Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-11-01
A Ii rERARY GEM.
Classical, Historical. Political and
Ethical, Linked Together with
Genius of Poet and SubIimity of
Thought

Genius of Poet and Sublimity of
Thought.
We can convey no better i'm
preston of the inspiring effect
of Hon. Chas. Aycock's splendid
speech upon his vast audience,
Friday evening, than by giving g
to our readers what we could
catch from the impromptu
speech of Mr.. Jno. r. Morris,
who occupied a seat on the ros-
tram and who was vociferously
called on after Mr. Aycock had
concluded.
Mr.. Morris said, in concluding
his apt and eloquent remarks:
When my distinguished friend. Mr..
Aycock, was delivering the great
speech which he has just closed, / was
lmpelled to a train of thought, growing
from his comment on the repeal of the
Federal election laws and what De
mocracy had thereby done for political
liberty.
Apart from those questions of pOliti-
cal economy, and in these DAYS. even
domestic economy, about which there
may be 'diverging views in nv own
party, | am persuaded that Democracy
Is the chosen vessel for the conserva-
tlon of those priceless spoils which, in
our struggle against George Ill, were
torn from against the agony of battle.
dragged across affairs drenched with
blood OF perlshed Sires. and borne as
sacred gifts 10 where freedom knelt
with eyes upturned to God a:.d hands
outstretched to man.
Fellow citizens, before tle advent of
Democratic administration all stars of
liberty. no matter where above the
earth they We're asSum I'd to shine.
were but illusions before the ewes of
poets, or delusions in the minds of
historians. In every age of the world
there had been flashlights in the
heavens. But nowhere, piercing the
political armament was there a stead V
Hght-an unquenched star to symbol
the majesty of civil liberty.
know that piled above the sepul-
chre of perished art in'Athens there are
ruins of dead aemocracies. / know that
men who had died for human rights
were, within the lurid glare of funereal
torch, borne along the Appian way sto
the solemn stiffness of the catacombs
of Rome. Caesar himself whether
from fear or patriotism | know not had
thrice refused a crown. Brutus. fear
ing lingering ambition in Cesar S
breast to leap to kingly power and
overturn the sparse liberties of Roman
citizens, had. with the dagger. given
what Shakespeare called ''the most
unkindest cut of all, - and Caesar, a vic
tim to the holy passion for liberty. lay
dead at the base of Pompey's sta tue in
a Roman senate.
But, my fellow citizens. confused
with fragments OF democracies in Ath-
ems are the torturing instruments OF
despots. In Rome, Caesar refused a
crown and Brutus slew Caesar for the
sake of liberty. Yet, from the second
| tr1umvlrate-with lepidus in exile and
| Antony dead for love of Egypt's queen
| there came forth an imperialhe Be-
hold Octavian crowned and sceptered
as Augustus. Caesar.
| On the meadow-land which bears the
ma me OF Runnymede, the Catholic ba-
| rons, in 1215, wrested magma charta
from sullen king. But, beginning with
| the monarch from whom it was obtain
ed and descending to George Ill, it,
| principles and guarantees were VIC
| lated more times than historians may
J record.
| The battles of Morston Moor, Naseby
| and Dunbar Drove had been fought
From these victories of the people ove1
| absolutlsm there emerged Cromwell, the
avenger, feet wet with the BLOOD
Of Charles Stewart, his head bare of re
gal plumes and his loins begirt Will
the coarse frock of a puritan. He hat
come to rule without throne, withou
crown. But, alas! he, too, was a des
pot. For, dissolving parliament, hi
government 1t was absolutism-th
enemy of liberty.
4 Again; An English parliament, il
j 1879, rising superior to the profigac,
and tyranny of Charles IL. defined an
granted the great writ of habeas cor
pus. But prime ministers in times {
peace have since suspended the priv
| ! leges of the writ, and even the Earl c
[ SALISBURY, who introduced and urge
, the measure in parliament, died
hunted political exile.
For the hope Of liberty Washington
heroes had stood shoeless, with blee(
ing feet, in the SHOWS of Valley Forge
We had carved out constitution fC
these States. But to night. | declar
to you, that neither Washington, so
r dier and patriot, nor Hamilton, states
man and publicist, was able to trans
mute the customs of governmer
wrought under kings and parliament
into the singular needs of a peopl
struggling for the ends of purer II
e publicanism. l aver that higher lii
erty was yet an aspiration marked b
imperfect administrative tests, unit
Thomas Jefferson, the founder of Den
ocracy, breathing the spirit of his ind
!. | vidualism over the ventures of govern
ment, wrought the miracle of titne!
E and adapta ation in our new institution
1t was then that a star of liberty al
}, peared to linger above man. Then tt
: Jove of human destiny uplifted h
+ hand and unclaimed the thunderbo
" which rent the last obscuring cloud al
) the world beheld the star of libert
It Supernal in its beauty, glorious in i
J. refulgence, it, swinging from tt
h throne of God, spills its splendors {
the earth.
:. Democracy. Democracy. Libert
e Liberty! May Almighty God, so f
as He may have determined a destil
II of duration for. these Confederate
American States, make these two
Democracy and Liberty-one and etc
nal.