Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-02

| And severed sections weary Of debates,
| Jolnrd hands ut last and were United States.
| q City sitting by the Sea
How proud the day that dawned on thee,
| When tho now era, long desired, began,
| And, in its need, the hour had found the mani
One thought the cannon salvos spoke;
The resonant bell-tpwers vibrant stroke,
The voiceful streets. the plalldit echoing halls.
| And prayer and hymn borne heavenward from
st. Faulsl
How felt the land in every part
The strong thrOb of a nation heart,
\ As its great leader gave, with reverent awe,
| His pledge 10 Union, Liberty and Law!
| That pledge the heavens above him heard,
| That vow the sleep Of centuries stirred;
| In Worldwide wonder listening peoples bent
| Their gaze on Freedoms grent experiment
Could It succeed Of honor sold
| And hopes deceived III history told.
Above the wrecks that strewed the mournful
past,
Was the long dream of ages true at lasts
Thank God the peoples choice was Just,
The one man equal to his trust,
! Wise beyond lore, and without weakness good,
Calm in the strength of fiawless rectitude!
| His rule Of Justice order pence,
| Made possible the worlds release;
Taught prince and serf that power is but
trust,
And rule, alone, which serves the ruled, is Just:
That Freedom generous is but strong
In hate of fraud ana selfish wrong,
| Pretense that turns her holy truths to lies,
| And lawlcss license masking In her guise.
Land of his love with one glad voice
| Let thy great sisterhood rejoice:
| A century suns DER thee have risen and set,
And, God be praised, we are one nation yet
And still, we trust, tho years to be
| Shall prove his hope was destiny.
| Leaving our ing with all Its added stars
unrent by faction and unstained by wars.
| 10. whese with patient toll he nursed
| And trained the new-set plant Mt first,
| The widening branches of u stately tree
| Stretch from tho sunrise to the sunset sea.
And lis broad and sheltering shade,
Sitting with none 10 make afraid,
| Were we now silent through each mighty limb,
| The winds Of heaven would sing the praise Of
| him.
Our first and best This ashes lie
Beneath his own Nirginian sky.
| Forgive, forget, o true and Just and brave.
The storm that swept above thy sacred grave
| For, ever in the awful strife
And dark hours OF the nations life,
| Through the fierce tumult pierced his warning
word.
Their fathers voice his errlng children heard
| The change for which he prayed and sought
In that sharp agony was wrought:
| No partial interest draws its alien line
| 'Twixt North and South, the cypress and the
pine.
| One people now, all doubt beyond,
His name shall be our Cnlon-bond;
| We lift ourhands 10 Heaven, md here and now,
Take ON our lips the old Centennial vow.
] For rule and trust must needs be ours;
Chooser and chosen both are powers
| Equal In service as In rights: the claim
| OF Duty rests on each nnd all the same.
Then let the sovereign millions, where,
| Our banner floats in sun and air,
/ From tho Unlfu lands In AiaSkn'g cold.
| Repeat with us the pledge century old
OAK KSOLL, DAEyERs, MASS. @...
| AT the conclusion ot the reading the a.
sembisge gave Mr.. Whittier three cheers
| aud % tiger.
Hon. Cnauncey NJ. Dspew, the orator OF
the day, WAS next introduced. He received
a hearty greeting and when this had sub
sided he spoke as follows:
atR. DRPsw's GRAFTON.
We celebrate to-day the centenary OF our
| nationality. Oae hundred years ago the
| United States began their existence. The
| powers OF government were assumed
| by the people Of the republic. aud they rs
/ came the sole source OF authority. The
solemn ceremonial OF the 1rst Inauguration,
the revereut oath OF Washington, the &c
claim Of The multitude greeting their Presi.
| dent, marked the most unique event OF
me d ,rn times In the development OF free
] institutions. The OCCASION was not AT
accident, but result II was the culmina.
ton OF the working out by mighty force
! through many centuries OF the problem o.
eitgovernment. II was not the triumph
| OF a system, the application OF theory, or
| the reduction TO practice OF the abstrae-
lions OF philosophy. The time, the country,
| the heTedlty and environment of the peo.
| pie, the folly of its enemies, and the noble
courage OF its friends, gave to liberty after
| So afA 81 taI ~ narlr aanN ~
| partial success and substantial gains, this
immortal victory. Henceiorth It had n
refuge aud recruiting station. The op
| pressed found free homes iu this favored
| land, and Invisible armies marched from II
| by mail aud telegraph, ~ speech and song,
| by precept and example, TO degenerate the
| world.
The traditions and experience OF the
colonists had made them alert to discover
and quick TO reslst any peril to their lib.r-
ties. Above all things, they feared and dis
| trusted power. The town meeting and the
colonial legislature gave them conf ,enca
In themselves, and courage TO check tho
royal governors. Their interests, hopes
and affections we're In their several com
monwealths, and each blow by the British
ministry at their freedom, each attack upon
| their rights as Enpllshmen, weAke nad their
| Iowa for the mother-land and Intensified
| their hostility to the crown. Bot the same
causes which broke down their allegiance
| to the central government Increased their
conh 'enes IN their respective colonies, and
| their faith 10 liberty vas largely dependent
| upon the maintenance OF the sovereignty OF
| their se2aral states. The farmers shot at Leg
| ington echoed round the world, the spirit
which It awakened from liz SAUNDERS could
| do and dare aud die. but II had not yet dis,
covered the secret OF the permanence and
| progress of free institutions, Patrick Henry
Numbered In the Virginia convention,
James 0ps spoke with trumpet tongue and
| fervld eoqusnce for united action In
/ Massachusetts,, Hamilton, Jay and Clinton
| pledged New York to respond with men
and money for the common cause, but their
| vision only saw n league Of Independent
colonies. The vail was no. yet dra vn from
before the vista, of population and power,
OF empire ant liberty, which would open
| with National Union.
Tue Continental Congress partially
| graspad, but completely expressed, tbs
central idea of the American Republic.
More fully than any other body which ever
assembled did 1t represent the victories
won from arbitrary power for human
riRhis. 10 this Congress were those whose
ancestors were the countrymeu of William
ORC arge, the Begg' rs OF the Sea, who had
survived the cruelties Of Ava, and broken
the yoke Of prond Philip Of Spain, and who
bad two centuries before made n Eeclara-
tion OF Independence. and formed Fed
eral union which were models of freedom
aud strength.
These men were not revolutionists, they
W re the heirs and the guardians OF the
priceless treasures OF mankind. Tie British
King and his ministers were the revolution.
lists There were reactionaries, seeking
arbitrarily to turn back the hands upon the
dial of time. A year OF doubt and debate,
the baptism of blood upon battle fields,
where soldiers from evary colony fought,
under q common standard, and consoli-
dated the Continental Army, gradually
lifted the soul and understanding OF THIS
immortal Congress to the sublime declara-
flnn t.WA fharafnra the ranraaentnfiuaa of