The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-05-04
SUPERIOR, WIS.,, SATURDAY, NAY 1, 1889.
Our Centennial Review.
BY REV. F. II. RIGHT.
At II. e. Church, April 3ati., 1889.

vi bIIC tAllplOt't liz, biil IL
occurred tOm that retrospect would
be profitable, even if we merely limited
at the main features of this nation
history, and strive to prove the truth
of the text we have chosen, Fright
eousnesS- eXalteth a nation: but SIN is
reproach to any people"
One hundred years to-day, George
Washington, to quote the words of the
proclamation of President Harrison,
lat noon, in the city of New \ DIRK,
and in the presence Of an aSsemblage
of the heroic men whose patriotic devO-
tiop had led the colonies to victory and
independence took the oath
of office as chief magistrate of the new
born republic. This impressive act was
preceded at 8 O'Clock in the morning,
in all the churches of the city. by prayer
for Gods blessing on the Government
and its first President"
Thus reijgiously, the wheel of the
ideal government : Of the people, for
thespeople, and by the people, F" made
its first revolution, proving most EN-
phatically, the truth of the first state
ment of our text Righteousness eX-
alteth nation" AS compared with
other nations this American Republic
is but a babe, but the strength III her
muscle, and the power III her limb
makes her an enyiable rival of her old
mother, as also of her godfathers and
godmotherS of Europe.
The century soon TO become "a thing
of the past, = is well named the "Nicto-
rian age" Though primarily having
reference to the present Ruler Of Great
Britain, and in fact only covering half
"a century or SO, yet it has been preemi-
nently a century of victory in Politics,
i'll Science, III Literature, in Art, in
Religion and it VIII not seem like brag
gadocio when an adopted American
citizen only,-say that the victory has
depended in Il large measure, upon the
growth of this Republic; that is to say,
if there had not been an American Re
public in the nineteenth century, there
would not have been the advance in
Politics, Science, Literature, Art or
Religion that is seen today. Bold words
these may seem, but we hope to prove
them, before we have done, to be true.
AS IT REFERS TO POLITICS.
BY the term - Politics " we do not
mean trickerieS, Wranglings, partiZan
spirits, such as it has come to mean in
cur day, but by politics" we mean the
true science of government. The pre-
amble of the United States Constitu-
ton expresses it precisely, We, the
people of the United States in order to
form more perfect union, establish
justice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense, pro
mote the general welfare, and secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and
our pOsterity, do ordain and establish
this constitution for the United States
of North, America" The principles on
which the Declaration of Independence
IS founded are indeed the principles of
the Science of Government. wv hold
these truths to be self-eyident, that
all men are created equal; that they
are endowed by their Creator with Ger
tain inalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness; that to secure these
rights, governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of the governed; that
whenever any form of government be
comes destructive Of these ends, it is
the right of the people TO alter or abOl-
ish it, and to institute a new govern
ment, laying its foundation on such
principles, and organizing its powers
In such torn, as to them shall seem
most likely to affect their safety and
happiness. Prudence, indeed, Will die
tate that governments long establish
ed, should not he changed for light and
transient causes; and accordingly all
experience hath shown that mankind
are more disposed to suffer While evils
are Sutferable, than to right them
selves by abolishing the forms to which
they are accustomed. But when a long
train of abuses and uSurpatiOnS, pur-
suing invariably the same object evin-
ces design to reduce them under alb
solute despotlsm, it Is tier right, it is
their duty, to throw off such a govern
ment, and to provide new guards for
their future security And then after
declaring what George III and his gov
eminent had done as grounds for the
Revolution, they "solemnly publish
and declare, that these United Colonies
are, and of right ought to be Free and
independent States. & And for the
support of the Declaration, with firm
reliance on this protection of Divine
Providence we mutually pledge to each
other our lives, our fortunes, and our
sacred honor
The principles herein enunciated are
fundamental to true politics and with
the odds against them those noble
patriots sealed their convictions by
their blood. There was one principle,
however, embodied in that declaration
that was falsitied by the actions of
those grand men. They declared that
the inalienable rights among men are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
plneSS' and at the same time then
General and future President kept
slaves. They declared that they ought
to be free, and yet enslaved men. y ot
satisfied with this the supreme Court
of the United States, originated foI
ln, e ,tl, ~
stitution decided III the celebrated
bred Scott case that negroes ''wheth.
er free or slaves lrere not citizens Of tn
United States, and hGt bey couid not be
come such jH dnY process kH0irR to thl
Constitution; that under the laws of the
United States negro could neither
sue, nor be sued and that therefore the
court had no jurisdiction of bred
Scott's cause; that a slave was to be
regarded in the light of a personal
chattel,and that he might be removed
from place to place 10y his owner as
any other piece of property" y bar
harouS Interpretation of the constitu
ton verify, to be settled only by pass
ing through deep seas of blood,
The science of true Government was
beginning to assert itself, and the ex
periences of ISl2-l5 and 1876 proved
that this nation was ready to rightly
interpret The Constitution. Washing
ton vowed to uphold. We should like
10 have spoken of Politics from Its
varied phases judicial, legislative, ex
2cutive, military, but we have only
time to group them all together and
speak of politics in general way Tt
do this We have only to mention the
names of some of America political
heroes to show, how, as political ven
ture, the Republican form of Govern
meat has been a success True. the
fathers of this country had their modek
in Rome, an Athens, a Switzerland
a France, and yet each were ill-adapt
ed to meet the demands of such a great
continent as this. Those were massive
minds that brought forth the consti
tuition, and in the name of God anG
home and native land set it a going
to prove lis powers of endurance Re
view the galaxy and say if American