Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-12


ton of what this Government really is.
He may almost be said to have been the
first thoroughbred, unadulterated Ameri-
can. There have been few since who
have perfectly comprehended just what
the genius of this Government really is.
There have been none who have sur
passed him in this clear insight into this
profound matter.
And it is precisely and chiefly to the
form Of government under which we live
that all this progress of all sorts is due.
Here first in the history of the human
race, here first in that long, fierce,
ardent, sad struggle of mankind to be
men, was it possible for man to
assert his manhood, and to triumph by
virture of the manliness within him.
Here first the shackles were really
broken from the hands of men, and here
first the letters of usurped authority over
his mind were riven, and men could act
and think as men. This is the great I'M
derlying principle out of which all our
greatness has been erected. But for it
the progress of the county had been i'm
possible, and the Revolution had been
barren of fruit.
And now at the dawn of the second
century of the life OF the Republic, with
the heroic deeds OF the Fathers as our
inheritance; with the glorious struggle
of 1912 with England to look
back to; with the internicene war
between the States brought to happy
termination, and with the grand achieve
ments of the country to buoy US up.
with all this we stand almost in danger
of losing all our heritage. 1t is not too
much to say that the great danger that
day besets the Republic is sentiment
that has grown up which makes us
almost regret that ours is not regal
court, longing for the feshpots of the
political Egypt from which the Father OF
the Country led US out. There is half
apologize manner about half Of US when
we speak of our country. 1t was
we'll exemplifed on the day when
the anniversary of the Inauguration
of Washington was celebrated. In New
York learned, pious and devoted pre-
late of great Christian Church stood in
his sacred edifce, and before large
congregation of American citizens,
poured unmeasured contempt on the
implicitly of Jefferson, and branded
Jackson with the odious epithet of vul-
gar. The Bishop is the grandson OF an
American farmer. In any other
country than his own he would,
by the iron power OF fate,
and the aristocratic forms Of gov
eminent, have been an ignorant plowman
instead of learned pielate. Yet, he is
unstinted in the contempt he heaps upon
the memory of the two greatest. truest,
purest of Americans. Bishop Potter
has made more than one pilgrimage
to England. He has been "my-lorded,"
and he has, no doubt, lost all admiration
for Republican simplicity. With the
growth Of wealth among US, there have
multitudes of our people been enabled to
gaze on the splendors Of foreign courts.
In the elder days men like Franklin,
Dallas and Buchanan had seen these
dazzling, but empty forms, and they had
thought it more honor to be citizen OF
the Great Republic than to be King.
In these days many OF us have lost this
love OF simplicity, this admiration for
that liberty which accords to all men
full scope to exercise the manhood that
is in them.
The church to which Bishop Potter be-
longs is historical, is redolent with the
piety of great men. His predecessors have
been men of the truest Republican prin-
ciples, and they have been most ardent
admirers Of American simplicity. Bishop
Hobart, whose See Potter fills, and Bishop
White, of Philadelphia, predecessor OF
Bishop Potter's father, were Americans
of the old school. They would as soon
have spoken with contempt of the sim
plicity of st. Paul as of that of Jefferson,
or as soon have branded st. Peter as vul-
gar as to have applied the offensive cpl
tibet to Jackson. And it is not only the
Nation at large, but the churches as we'll,
that would do we'll to tie fast to the sim
plicity of Jefferson and to the stern love
of liberty that actuated Jackson. Reli-
gion is in as much danger from q
vulgar plutocracy as is the Nation.
The danger to religion as at present
practiced is in its lack of robust strength.
1t is too much a matter for women and
children. Fine ladies still may dress in
sackcloth, but they want the garment to
be tailor-made and trimmed with swans
down or sealskin. They may sprinkle
the ashes of repentance on their heads,
but it has to be the ashes of roses and
perfumed with cologne water.
1t is really question to which those
who have the welfare of the Nation at
heart must give their thoughts. Ii the
future is to be marked by the same
measure of success and of progress as
the past, if the Republic is to
stand at the end OF the sec
ond century as far ahead Of the
present as this anniversary is ahead OF
the first inauguration day, it will
be because the same causes are
maintained in force and in their
pristine vigor. Wealth must not be
allowed to take the place Of man
hood. Grace of manner and polish of
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