The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-26
WASH|NGTON'S
GREAT VICTORY.
A Shaft That Will Remind
Posterity of the Battle
Of Trenton.
Governor Albeit Puts the Cor
ner Stone in Its
Place.
HIS STIRRING. PATRIOTIC SPEECH.
Subsequent Rejolcings and Public
Services and Speeches at Tay-
lor's Opera House.
HIS STIRRING. PATRIOTIC SPEECH.
Special to the JERSEY City Ns,cs.

Special to the .ersev City Ners.
TRENTON, Dec. 26, 1891. The twenty
sixth of December, 1776. was a remark
able day in the history of Mercer
county. During the night Washington
crossed the Delaware, as many of us
have since iseen him doing in Leutze's
famous picture, and was here bright and
early to present the British troops with
the Christmas turkey that he had
neglected to send them by Santa Claus
Christmas Eve. 1t was large and par
ticularly solid stocking, filed with
powder and lead, and 1t made the British
fly fast and furiously.
There is no one here today who remem-
bers the event but there are great many
visitors who will take partin laying the
corner stone of q monument which will
assist future generations in recollectiDg
the Battle of Trenton and when it was
fought.
The services began at noon, when q con-
siderable number of prominent men of
the State, and from abroad, met at the
City Hall Among them were delegations
from the Sons Of the American Revolu-
ton and the Order of Cincn-
to to- the site Of the monument,
which is at the head of the city. Mayor
Bechtel presided and the Rev. John
Dixon, of the Presbyterian Church. de-
livered the invocation. He was selected
for the duty because his church was
in exi stence at the time the battle was
fought. having been founded in 1740.
GOVERNOR ABBETT's SPEECH.
At the conclusion of the prayer Gov
ernor Albeit laid the cornerstone after
which he delivered the following spirited
address,
Man needs material manifestation
which through his eye appeals to his
heart and brain, concentrating his ener-
gies and arcusing his enthusiasm.
In all the great struggles OF arms,
through all the years of the past, the
cause or principle fought for has been
symbolized by banner or f1ag. which TO
the soldier and the patriot has been the
emblem representing all that is dear to
him, and from which he drew inspira-
tion, and in whose presence wounds and
death were but glory and immortality.
This has been SO in the ages past; it will
be so in all the ages to come. No denun-
cia, ion of violation of the constitution, or
revolt against the Union, aroused the
loyal people of this country as fully as the
shots fired in Charleston harbor at the
Starry Flag as it foated over Sumter. No
speech produced such wonderful up
rising as the attack upon the flag which
embodied all that was dear to the loyal
heart The most heroic deeds OF valor
have been the onward dashes of the SOL
dier amid the rain of death dealing
musketry and artillery, struggling for
the flag of his country, or dashing on
ward to re-capture it from the enemy.
Danger and death were counted as moth
ing, and only the overwhelming instinct
to uphold the honor Of the flag moved
the neart. No mental analysis can fathom
ont thnGjacm lanUnApA 1AGcrlhA If.
it bears away and overwhelms all effort
to stop it. The flag is ever the most ef-
fective appeal to the soldier. and the
grandest Inspiration to bravery and patri-
otic endeavor.
The standard of our country. with its
glorious stripes of white and red, and its
glittering stars on its field of blue, was
not the standard first borne by the Con-
tinental armies. There was before it the
Pine Tree Flag, with its motto Don't
tread on me-" the disjointed rattlesnake
flag with its mblem Unite or dies" the
cap and sword with the motto of ''Liber-
ty or death;" the mailed arm with thir-
teen arrows; the Continental flag with
the stripes and union crosses, all Of
which, however, yielded to the flag, now
the emblem of our country and its glory.
THE STARS AND STRIPES.
It is interesting and matter of congrat-
ulation to know that our flag is older
than the present Union Jack OF England;
older tnan the tri-coored flag of France;
older than the flag of Italy; older than the
standard of the Empire of Germany, but
above and beyond all things, it is the flag
that represents an independents people,
growing with wonderful progress, gov
erning their land by the will of the peo-
pie alone, and floating over country,
that with all its faults. is steadily advance
ing, with its mighty strides rs an empire
of freemen. Our flag has never been nm
furied except to battle in the cause OF lib
erty and right.
God give our people unselfish patriot
ism and devotion to the cause or liberty.
so that the grand advance of empire and
wealth may never weaken the devotion
of the people to the old flag and to the
freedom of man which it represents.
May it ever wave over a nation Of free
men controlled by principles of law; may
it ever be the best inspiration of noble,
brave and patriotic men. Let it wave
from our school houses and our public
buildings ana our private homes. Let it
ever be welded to the best instincts and
noblest efforts Of our people; let 1t float
on every sea and i'll every land, and
wherever it is seen let nations recognize
IL "a the symbol of a Just and powerful
ranuhlic. ready to protect the humblest
citizen In his rights, on whatever soil he
may tread.
God preserve and bless the country over
which it floats.
BATTLE GROUND or IAE hEfULUIiON.
New Jersey can well claim to be the
battle ground of the Revolution. Its
situation between the cities of Phfia-
delphia and New York, which afforded
natural and pleasant headquarters. from
which to direct the operation of the
British forces made our soil alternately,
during the varying fortunes of the Revo-
lutionary War, the marching, the camp
ing, the forage aud the battle ground OF
the Revolution.
Almost every portion of the State and
of her people suffered during this struggle,
and her men and her treasures aided the
patriotic cause in nearly every contest OF
the war.
She was the marching ground OF the
contending armes. In November and
December, 1T76, the American army made
an enforced retreat from New York to
the opposite side of the Delaware, fol-
lowed by the British and German troops,
which passed through Eiizabeghtown.
Brunswick and Princeton, tue Hessfan
force pressing on to Bordentown, Bur
Iington and Mount Holly. In few weeks
ad mr. q N a .