The Springdale news., 1889-05-03

and military companies, which escorted him, marched from Franklin square to Pearl street, through Pearl to smof Broad' nnt and tnp up sdpfs BrGad to odl Shis Washington. As he stood upon the steps of the old Government building hero, | the thought must have occurred to him that | it Was a cradle of liberty, and as such gtv- ing bright omen for the future. In these | halls in l135 in the trial uf John Zerger had been established for the first time in it's history the liberty of the press. Here the | New York Assembly, in 116i made the pro- test against the Stamp act, and proposed the general conference, which was the beginning of the United Colonial action. In this old State House in l765 the Stamp act congress, the first and the father of American 1 Congresses, assembled and presented to the | English Government that vigorous protest which eansed the repeal Of the act, and Il checked the first step towards the usurp0- ton which lost the American colonies to the British empire Within these walls tho | Congress of the Confederation had cOmmis- | stoned it's Ambassadors abroad, and in inef- fectual efforts at government had created the necessity for the concentration of Fed eral authority, now tU be eUflsummated
 The first Congress of the United States | gathered in this ancient temple of liberty, greeted Washington and accompanied him to the balcony The famous men visible about him were Chancellor Livingston, l Vice President John Adams, Alexander Hamilton Governor Clinton, Roger Sher- 1 man. Richard Henry Lee, General Knox and Baron Steuben But we believe that among | the invisible host above linn, at this supreme | moment of the continuation in permanent | triumph of the thousands of years of strug- | gle for self government, were the spirits of | the soldiers of the revolution who had died that their countrymen might enjoy | this blessed day, and with them were the | Barons of Runnymede and William the Silent, and Sidney and Russell, and Crom- well and Hampden, and the heroes and l martyrs of liberty of every race and age.
 As he came forward, the multitude in tho streets, in the windows and on the roofs | sent up such a rapturous shout that Washington sat down overcome with emotion As he slowly rose and his tall and majestic form again appeared, the people, deeply affected, in awed silence | viewed the scene. The Chancellor sol emnly read to him the oath of office, anl Washington, repeating, said 'I do solemn ly swear that will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States Then he reyerently bent low and kissed the Bible, utter ing with profound emotion: 'So help me, God" The Chancellor waved his robes and shouted: Tt is done; long live George
 
 States" Long live George Washington, our first Presidentl" was the answering cheer of the people, and from the belfries rang the bells, and from forts and ships thundered the cannon, eChoing and repeat ing the cry with responding acclaim all over the land Long live George Washing ton, President of the United Statesln
 No man ever stood for so much to his country and to mankind as George Wash ington Hamilton, Jefferson and Adams, Madison and Jav each represented some of the clements which formed the Union. Washington embodied them all.
 Do his Countrymen exaggerate hls W.T. tues? Listen to Guizot the historian ot civilization: Washington did the two great est things which in politics 1t is permitted to man to attempt He maintained by peace the independence of his country which he conquered by war. He founded a free Government in the name Of the principles of order and by re-establishlng their sway Hear Lold Erskine the most famous of English advocates. You are the only being for whom I have an aw- ful reverence" Remember the tribute of Charles James Fox, the greatest parfa- mentary orator who ever swayed the BrItlSh House of Commons: "lllustIiOus man, be- fore whom all borrowed greatness sinks into insignificance. Contemplate the character of Lord Brougliam, pre- eminent for two generations Tn every department of human activity and thought and then impress upon the memo res of your children his deliberate Judg- ment: Until time shall be no more will q test of tho progress which our race has made in wisdom and virtue be derived from the veneration paid to the immortal name ol Washington Y
 We stand today upon the dividing line between the first and second century oi constitutional government There are no clouds overhead and nS convulsions under our feet We reyerently return thanks to Almighty God for the past, and with conf
 dent and hopeful promise march upon sure ground towards the future. The simple facts of these hundred years paralvze the imagination, and we contemplate the vast accumulations of the century with awe anc pride Our population has grown from four to sixty five millions. Its center, nov ing westward five hundred miles since l7s9 is eloquent with the founding of cities and the birth of States New settll entS clearing the forests and subduing the prai- ries, and adding four millions to the few thousands of farms which were the support of Washingtons Republic, create one ot the great gran aries of the world and open eX- haustless Reservoirs of National wealth.
 During this generation, civil war oi unequaled magnitude caused the eXpendi ture and.loss of eight thousand millions o1 dollars, and killed six hundred thousand and permanently disabled over million young men, and yet the impetuous prog rcSS or the NOfUn anu tuc ldLNelOlS TIT dustrial development of the new and free South have obiteratcd the evidences of de- struction and made the war a memory and have stimulated production until ouI annual surplus nearly equals that ol England France and Germany combined The teeming millions of Asia till the patient soil and work the shuttle and loom as theIl fathers have done for ages; modern Europe has felt the influence anc received the benefit of the incalcu lable multiplication of force by inventive genius E, nee the Napoleonic wars; and yet only two hundred and sixty nine years after the little band of pilgrims landed or Plymouth Rock our people, numbering less than one-fifteenth of the inhabitants oi the globe do third of its mining, one fourth of it's manufacturing, one fifth ot itS agriculture and own one-SfXth of it's wealth
 Steam and electricity have changed the commerce not only. they have revolution ized also the governments or the world They have given to the press It's power and brought all races and natlonallt eS Into touch and sympathy. They have tested and are trying the strength of all systems to stand the strain and conform to the con ditions which follow the germinatlnG influences of American Democracy. Al the time of the inauguration of Wash ington seven royal families ruled as many kingdoms in Italy, but six of then have seen their thrones overturned anc their countries disappear from the mal of Europe Most of the Kings, Princes Dukes and margraves of Germany who retgned despotically and sold their soldiers for foreign service, have pas ed into his tory, and their heirs have neither prerog atives For domain. Spain has gone througl many violent changes and the permancncN of her present government seems to depcnC upon the feeble life of an infant Prince France, our ancient friend, with repeated and bloody revolutions, has tried tho government of Bourbon and Con vention, of Directory and Consu late of Empire and Citizen King of hereditary Sovereign and Republic of Empire and again Republic The flaps burg and the Hohenzolern, after convul sons which have rocked the foundation O their throne, have been compelled to con cede consultations to their people and t divide with them the arbitrary power wielded so autocraticallv and brilliantly by Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great The royal will of George III. could crowt the American colonies into rebellion anC wage war upon them until they were los to his kingdom, but the authority of the Crown has devolved upon Ministers wh' hold office subject to the approval o the representatives of the people, and th' equal powers of the House of Lords have | become vested in the Commons leaving