The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-09
AMERICANISM.

Ex-President Cleveland and Chief Justice
Fuller at the banquet given on the night
of the second day of the entertainment
Mr.. Cleveland's speech was in response to.
the toast, "Our People;" that of
Mr.. Fuller in response to the
toast, "Our Federal Constitution"
Mr.. Cleveland took as his text the senti-
ment of the time when the American colo
nists announced to the world the heroic
intention contained in the first clause of
the Federal constitution, whose opening
sentence begins, ave, the people," and he
then launched out with this assertion ::
"Thus our people in a day assumed a
place among the nations of the earth.
Their mission was to teach the fitness of
man for self government, and their
destiny was to outstrip every other
people in national achievement
and material greatness. One hundred
years have passed. We have announced
and approved to the world our mission
and made our destiny secure" A refer
ence to the m material achievements of the
century, he closes with this terse and apt
summary: "But the value of these things
is measured by the .fullness with which
our people have preserved their patriot
ism, their integrity and their devotion to
free institutions" He here strikes the
inging key note of Americanism-that
principle and characteristic which distin-
cuisines US from all other nationalities-
the utmost and unyielding respect for and
adherence to the most absolute individual
Liberty consistent with individual
protection and the preservation of the
dignity and efficiency of conservative state
and national government. He affirmed
the history of our people in every walk of
life, shows how firmly this principle is
held to and loved; yet, he points out q
danger that menaces US in that the scope
of the words, our people and
all they import are not always
fully apprehended," and this because of
the infinite variety of classes of our people
and because such clas ses are not in touch,
especially the rich with the poor. He put
the case most excellently as follows:
The diversity of our interests, though
the source of boundless wealth and pros
perity, has tendency to press our people
apart. This condition demands of us a
counter-force of liberality and liberation
toward each other, and an enlighted regard
for the condition of every individual who
contributes to the aggregate of our ma
tional greatness. This aggregate, fostered
and increased by united, earnest AMI un-
selfish effort, will yield full return for in
dividual enter prise and labor without dry
ing up the fountains of brotherly kind
ness and forbearanoe upon which the
political health of our people depend.
This centennial time which stirs our
pride, by Leading us to the contem-
platlon of our tremendous strides in
wealth and greatness, also recalls to our
minds the virtues and the unselfish devo-
ton to principle of those who saw the
first days of the republic. Let there
now be a revival of our love for the prin-
cip!es which our country represents. Let
there be at this time a new conservation
to the cause of mans freedom and equal
ity, and quickened sense of the solemn
responsibility assumed before tie world
by every man who wears the badge of "our
people"
What better advice than this could be
given us as nation, as a people, when
we are entering upon our second century
of growth and increasing power; and
from what better source, an ex-president,
one but so recently charged with the
guardianship of our nation?
The speech of Chief Justice Fuller was
an ansly tical discussion of the essence of
the causes leading up to and shaping
an instrument of self-government
which the history of nations,
and especially the struggles and
purposes of the American colonists pre-
determined should be in the likeness and
effect of our present Federal constitution.
Such discussion naturally led up to the
reduction of the central figure of thoseint
days, the man who facile princeps was
the great moulder of the opinion of his
contemporaries and of his multitude of
followers. OF him he says:
"But to fashion the instrument which
was to create nation out of the people of
free and independent states, and at the
same time in terms to interpose the bar
riers against the invasion of rights and to
reserve to the people and to the states re-
spectively the powers deemed essential to
their preservation without impairiug the
efficiency of the central authority, this de-
msnded unequaled patience, sagacity,
moderation and wisdom. That patience,
that ssgacity, that moderation, that wis
dom, signslly exhibited in general, was
especially illustrated in his character and
conduct whose Inauguration We celebrate
to-day, the swelling theme of the launch
ing of the great republic being
we'll nigh lost in the recollection and con-
temptation of the virtues Of its first and
grandest leader. To Washiugton's
prophet, eye the glories of the future had
long been unveiled, dependent for realizs-