The record-union., 1891-07-06

GOOD.
Protect, we pray Thee, this land. AS in the
the past its traditions have been the nobest,
as in the present its hopes are the highest, so
in the future may their realization be the
fullest We commend 1t and her magistrates
TO Thee, our State, our city, its officers, and
its people. Prosper their interests and their in
dustries. Let pure and undefiled religion swell
in the breasts of its men and women so that
religious may fall before the sway of religion
May men learn to regard themselves as
brothers, so that hand meet hand and heart
speak to heart in love.
Lord hasten that day of blessed promise
when there shall be universal peace, when
nations shall beat their swords into plow-
shares and their spears into pruning-hooks,
when the world shall be full OF knowledge as
the waters covers the sea, when all men shall
speak one language-the language of love
and when Thy name shall be acknowledged
throughout all the earth. Amen.
The anvil chorus was then sung with
orchestral and anvil accompaniment1 by
a choir under direction of Mrs. Addie
Carter, consisting of Mesdames Bonn
helm, Pinkham, Ross, Howard, Larkin
and Carter, and Messrs. Beaumont,
Cohn, Ashworth, Beardslee, Crocker and
Phillips.
1t was excellently rendered and the
audience manifested its satisfaction by
demanding its repetition.
S. Luke Howe then read the Declara-
ton. 1t was given new interest by the
manner of the reader. His enunciation
was faultless in its chiseled distinctness,
his voice trumpet-lile in it's volume, and
his delivery of the great charter of free
dom was abreast with high elocutionary
exaction and that depth Of feeling which
patriotic fervor indicates.
Supported by the choir Mrs. y. Bonn
helm then sang, "The Star Spangled
Banner" She was in fine voice, and
gave the patriotic hymn with feeling and
a nice taste that was artistic and sincere
and won hearty and deserved encore,
whereupon she sang with spirit and
wit, with the choir in the chorus,
Yankee Doodle" The song captured
the audience which applauded to the
echo.
Hon. Frank l.. Coombs of Napa was
then introduced by Judge Armstrong
and delivered the oration, which we give
in full this morning. 1t was one Of the
best of efforts; practical, vigorous,
thoughtful and eloquent tribute and ap-
peal. There is in it so much Of truth and
sound advice upon the subject of the duty
of the citizen that we trust it will be
carefully perused by all our readers. 1t
will be found fully worthy of careful
reading. Mr.. Coombs was earnest, elo-
quent and impressive in its delivery and
was frequently applauded as he pro-
ceeded.
AT the conclusion of the Grafton Mrs.
Addie Carter, supported by the choir,
sang with feeling, in strong contralto
and with the musical precision and vigor
the martial air demands, 1.-The Red,
White and Blue" Being warmly en-
cored, the lady sang Yankee DOODLE -
greatly to the qualification of the audi
ence.
Rev. Winfield S. Hoskinson then
offered the closing prayer, concluding
with the benedictiOn. 1t was q prayer
for the nation, for the President and all
in authority, for the Governor and his
restoration to health, for the State and the
city. 1t was an earnest, devout appeal,
and q patriotic expression of reliance
upon the oVerruling Power.
Judge Armstrong then dismissed the
audience, and the literary exercises were
at an end.
The Grafton of Mr.. Coombs was as fol-
lows:
"M7 President and FeIIoig- citizens: The
early history of this country is an exem-
plitication of the truth that adversely is
often the motor-power of genius. Pow
erty and necessity oft play the part OF
ambition in the accomplishment Of those
great wonders which have from time to
time startled a thinking world. Tyranny
brings about liberty and freedom springs
untettered out of despair. And so the
Pilgrim Fathers conceived the ideas OF
venture and braved the perils OF the
deep because the Old World threw upon
them the awful shadows of religious op-
preston.
''In their ocean-bound home these con-
strained habits and customs were made
to dwell in the house where revolving
conscience disputed their sway and
finally their love of liberty was triumph
ant and fixed their destiny in other and
distant lands. The angry cry of the sea,
the night winds sigh and breakers
roar, the ocean wide and vast,
grew out of despair, and Albion's
Isles soon faded from their sight and be-
came but memory of the severe condi-
tions of monarchy and State. When
they first launched their boats upon the
waters and spread the snowy pinions
before the chasing winds, they eXempli-
fed the spirit of that Declaration of Inde-
pendence which was the germ of future
revolution. Thus do we find liberty, not
only at the foundation of this Govern
ment, but it was the idol around which
worshiped the patriots who laid the
corner-stones of our first civilization.
History has recorded no perils greater
than those of the Pilgrim Fathers; ad-
versity at times threatened the life of
their enterprises, but battling against
every element that can summon death,
they triumphed, and planted the seeds
which should grow and ripen into the
greatest harvest of the coming years.
Their virtues were stern and rugged
their customs severe, their habits ex-
emplary, and from the civilization that
grew we see mirrored the splendol
of the last century race Of
intellectual giants walked upon the
stage of life to place the corner stones OF
independence under the temples erected
by their fathers. The times immediately
before them had been characterized by
an illustration of that trait of human in
clination when the mind would rather
bear these ills we have than fly to others
we know not Of And SO il was with the
fathers of the revolution, they patiently
and for long while submitted to the
laws of England until they became ex-
actious and threatened the primary prin-
ciples of justice. 1t is natural for people
to love independence, but the cycles OF
time have come and gone and men have
lived under the iron hand of oppression,
and Vdlnly looked to the centuries for the
hope and prospect of ultimate freedom.
But not so with the founders of the re-
public from courage born of dispair,
of the sentiment of loyalty, of the love oil
liberty and with the pride of intellectual
strength, they were moved to take a
stand against the rules of a century to
reFOiutlonlZe the customs OF nation and
TO elevate themselves by one declaration
ofindependence upon the broad plane OF
liberty and freedom.
"They were an extraordinary race OF
people; they could mold and fashion hui
man thought, shape human ambitions,
carve out destinies, found republics, and
under the light that shines upon past
CLEAN from the wreck of empires, the de-
cay of laws and the oblivion OF customs
the wisest rules yet afforded for the guild
ance and conduct of human life.
Upon the idols of monarchy they
builded the temples of republicanism;
out of oppression they wrought principles
which have enthroned liberty in the