The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-05-09
CENTENNIAL ORATIONS.
CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW AND
EX-PRESIDENT CLEVE-
LAND TALK.
Chauncey M. Depew's Address at
the Sub-Treasury--CIeveland
Grows Eloquent at the
Banquet.

viding line between the first and
second century OF Constitution
al Government. There ate no
clouds overhead and no convul-
sions under our feet. We rever-
emily 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 paralyze the
imagination, and we contem-
plate the vast accumulations of
the century with awe and pride.
Our population has grown from
four to sixty-five millions. Its
centre, moving westward 500
miles since 1889, is eloquent
With the founding of cities and
the birth of States. New settle
ments clearing the forests and
subdulng the prairies, and add
ing four millions TO the few
thousands of farms which were
the support Of Wa ,hington's
Republic, create one of the great
granaries of the world and open
exbaustless reservoirs of Ma
tional wealth.
"The infant industries, which
the first act Of our first Admin
istration sought to encourage,
now give remunerative employ
ment to more people than in
habited the Republic at the be-
ginning of Washington's Presi-
dency. The grand total of their
annual output of $7,O0O,OOO,OOO
in value place the United States
first among the manufacturing
countries of the earth. One
half the total mileage Of all the
railroads, and one-quarter of all
the telegraph lines of the world
within our borders, testify to
the volume. variety and value
Of an internal commerce which
makes these States, if need be,
independent and self-support-
ing. These hundred years of
development under favoring po-
litical conditions have brought
the sum Of our National wealt h
to a figure which has passed the
results of a thousand years for
the mother land, herself, other
wise the richest of modern en-
pires.
During this generation, a civil
war of unequalled magnitude
caused the expenditure and loss
of eight thousand millions of
dollars, and killed 100000 ard
permanently disabled over a
million young men, and yet the
impetnous progress of the North
and the marvellous industrial
development of the new and free
South have obliterated the evi-
dences of destruction and made
the war a memory, and have
stimulated production until oul
annual surplus nearly equals
that of England, France an6
Germany combined. The tee m
ing millions Of Asia till the pa
tient soil, and work the shuttle
and loom as their fathers have
done for ages; modern Europe
has felt the influence and receiv
ed the benefit Of the incalcula
BILE multiplication of force by
inventive genius since the Ma
poleonic wars: and yet, only two
hundred and sixty-nine yea II
after the little band of Pilgrims
landed on Plymouth Rock, oul
paople numbering less than one
fifteenth of the inhabitants o.
the globe, do one-third Of it.
mining, one-fourth of its manu-
featuring. one-tifth of its agri
culture, and own one-sixth of it,
wealth.
This realism of material prs
perity, surprising the wIldes
creations Of the romancers wht
have astonished and delighted
mankind, would be full Of dan
ger for the present and menace
for the future if the virtue, III
: telligence AMI independence o
the people were not equal to tn
wise regulation Of its abuses
But following the growth AM
!, power of the great factors, who's
aggregation of capital made pos
sible the tremendous pace Of tn
J settlement Of our National do
main, the building of our grea
cities and the opening IF tn
, lines of communication whic]
: have unified our country an,
created our resources, have com
, National and State Legislation
, aud supervision. Twenty mi
: llous-a vast majority of GU
: people of intelligent age-at
, knowledging the authority c
1 their several churches, twelv
millions of children in the con
mon schools, 345 untvessitie
Y and colleges for the higher edl
b cation Of men and 200 for WI
r men, 45O institutions Of learl
s ing for science, law, medicil
a and theology, are the despair {
the scoffer and the demagogu