The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-07-09
The Evolution OF Our National Life.
An Grafton delivered by Rev. Willard
F,,lIar nj CreecO July lkh. 1891.

Fuller at Cresco July 4th, 1891.
The Atheniaps had custom Of honor
ing their soldier dead which was at once
suggestive and unique. Il was establish.
Cd BY law that the obsequies OF citizens
FALLEN in battle should be Of public e.
pense and in an honorable manner.
From the funeral pyres where the bodies
were consumed, their ashes were careful
~ gathered mp and deposited in ten cas-
kees Of funeral cypress,-a casket Tor
each tribe and an eleventh to represent
the unrecognized dead. These were car
ried home to the city where, TOR three
days, they lay in state under tents OF hon.
or. To the place OF waiting came rela-
lives and friends with their votive o1er-
ings Of flowers, weapons, curious lnstru.
ments, painted vases and works OF art.
On the fourth day the interment took
place. Leading the solemn procession
were the mothers, wives, sisters and
daughters OF the departed heroes These
were followed by the male relatives and
friends; then came the citizens and lastly
strangers. There was in this custom
mark OF honor not only, but also the re.
coonition Of q principle. The men OF
Athens thereby gathered up the deeds.
sacrifices and shed blood Of the past and
made them their teachers. The living,
In the presence Of the dead, we're philos-
ophers. recognizing vital relation be.
tween the death Of the hero and the life
of the nation.
To-day we once again turn our faces
toward still living past and ask that
it's instruction may be repeated for onr
profit. These arc the inquiries OF loyal,
thoughtful citizens to-day: what chantl-
cIeer first heralded our rising; how far
are we toward the zenith, or are we, as
some gloomy philosophers would have
us believe, nearing the western horizon?
Have we mission. or are we like some
wandering star without an orbit! II we
have q mission, how about our fidelity?
And who is to work out the destiny OF
this great commonwealth?
Teachers rise up to answer these ques-
tionings, As with the Athenians, the
dead speak. Westminster Abbey with
it's vast alsles, its monuments, its in
scriptions, its relics, tells wondrous tales
Of yalor. What revelations would be
made to MS il to-day We could draw near
and see the rude entombing OF the old
egyptian kings! But what superior vol
umes OF instruction for the American
citizen to view once again, as history
makes possible, such scene as the re.
view of Sherman's army at the close OF
the war. All honor was granted to the
yalorous troops as thousand after thou.
sand they went tramping by. But when
the Second Wisconsin infantry appeared
there were special marks OF reverence
Fiftv.four men we're there to fellow lts
faftered banner. but when the spectators
took off their hats and bowed their heads
Il was in the presence OF the nine hun.
dred and forty-six men who were moi
there. Language makes rs say they
we're not there, for they were counted
with the slain, but they were there, and
their crumbling lips spake in loud tones
the lessons OF patriotism.
But other sources of instruction are
open to us. The working out OF the prln'
ciples Of civil and religious liberty IL
connection with our country's history
throws upon the student wondrouf
flood OF light. No more profitable tasA
could we assign ourselves to-day tnan
under such monitor, to trace the evolu'
ton OF our national life.
BEGINNINGS.
This nation was born OF persecution
and hence with an intense love OF liberty
From that word liberty is gotten the
key-note OF our national song. A love
of liberty, search for it, an opportunity
to formulate it's principles, ana nnaiiy
the establishing OF q government resting
on that broad foundation are not THESE
the processes by which we have come &C
this present? The existence OF this great
commonwealth is not an accident: 1t II
not the fruit Of commercial enterprise
not the mere answer to problem In po
lictscal economy. The discovery Of
America had q worldwide significance
II was one hemisphere feeling about FOL
its COMPANION hemisphere: science prov
ING to superstition that there was no Jump
inc off place: it was human society seek
inc the conditions OF stable equilibrium
the mind of man expanding toward it
nr,,nar nroportions. All this was /;
movement toward freedom,- freedom
from ignorance, superstition, courtiy 10
strictions and slavish servillty.
The ship that at last tioated mp to ions
waiting Plymouth Rock carried not 81
much men who we're soon to die ana o.
buried, as the Goddess OF Liberty, seek
ing place to rear her young. Her wan
behring's had been long and tortuous
Through valleys, over mountains. iron
cline to cline and court to court, bu
finding no place where she might rest he
foot. Now she had found. as 1t woult
seem, the only place left on the face o
the earth where she might be permittet
to abide. q.
Onr proper course then, as students, j
fo begin with the history of the ancestor
of the Puritans OF New England. tn
Ouakers Of Pennsylvania, tho Catholic
~ MARYLAND the Dutch OF New Yorl
and the Huguenots Of South Carolina
Following such line Of inquiry, the stu
dent will certainly see sprlnging out
fhe hot fires OF persecution the gree
plant Of Civil and Religious Liberty.
To the proposition that history OF on
country is history OF Liberty, we VII
add another, namely, that all was nnde
the lead,ngs OF an oyer-rullng frovl
dence. Already, while still it was dawr
could be seen the form OF q hand tina
seemed to be silently shaping path 10
the pilgrims OF new venture. Prlvation
were permitted; but while toiling peopl
were advancing along the highway !,
hardship, light was thrown on their patti
On occasions special guides were at cal
and bold defenders raised up to lnsar
protection. AS to-day we calmly an
studiously view the past the evldenc
will be overwhelming that for our peopl
there was destined to be Divine an
60 uuerrlng leadership.
ORGANIZATION.
The first stages of our national exis
ence we're naturally very crude. Ccniee
eracy, not union, and surprising miscol
ceptions Of the notion Of popular Cover,
ment we're characteristics OF those earl
DAYS. Each colony made its own pec'
liar record. Not one but had a checKe
ed career, while some were marked =
strange Inconsistencies. Men who la
sought this western world to escape Of
preston became in turn oppressors' I
witnessed in some OF the colonial regui
tions ana social requirements. Much \
NAMED to be done. The time was al
preaching when the principles as yet 81
imperfectiy enuncia:ed must have
definite statement, and the doctrine
popular government crystalline into ta
rible form. It may be difficult to 81
where such a work began: certainly q
far either side of the year l765, when Il
Stamn Act was naased, BY that enaC