing and mining enterprises in the states
hitherto wholly given up to agriculture, as
potent influences in the perfect unifcation
Of our people. do not doubt that if those
men in the south, who do not accept the
Tariff views of Clay aud the con-
,titutional expositions of Webster, would
avow and defend their real
convictions they would not find it difficult