Wichita eagle., 1889-05-01

memorable discourse In it he set forth
} what he deemed the true principles of the
constitution on the then unsettled CUES
. ton Of the relation between the states and
the general government with a fullness OF
information which, perhaps, no other man
; could marshal, and with faultiess logic
he showed that the Declaration Of indie
pendence in terms and in fact, was the act
! of a single person dwelling in the thirteen
colonies, but who, united together out of a
decent respect to the opinions of mankind,
declared the causes which impelled them
as zone people to dissolve the political
bonds which had connected them with an
other" He showed that the articles OF
confederation departed from the firm and
safe concord with which indie
pendence was declared and '.re-
Taxed their union into mere
league of friendship between sovereign
an Independent states."' In spite of the
defects OF the article OF confederation the
spirit of liberty and the popular impulse
to unity carried the Americans through
the war as one people, and the cause OF
independence was triumphant. But now
came the grsvest perils. The danger Of
conquest by British despotism removed,
'the union lauguished," says Mr.
| Adams, ito the point of death" There
was" he says, 'avowedly no executive
power" Indeed he went further and
declared that 1.-The one united people had
no government" And ne was altogether
| right. Where there is no executive power.
| whatever else there may be, there is no
met in that great convention, which
| Washington suggested, and which he in
truth more than any other man called
| into being, no more difficult or weighty
duty devolved upon them than wisely TO
constitute the chief interchangeable
presidency-for the republic they were
| about TO establish. Now what shall be
| said OF their work?
Speaking under the necessary limitations
| of this occasion one must avoid details aud
all attempts to elaborate discussion. No
| candid, Intelligent, retrospect of the CEN
| fury that is gone will fail to discover tran
| scendant merit in the executive authority
controlled by Washington, Hamilton,
| Madison and their immortal associates.
| The tree is known by its fruit. Experience
| has shown that in ordinary times the exec
utive power is of no greater Importance
| perhaps it is less yital-than the legisla
| tive or judicial power. Indeed, so happily
| constituted is the presidency that we must
| say of which of the tWenty-SlX presidential
! elections under the constitution, that
| either candidate might have been elected
| and the good citizen whose partisan feel
| ing was strongest and whose disappoint-
| ment WAS DlJterest could repose on his
| pillow consoled by the reflection, although
my party is beaten my country IS safe. 1t
is not true that our executive authority is
| so fashioned that in ordinary
! times it has always been SO
administered that the republic has receiv-
| ed no detriment When gigantic perils
| and disasters threaten, when eXtraordln
airy character and powers are demanded
| these great occasions have always found
strength and men to deal with them. J. he
| untried government in its first voyage over
an unknown and stormy sea, without Il
whisper of dissent in any quarter Wash
ington was called TO the helm and under
him the first voyage gave the world aSsur
ance that the prospect of the new nation
for growth and power and prestige and
happiness was unmatched by that of any
people the world had ever seen before.
Only twice within the century since our
government was established has deadly
peril seemed TO draw near to the people of
the United States AT the beginning, as
we have seen, armed with the orderly and
clearly expressed powers of the presidency
the threatened danger was met and over
come by Washington. Again as we were
approaching the middle of the second
half century of the constitution
it did seem as if we were drifting, nay as
if we were swept on toward destruction
Our friends in other Landslide few we had
lost hope. John Bright was almost alone
among the great statesmen with his inspir-
ing cOntidence-eyer blessed In America
shall be the memory of John Bright.
Those not our friends and yet not quite our
enemies shook their heads and thought it
strange we could not see the inevitable
end. Our enemies abroad jubilant beyond
expression, declared the bubble republic |
bursted In that dread time to what de (
partment of our government did We look? |
The Judge, calm, impartial and wise could |
interpret the constitution and the laws. !
the hour-would it heed him? The sena- !
tor, far seeing, patriotic and solicitous, |
what laws could he propose to meet to the |
urgenl need of the time? In the Legislative !
halls, as in the court rooms, everywhere |
was clearly written the awful sentence |
Inter arma silent leges" In the midst Of |
war the laws are silent"
Happily for America, in conformity with |
the constitution, and by the gracious favor |
of Providence, the presidency of the United |
States was held by Lincoln. We can truly |
say of the presidency that the result of |
twenty-five consecutive terms have vindi- [
Gated the wisdom of the fathers who estab- |
lished it. OF twenty-five terms there are /
two things which may be said, one IS that 1
no great remediless harm came through /
the executive power to the people it was
intended to serve; the other is that if no
eminent historical benefit lasting through
the ages was conferred by most of them. il
for illustrious achievement did not occur
But believing that all the nation by
its Inherent resources pushed rap
idly forward In Il career of I'M
parelled prosperity and happiness
unimpeded by executive crimes or blum
ders Finally during the critical and
anxious years of the other three presi-
Dental terms the opportunity came 10
America and she gave TO the world two
chief magistrates whose character and
deeds. unrivalled in human annals, were
crowned by devotion to the country and
mankind which enabled then to furnish
an example OF the independence of per-
sonsl advantage and of selfish love Of
power, of wealth and OF title, either for
themselves or their families, absolutely
unknown in the history Of the world BY
their administration of the presidency
Washington and Lincoln made the great
office and the century whose completion
we celebrate, forever iilustrious.
Mr. HAYES gave way to Senator Evarts
who spoke to The judiciary f.
General William T. Sherman was cheer
ed when he rose 70 speak 10 The army
and navy"
Our schools and colleges, - was the next
toast to which Harvard's president Charles
w Eliot, responded
Hon. James Russell Lowell had "Our
Literature" which ne treated in these :
words:
Literature has been put some what low
on the list Of tossts, doubtless in de-
ference to the necessity Of arrangement
but perhaps the place assigned TO 1t here
may be taken as roughly indicating that ,
which IL occupies in the general estima-
ton. And | venture TO claim for II an in