The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-10-15

WIlte " luiS OIOuSut Ou tHC wal
which separated the two countries and
gave independence to ours. Whether
this will prove blessing or curse
will depend upon the use our people
make of the blessings which a gracious
God hath bestowed upon us. If they
are wise, they will be great and happy.
If they are OF contrary character they
will he miserable. Righteousness
alone can exalt them as nation"
And it was in support Of this great
! and still expanding circle that the
well-spring Of his powers first gave
vent to that cyclonic force of the great
orator that he was, which in the House
of Burgesses he himself first felt, and by
which he taught, that truly
1.-The power of eloquence can charm the
soul,
Inspire the virtuous and the bad control;
| Can rouse the passions or their rage can
still,
And mould a stubborn mob to one mans
will
And it was the influence of this
power, exerted in the support ofhis bold
stroke, that finally wrought out our
Independence and has handed down
to US through the toilful years the
birth-right of American freedom and
has made US the favored children Of
fortune in an age of blessed peace.
With an abiding love for home and
native land, we delight to dwell upon
the Declaration of Independence, fit
concomitant of the great circle the
immortal Henry drew. And with
heart filled with pride and beating fast
with qualification tonight, that this,
our birthplace, a favored spot in our
glorious and grandly developing South
land of peace, bore a conspicuous
part in the framing and signing of
that imperishable parchment of liberty,
that proved and incontestible will of
great and magnanimous people, l re-
joice with you tonight, ye gallant sons
of blessed North Carolina, the cold
North State forever" that tonight,
and as long as this grand republic
snail stand, and even in its crumbling
ruins, if perchance the day ever
come, that undying scroll which
vouchsafed American freedom shall
have a name synonymous with the
county of Mecklenburg in this the
fairest daughter in the great sisterhood
of States. That declaration closed
with these words: "We mutually
pledge to each other our lives, our for
tunes and our sacred honor" And
then were added the signatures of that
honored ffty-six, headed by John
Hancock of Boston.
That memorable fourth of July was
truly day of triumph. In the crowded
streets of Philadelphia the citizens were
waiting with bated breath the action
of the sitting Congress. The bell
ringer had been in the steeple all day.
A boy had been left below to give
prompt notice of their action. Time
passed wearily on and he impatiently
muttered, "They will never do it!
They will never do it,"
1t was O'Clock. The breathless
expectancy was becoming painful.
The old bell man was ready to faint,
when a nervous shout from the lad
below said, "Ring! Ring! Ring!"
And then the circling waves from that
old bell in Independence Hall pealed
forth the gladdest, bappiest notes that
ever greeted a free people, saying
" Liberty through all the land unto
all the inhabitants thereof'
And SO in every sphere of human
-endeavor and human thought, great
circles have been drawn, whose infu-
ences have annihilated difficulties,
made possible the impossible, and
changed the whole face of nature
itself
In the moral world, l mention the
circle drawn by Hannah More in her
advocacy of the proper observance of
the Christian Sabbath. Gathering about
her the poor and ragged children from
the streets of London, she taught them
the truth of God-to remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Her example in the observance of
the Sabbath found favor with men
everywhere During the Centennial
in Philadelphia in 1876, in meeting
of the directors the question came up
whether or not they should open the
Exposition on Sunday. A director
from Nevada, a man of the world, arose
and spoke in tremulous tones, and
with a voice hoarse with emotion, he
said " feel like returned prodigal. |
Twenty years ago l went West where
we had no Sabbaths, but to-day old
memories come back to me, and l
remember what my glorifled mother
told me about keeping Sunday. And |
seem to hear her voice again and |
feel as l did when every night l knelt
by her side in prayer. Gentlemen,
vote for the observance of the Chris
tian Sabbath His tremulous tones, |
his streaming eyes, his intense earnest
ness in the cause of moral duty,
fairly electrified that board of directors.
Strong men were moved as perhaps |
they had not been moved in twenty |
years. The batteries in Heaven seemed
called to by the operatives on earth,
and as if answered from the golden
buttons there by the finger of God !
Himself, there came thrilling through .
the hearts of those men y swelling cur
rent of heavenly electricity which shall
continue its circuit as long as h.s.ory !
records that gathering. And when
the question was put "Shall we open .
the Exposition on Sunday?' it was
unanimous ' No"
Here was the advancing circle which
this sanity woman drew, spreading
out over the crowning event in the
history ofa great nation, in the supreme