The Penn's Grove record., 1889-05-04
100 Years a Nation.

hAA- g Set'NoNt'h W
lions in commemoration Of the trans
migration of this one colonial wilder
ness into a separate and mighty nation.
Beginning with the celebration OF the
Declaration of I%ndepende &c by the
great Centennial in 1876, and following
in 1881 with the celebration of the sur
render &C the British army at Yorktown
in 1886 the formation of the COnstltu-
ton in Philadelphia, Tuesdays celehra-
ton was Of the browning climax of our
national birth.
While Washington is the central fig
ure in this drama of our nation, yet II
was to the symmetry to II govern
mental system as well as to his unSFIf-
ish devotion to the interest
of the people that our govern
ment was successful at the start. lie
was not "a leader of thought or maker OF
an occa sion, but when the crisis was al
hand he was the unselfsh and success
FIJI leader Of action and execution. Had
he been otherwise he might made for
himself a hereditary monarchy.
But Washington, with that personal
dignity with which every free Ameri-
can citizen should bear. claimed no
honor for him elf. In bis inaugural
address he said Every step by which
they have advanced to the character
of an independent nation seems to have
been distinguished by some token OF
p%rovidential agency" And in paying
a tribute to the talent, Tectitnde and
patriotism which adorn the character
of those who devised the constitution
he said to the first Congress: SIN these
honorable qualifications | behold the
| surest pledges that as, on one side no
local prejudices or attachments, no sep
arate views nor party animosities, Will
misdirect a comprehensive and equal
eye which ought to watch over this
great dssemblage of communities and
interests; SO on another, that the foun-
dations of III national policy will be
laid in the pure and immutable princi-
Piles of private mortality, and the pre-
rminence of free government be exem-
plified, by all the attributes which can
win the affections of its citizens and
command the respect of the world"
OF all the pageantry in the grant
celebration, of all tie eloquent words
spoken, none are more worthy of note
and serious consideration than those
spoken by Bishop Potter in st. Paul's
Church as President Harrison sat in
the pew George Washington did a hun
bred years ago. 1t WAS an eloquent
word picture of our political system.
After portraying the high level with
| which Washington held his position in
considering the public service above
the loatliing outrages of what is now
called practical politics." be thus
gives us a true picture of II present
system.
And, again, another enormous diff
erence between this day and that of
which it is the anniversary is seen in
the enormous difference in the nature
and il iluence of the forces that deter
mine our national and political destiny.
| Then, ideas ruled the hour. To-day,
there are indeed ideas that rule our
hour, but they must be m~erchamtable
ideas. The growth OF wealth, the pre-
valence of luxury, the massing of large
| material forces, which by their very
existence are ii standing menace to the
freedom and integrity of the individual,
the infinite swagger of our American
| speech and manners, mistaking blgness
for greatness, and sadly c%onfounding
gain and godliness-all this is a con-
trast to the austere simplicity, the III
pulchasable integrity of the first days
and first men of our republic, which
makes it impossible to reproduce today
either the temper or the conduct of our
fathers. AS we turn the pages back
ward, and come upon the story of that
Both of April, in the year of u Lord
1889, there is a certain stateliness in
the air, a certain ceremonioGsness in
&I,n ,,,,,,o,z y,biab WA haxya hanisha1
long ago. We have exchanged the
Washingtonian dignity for the Jeffer-
sonian simplicity, which was, in truth,
only another name for the Jacksonian
vulgarity, and what have we got i'll ex-
change for it? In the elder states and
dynasties they had the trappings of roy
atty and the pomp and splendor of the
kings person to fill mems hearts with
loyalty. Well, we have dispensed with
the old titular dignities. Let us take
tremendous force for which they stood,
Ii there be no litular royalty, all the
more nee I is there for personal royalty.
Ii there is To b nc nobility of descent,
all the more Indispensable is it that
there should be nobility Of ascent-a
character in them that bear rule, so
line and high and pure, that as men
come within the circle of its influence
they involuDtarily pay homage to that
which is the one prominent distinction,
the royalty of virtue!"
LITERARY NOTES.
The May number of Book, News
John Wanamaker, Philadelphia) leads
off with an article by Edward L. Hale
an S'Eood Nature." IN which lie gives