The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-05-04
OUR PEOPLE.
Ex-PrcSident Cleveland ON the Stability
of the Government

OF the Government.
The third toast at the Centennial Banquet in New
York was responded to by ex President Grover
Cleveland. 1t was The People of the United
States"
Not mob, nor oligarchy, not a class; but the
great force ofAmercan patriotism, conscience in
tellgence, energy and industry the only sure foun
dation of States, the sole hope OF the Republic:
Mr.. Cleveland said The mention of people
may well suggest sober and impressive reflections.
The subject was not beneath the divine thought
when the promise was given to the children Of
Israel 4 viii take you to Ne for people, aud VIII
be to you God. This idea of divine relationship
TO people is also recognized in the fervent utter
anee, Yea happy is thar people whose God is the
Lord.
Wherever human government has been admins
tered in tyranny in despotsm or in oppression, there
has been found among the governed yearning for
freer condition and the assertion of mans nobility
These re but the ALTERING steps of human nature
in the direction of the freedom which is its birth
right; and they preSage the struggle of 10 be-
come a free people. and thus reach the plane of
their highest and best aspirations In this relation
and In the cry for freedom il may be truly said the
voice of the people is the voice of God.
The influence of these reflections is upon me as
speak to those who, after darkness and doubtless
struggle burst forth in the bright light Of indepen
dence and liberty aud became zone people'-free,
determined and Observation-Disclosures the wonder
OF the universe. proelaiming the dignity Of man
and invoking the aid aud favor of Almighty God.
In sublime faith and rugged strength our fathers
cried out to the world we the people Of the United
States in order to form more perfect union, estab
ish justice insure domestic tranquility provide for
the common defense, promote the general welfare,
and the blessings flibery to ourselves and
our poserty do ordain and establish this constitu
ton for the United States OF America"
Thus 'our people" in q day assumed place
among the nations Of the earth. Their mission was
to teach the fitness Of man for selfgoveynment and
their destiny was to outstrp every other people i'm
national achievement and material greatness
One hundred years have passed We have an
nounced and approved to the worldo mission and
made our destiny secure.
I will not taTnely recite our achievements. They
are written on every page Of our history, and the
monuments Of our growth and advancement are all
about us But the value of these things is messur-
ed by the fullness with which our people have pre-
served their patriotism, their integrity and their de-
yotion 10 free institutions H. engrosse in material
advancement diverted by the turmoil of business
and activity they have not held fast 70 that love OF
country and that simple faith in virtue and enlght
eminent which constituted the hope and trust of our
fathers all that we have built rests upon founda-
tons inhrm and weak,
Meeting this test we point TO the scattered graves
Of many thousands OF our people who have brayely
died In defense of our national safety and peTpetnity,
musely bearing testimony 10 their love of country,
and to an invincible living host standing ready TO
enforce our national rights and protect our land.
I Our churches, our schools and universities and
benevolent institutions which beaEtify every town
aad hamlet and look out from every hillside,
I teachings upon advanced education and upon
deeds Of charity That our people still jealous
Of their individual rights and freedom is proved by
{ the fact that no one in place power has dared
/ openly 10 assail them. The enthusiasm which
marks the celebration OF the centennial of the in
auguration oftheir FIRST chief magistrate shows the
/ popular appreciation Of the value Of the Office
which, in our plan Of government. stands above all
Others Cor the sovereignty of the people and is the
( repository Of their trust.
I Surely such people can be safely trusted with
< their free government, and there need be no fear
that they have lost the qualities which lit them TO
be its eustodlans II they should wander they win
I return to duty in good time. If they should be
insled they VIII discover the true landmarks none
too le,e for safety, and If they should even be
4 ruptei they will speedily be found seeking with
peace offerings their eountry's holy altar. Let
( then, have an abiding faith in "our people" Let
( petulanee and discomfort with popular action dis
appear before the truth that in any and oil circam
stances the win of the people, however il may be
exercised is the law of our national existence-the
i arbitsr absolute and Interchangeable, by which we
must abide Other than existing situations or pol
ieeS can only justify themselves when they may be
reached by the spread Of political intellgences the
revival of unselsh and patriotic interest in public
affairs. Hl-natured complaints Of popular incom-
potency and sef-righteous assertion of superiority
over the body OF the people. are impotent and use
less.
But there is danger. I fear that The scope ofth e
words our people, and all they import not al
ways fully apprehended. II is only natural that
those in the various walks OF life should ''our
people within the range of their own vision, and
and Just about them the interests most important
and most worthy the care of the government The
rich merchant capitalist in the centre OF wealth
and enterprise, hardly has glimpse of the country
blacksmith at his forge, the farmer in his field
and these, in their turn, know but little of the
laborers who crowd our manufactures and inhaoit
their own world Of toll, or of the thousands who
labor In our mines. Representatives of every ele-
ment of our population and industries should be
gathered together, they would find but little OF
purely selfish and personal interest in common. and
upon superficial glance but little would be seen
to denote that only one people was represented
Yet in the spirit of our institutions, all these, 81
separated in station and personal interests, are
common brotherhood and are "our people" all O
equal value before the law, all having by their sui
frage the same voice in governmental affairs, al
demanding with equal force protection and defense
and all in their persons and property equally en-
titled to their governments scrupulous care.
The diversity of our interests, though the soure
of boundless wealth and prosperity, has tendenc!
10 press our people apart. This condition demands
of us eounteT-force of lberality and liberation TO
wards each other and an enlightened regard for tn
condition of every individual who contributes I
the aggregate of our national greatness. This az
gregate, fostered and increased by united, earnes
and unselfsh effort, viii yield full return for il
dividual enterprise and labor, without drying u
the fountains of brotherly kindness and forbearane
upon which the political health of our people dc
ponds.
This centennial time, which stirs our pride b
leading us to the contemplation of our tremendou
strides in wealth and greatness also recalls to gu
minds the virtues and the unselfsh devotion
principle of those who the first days of the II
public Let there now be a revival of our love fC
the principles which our country represents; i
there be at this time conservation to the
of mans freedom and equality and quickene
sense OF the solemn responsibility assumed befol
the world by every man who wears the badge
our people"
The future beckons us on Let us follow with q
exalted and ennobling love of country and with III
daunted courage, Though clouds may sometim
darken the heavens, they shall be dspelled, and v
shall see the bow ofGods promise set clearly in ii
sky, and shall read beneath it, blazing in radal
r characters "our people"
: A terrible disease, resembling malignai
a typhus, has broken out in Anagawa he
!. Japan. OF GA cases, 40 ended fatally with
!. to bad rice.