Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-06-09

and afterward the independence o.
the Colonies. Commercial interests
soon demonstrated the necessity OF
a stronger government. Finally a
convention of delegates from several
states met at Philadelphia in 1887
and after laboring four months adopt.
ed the Constitution under which our
government now exists.
The union of states form our sys.
tenn of general governments. Local
governments are centralized in states.
Some people to-day labor under the
impression that our government is
pure democracy, but this is an error.
A pure democracy is a government
in which all the people have the right
to take part in the enactment of a
clause. We have adopted the repre-
| sentative plan in which the masses
of the people exercise the voting and
ruling prerogative by electing substi-
tutes to act in their place.
Although our government has been
a great and glorious one for los
years, let us not feel too secure as to
future revolutions; ever greater than
those through which we have passed
may await us. Already are we in the
fourth stage of our political changes.
First, the union arising from the
exigency of the war of the Revolu-
ton; second, a more perfect union
under the deliberately agreed on
articles of confederation; third, a
still more perfect union under the
old constitution, as originally adopt
ed; and fourth, we have now enter
ed upon the period of our career I'M
der the new constitution of its amend
ment. And whittier do we tend?
To decadence or to future growth
and development?
The star of our destiny seems en-
circled with the word Excelsior"
in golden letters and now our nation
al ensign, the stars and stripes, is
proudly floating from the masthead
of stately ships in nearly every port
of the civilized world.
Not chaos like. together crushed and bruised
But like the world tremendously confused,
Where order in variety we see,
And where, though all things differ, all agree
Col. Fleet then read by title the
following essays:
Constant Dripping Wears Away
Stones," T. S. Basket, Mexico.
"Athletic Sports,'' A. Boeckeler,
st. Louis.
"The True Grandeur of Our Ma
tion," A. r. Hammett, Ell Paso,
Texas.
"Humor and Hurnorist," B. r.
Naylor, Clinton, Mo.
benefits of Physical Training
T. G. Proctor, Monroe City.
The LEDGER feels it a pleasing
duty to give a brief synopsis of the
i
Rev. DIR. J. B. Fuller's address to
the graduates, which was one Of the
grandest, most eloquent extern.
pore addresses ever delivered
in Mexico. Little preapprehensior
the audience had that it was to en-
Joy such a treat as they gazed upor
Rev. Fuller's form al he sat look.
ing through his sp~ectaeles, listening
to the proceedings, waiting for his
cue. He had not uttered many
sentences until his audience was
spell bound and you could tell tina
his absolute zeal in his work guides
him serenely through the sternes
difficulties, that he is alone in NJ
solitude, that he is depressed in NJ
extremity, that his noble manhood
is made up with true Christian char
acteristics, and that he has livet
/ through strain so intense and toll 81
arduous, battling always to ''try anG
do his duty" 1t is regretted tina
we can only give a short synopsis
OPPORTUNITIES AND DUTIES.
When, four hundred years ago
Columbus first looked upon the low
lying shore of that unknown islant
of the western ocean fringe, he dit
not dream that he was introducing
one of the great elements which, lik'
leaven, were to change the who'll
,lnature of modern civilization. TIL
; tales brought back by these darini
voyagers and their successors storie
of vast, unspeakably fertile savan
, nahs; of oceanic rivers, who's
springs amid the distant mountain
flowed from mines Of gold and gems
OF vast forests which enshrined il
l mystery great cities crowded wit
fabulous tre~asures-all these stirre'
? the thought, the imagination an
the ambition of Europe, still drows
with the long slumber of the middl
or dark ages. With the broadenin
t physical horizon came a correspond
8 ing widening of the intellectui
realm and a restless stir and cage
activity everywhere. Great warriors
I sagacious statesmen. profoun
' philosophers, poets, whose song wa
wonderful as the music Of the sphere
and grand as the voice OF the storm
sea, burst like a galaxy Of glory ~
on the dull gray armament of Il
Old World.
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