Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-25

toned by his neigh6Ors Is 10 what wa
the news In Richmond He replied
News enough; the Bapti>tS are med
ding with politics and the EpiScopal
ians are meddling with religion.
Laughter. SO. whatever may have
been the faults and the iaiiingS OF the
colonial clergy, their descendants are
keeping up on the same lines with the
descendants Of the Pvritan> to-day
Laughter.
The plea Of General Howard for an
Increase In the army recalls the PROPOSE
ton that was made in the Constitution
.al Convention that the army should
never exceed 5000 soldiers. which was
killed By an amendment quietly >uggeS-
ted bya ncighbor of my ancestors
George Washington applause proyid
ing that no enemy should ever invade
the country with more than 1000 sold
iers. laughter While We will not
give General Howard an army of 5000
men. we will give him any number OF
constitutional amendments providing
for the keeping out Of foreign invading
armies from all parts OF the country
Applause.
..The American Commonwealth is the
bond that invites all Of us who are gath
cred here. whether we come from New
England. New York or Virginia. APP
plause. The American Commonwealth
is not a name, il is a definition, 10 Is a
heritage. When Professor Bryce gave
MS his Instructive study Of the political
institutions of the United States he
called it the American Commonwealth,
selecting not only happy title for his
book, but giving due and appropriate
prominence to the great ideal upon
which those political institutions are
founded.
Last year la your own city. with ma
tional pagcantry, rejoicing and thanks
giving. We celebrated the successful
completion OF the first century OF con-
suutionai government iu this country.
IAuplause. What is single century
i'm the life of the nation. The venerable
author Of the history of the formation
Of our Constitution, Mr.. Bancroft, gath
cred some Of his ideas from the Trainer
of that Constitution, Madison, and yet
these two lives, the one overlapping the
other. measures the entire life OF this
government OF ours. Applause
There were those in the convention
which formed the Constitution who did
not believe that free institutions could
exist I'm any but 4 small commonwealth.
There were those who feared the cN-
tension OF our territory either because
10 would shift political power or because
IL would bring disaster 20 the great eN-
periment. and two of the foremost
statesmen Of New England sought to
INCORPORATE into that Convention pro-
vision that AT least in the Senate OF the
United States the votes OF al. the new
20 be- added should
never be greater than the votes OF the
original thirteen States; but as old
Roger sherman, with New England
sense, said: NO, these men In these
new commonwealth who will knock AZ
the door for admission will be your
children and my children aud entitled
10 Just rs great privileges a. we.
fGreat applause
Twenty years later, when the first
state framed out OF the Louisiana pur-
chase applied for admission, another
New England statesman said IL would
overwhelm the original partnership,
and he asked paSsionately, What
right or authority have YOU 10 take the
rights. the liberties and the properties
% the people and hand them over TO
the odge-p0dge OF wild men OF the
Missouri. er the peculiar mongrel race
that dwell in the neighbOrhOOd OF the
mouth OF the Mississippi But Louis
lana was admitted. and so far from
working dissolution OF the Union, II
was the admission OF new States that
strengthened and preserved the Union.
Applause.
slavery would have disappeared, soon
or or later. as alien TO our institutions,
but the contest over the admission OF
new States brought that question to 4
speedy issue. and the controversy over
the slavery question brought To lima
and complete settlement the contest
hOpeleSSly bequeathcd % MS by the
trainers OF the Constitution rs To which
was supreme, the sovereignty Of the
State or the sovereignty of the nation
Applause.
i have no time even TO rehearSe >Om'
OF the great questions which may artist
10 test the stability OF our free inStitu
tions. Some are the questions that be
set an governments; some are th'
crucial questions OF democratic govern
ment. aud some of them will spring
from the burrows made by the charlO
wheels OF our industrial progress
lGrcat applause. But We will meet al
these great questions. great Is they are
because We are the sons of our fathers
Applause because We are the de
ScendantS of the hundred who landed a
Cape Cod: of the thousands who came
with Winthrop later and of the mel
who landed at jamestown Va. grea
applause aad started that Common
wealth.
"rhe citizen who comes iatO the eth
zenShip OF the American Commonwealth
from New England, from New York
/ from Virginia. like the ancient Roman
passes through.upon the right hand an'
upon the left the eliigieS of his anceS
tors. whose voices speak 10 him VIII
equal potency and with equal power to
might, and is thus encouraged and aide'
in his efforts TO help consolidate an'
strengthen and render more stable th'
rights aud the liberties by virtue %
which We are free citiIenS. Loud and
prolonged applause.