The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-03-08


people OF every state have here their repre-
sentatiyes. Surely do not. mist lterpret the
spirit Of the occasion when assume that the
whole hody of the people covenant with me and
with each other to-day to support and defend
the constitution and the union Of the States,
each To every other citizen his equal, civil and
political rights. Entcring't thus solemnly into
covenant with each other, we may revercntly
help OF Almighty God. that He will give to me
wisdom, strength and fidelity, and to- our
people spirit of fraternity and a love OF right
This occasion derives peculiar interest from
the fact that the presidential term, which be-
gins this day, is the twenty-sixth under our con-
Washington took place in New York, where
congress was then sitting, on the nth day Of
April, lIS. having been deferred by reason Of
decays attending the organization OF the con
GrIsS and the canvass Of the electoral vote.
Our people have already worthily observed the
centenniais Of the Declaration Of lndepend-
ence, OF the hattie of Yorktown and Of the
adoption Of the constitution; and will shortly
celebrate In New York the institution Of the
second great department q our constitution,
Ut the institution of the judicial department,
by the organization Of tho supreme court, shall
have been suitably observed, az trust II will
be. our nation will have fully entered Its roc
ond century.
will NOT attempt to note the marvellous.
ana. In great part, happy contrasts between
Mr ountry rs IL steps over the threshold into
its second century Of organized existence I'M
Ter the constitution, and hat weak but wisely
ordered young nation that looked undnnnted-
iy down the first century. when all lts years
stretched ont before IL. Our people will not
fail at this time To recall tho incidents which
accompanied the Institution of government
under the constitution, or 10 find inspiration
and guidance in the to Ghings and example OF
Washington and his great associates, and hOpi
and courage In the contrast which whicl, thirty, Thirty
he thirteen states, weak in everything except
courage and the love OF liberty, that then
iringed our Atlantic seaboard
The territory Of Dakota has now n popua.
ton greater than any OF the original states
Except virginia.. and greater than the ny
gregate of five of the smaller states in l7M,
The center of popu alton. when our nationa
capital was located, was east Of Baltimore,
AMI 1t was rgued bymany we.l-informed y T
westward. Yet in 1870 IL was found 10 b.
near incinnati, and in the new censu .abou
to b. taken, will show another stride To tn
westward. That which was the body ha
come to be only the rich fringe OF the nation
robe. Tut our growth, has not, been Unite,
TO errifory, population and ggregate wealth
rections The masses of our people are bcttei
fed, clothed an housed than their fathers
were The facilities for popular education.
have been vas ly enlarged and more gener;;
ally diffuse he vir ues Of ourage and
patriotism have given recent proof OF their
continued presence and Increasing power IN
The influences of reli ion have been multip led
and strengthened he sweet Offices & char
TEMPERANCE y SsS Is held 'r In hi er esti%tion
We have not attained an ideal condition. not
all ourpeople are happy and prosperous, moi
all of them are virtuOuS and law-aoiding.
But, on the whole, the opportunities offered to
the indivi ual To secure the comfort, OF life
are better than are found elsewhere aud
largely better and they were IN years ago.
The surrender of n large measure Of sover-
eighty to the x neral government, effected by
the adoption of the constitution, was not ac-
compl shed until the suggestions of reason
were strongly reinforced by the more impera-
tive voice Of experience. The divergentinter-
s sts OF peace speedily demanded more per
and the manufacturer discovered and dis.
closed to our statesmen and tn the people that
commercial emancipation must be added to
the Official freedom which had been 50
bravely won. The commercial policy of the
mother country had not relaxed any Of its
hard and op 'ressive features. To hold IN
check the development OF our CONNER ial
marine, to prevent or retard tho establish
ment and growth of manu- features In the states
and SO to secure the American market for their
shops and the carrying tralo for their
ships, was the policy of European statesmen.
and was pursued with the most selfish vigor.
Petitions poured in upon congress urging the
imposition of discriminating duties that
should encourage the production of needed
things ut home The patriotism of the people,
war, was energeticaliy directed to the duty of
equipping the young republic for tho defense
of its Independence by making its people self
dependent Societies for the promot on of
homo manufactures and for encouraging the
use of domestics in the dress of the people
were organized i'm many of the states. The re-
patriotic interest In the preservation and de-
velopment of domestic Industries and the de
Tense of our working people against injurious
foreign competition Is an incident worthy of
attention. IL Is not a departure, but n return,
that we have witnessed. The protective
policy had then its opponents. The argument
was made as now that its benefits Injured to
particular classes or sections. II the question
became in any sense or TT any time sectional,
1t was only because slavery existed in some
reason why the cotton producing st ties should
not have led or walked abreast with the New
England states In the production Of cotton
states that divide with Pennsylvania the min
eral treasures of the great southeastern and
central mountain ranges sho lid have been so
tar,iy in bringing TO the smelling furnace and
to the mill the coal and iron from their near
opposing hillsides. Mill fires were lighted mt
proclamation was heard in the depths OF the
earth, ns well as in the sky: mon were made
free and material things became our better
servants. The scctiOna element has happily
been eliminated from the tariff discussion.
We have no longer states that are ne csSarily
only planting states. None are excluded from
achieving that diversificdtion OF pursuit among
the people which brings wealth and content
ment. The cotton plantati n will not be less
valuable when the product Is spun in the
country towns by op ratives whose necessities
call for diversified crops and create a home de-
mand for garden and agricultural products.
Every new mine, furnace ana factory IL an eX-
tension of the productive capacity of the state
moro real and valuable tan added territory.
shall tn prcJudices and para ysis OF slav-
cry continue to hang upon the skirts of pro-
grcss2 How long will those, who rejoice that
slavery no longer exists, Lersh or tot rate
the incapacti it put upon their commune
ties? j look hopeful to the continuance of
our rotcCtive system. and to the consequent
devclopmo { of manufacturing AMI mining
enterprise, in the tatcs hitherto wholly
gives 10 agriculture, rs potent influence in
the perfect unihcation of our pc, pie. The
men who have invested their capital In these
enter rises, the farmers who have felt the
benefit of their ighborhood and the men
who work IN snOp or field, will not fail to find
and cfend u community of interest. Is IL not
quite ossble that the armers an the pro-
moters of the great mining and manufacture
ing enterprises, which have recently been es-
tabished In the south, may yet find that the
fr ballot of the workingman, without dis
tinction of race, Is nee cd Tor their defense az
well as for his OwnY do not doubt that IL th SO
men In the south, w % now accept the tn III
views of Clay and the constitutional EXPOSE
u rs of Webster. would courageously avow
and cfend their real convictions they
would not find IL difficult. by
friendly instruction rnd cooperation, L,
make the black man their efficient and safe
ally, not only I'm estn fishing correct princi-
Piles In our national administration, but in
preserving. for their local communities. the
benefits of social order and economical and
honest government AT least until the good
offices Of kindness and education have been
fairly tried, the contrary conclusion can not