The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-23

i alive are AmtfiCduO-s
IT, however. this be so, then seNerai
! things follow which Il * worth our while
| TO notice before We dismiss the sunJetl
from our attention. one u that IL VIII be
entirely right and entirely modest lof US
to recognize this great stream OF historic
tendency which we have been tracln5
/ tonight, to accept IT, and TO move win IL
by consciously taking to our hearts tne
beautiful name America as our one ma
tional name and by letting that name
habitually kindle within US patriotic love
ana devotion.
INCITE NATIONAL PRIDE.
Let the word America be TO Us, TO our
! very hearts. TO our national pi 70 ana
| enthusiasm, to our paulotlc afuVI anu
passion, Just what the name England -
/ TO Englisnmen, what France II 10 rrtnch-
NEIL wudt deutschland tDer Auts i
To q. mains, even what Holy Russia IS
to the russians. Let us not DO tlfnid OF
hcsltant about using II irceiy AS our
established name. conceded TO US Dy tue
predominant usage OF the civilized ~otiu,
bought Tor us by millions 81 human HNtr,
shaped Tor Us W TWO hundred ana my
years of self DENIAL, Ct devoted labOr, ana
even OF consccratcd blood.
Ii was in this spirit. l feel sure, ana
II was with no personal arrogance, but
I'm simple dignity and with noble sell.
confidence and seli-respect That Ddhlti
Webster once made his stately aVowai.
MY country Is America. know no
other. ! was born an American, VIII
live an American; l shall die an Ameri-
can
am sure also. e this as an essential
part Of the meaning OF this great Woiu'
that the fitness OF its application TO any
particular citizen Is not question OF
birthplace or Of antecedent race Ties, II
Is ratnei question OF personal character
OF individual spirit Of ideal deNotth ana
loyalty Nay. from the days OF AloNanucr
Hamilton and Albert Gallatin those OF
Francis Liebe, John BOYLE . kelN ana
Carl Schurz. We have had no hner or
more genuine specimens or Americans
than can Doe found among those Amefl-
cans who were not born I'm America.
But now, If We 50 take 10 our near Us
that name American and cherish 49, ana
f identify ourselves with IL. then We nave
TO remember that We become. during our
/ lives responsible for that name, thar lis
honor Is placed In our keeping. ann IN 10
the NCry meaning which the word Amer
ica" IS 70 have wear after year. and ,cl-
ttry after century. 10 the peoples Of the
whole earth. Is "a meaning when we .lit
20 have an important share IN 5lVlA6
10 fl.
What. then. shall the word Am erica
mean? What shall that name stand for
among men as "a word describing our
Z country and our IeOple2 WHAT 'pudlillea
I'm manhood and I'm womanhood snail tne
WCrd America represent; WHAT TRAITS lli
political character. i'm commerce d. let
tiers. i'm Mariners i'm thought. ln NOR AIS
i'm religious spirit and i'm conduct foi'
be sure Of this. the personal and the ma
tioual qualities which the word America
will stand for in tho min Is OF men
throughout the whole world ana through
out all future time will. I'm the long rum
ue the very qualities which the American
people then selves shall possess. WHAT
are those qualities to-day; What shan
they continue 10 be hereafter
There is much 10 admOnish us I'M fact
mention ed by "a famous Christian mission
AIRY that in China our country was spoheii,,
Of ass the land Of the saudy banner.
Did that gaudy banner symbolic r. those
Orientals something gaudy M us-s)ine-
thing loud and sensational in moral tone
IN the nation to which that banner be-
longs?
rs IN not pcesible too. that some Of our
nearer noighbors think the wcrd America
/ as describing tho land Of The graspiue ana
selfish people. the land or the oNerbearlhs
/ and sometimes the blusternQ republic
Furthermore do Won think II possible
that even anywhere I'm the world tho word
American Is coming 10 convey TO any
body the idea OF an cver-smart person
Of q sharper I'm business ana in politics
/ Of lraggart I'm conversational a bragg
cart. too. who brags with a nasal twang
Of morcenarv matcriaist IN the objects
and methods OF his life?
Well If. alas any such meanings as
these are anywhere beginning 10 gather
] about the word American. Is II not for us
| for YOU and for mc-and for all Of ms.
10 be such Amoricaus-i o.. to be such
American men and women MS 10 convince
tho world M last that none Of these ieno-
bic definitions can Justly be given 10 the
name We bear?
MAGNIFICENT POSSIBILITIES.
And. indeed. what magnificent possibiii-
! Ties oil meaning there are within the name
/ We bear. h. only We, the American people,
| be worthy of il. Said the poet, Long
fellow, not a great while before his death
The idea, the meaning OF America, ls
/ very grand. our country. is working out
one OF the highest problems I'm the celcs-
! tial dynamiCs OF man. And many years
! before LOngfellOw said that his friend
/ Waldo Emerson. had written: America
| is another name for opportunity Oul
whole history appears Ike a. last eWort oi
Divine Providence in behalf of the hu-
/ man race
And another thoughtful writer. that exc
| quisite Christian scholar Professor Aus.
tin Phelps, of Andcver has left on record
this deliberate prediction: As goes Amer
lea 50 goes the world in all that is vita
| 10 its moral welfare
And. perhaps that is only another way
| Of saying what was said few years ago
/ by great Englishman Of letters Matthew
Arnold, man not at al given 10 culOgy
and especially not tC eulOgy of us.
"Amerca holds the future"
Possibly. indeed. In the presence of al
the tremendous problems. social and po-
I litical and industrial and ecclesiastical
which now confront US. and which threat
en- TO strain our institutions 10 their mt
most capacity. and even 10 mar and de-
grade tho very meaning OF the name Wa
bear. we Americans may Dc disposed 40
tremDle. rather than 10 eXult. at such a
compliment. implying. as IL does. go ape
paI'ng responsibility
At any rate. may I not assume 90 tho
close OF this historical study in which
we have nov been engaged. that al true
Americans VIII Join me go one iev)ut as-
piration toward which orr subject seems
naturally 10 culminatcr Nav Heaven
grant that this mighty multitudinOus
people. whom Divine Providence seems 10
haze baptized with this rich. historic
name OF American. may grow 10 be q
people so wise. so true. so h'gh-mnded.
so pure hearted so morally o0ur3 eeou~.
So strong I'm self restraint and I'm all civic
virtue so profoundly and magn1nimOusiy
religious so genuine and so efficient in
all the thiu~s that make for the highest
and best life of this world and OF all
worlds. that this great word American.
which dtsicratos Thorn. shall stand in
an the coming ages as word irtirhicd
with the noblesf personal and national
tion ard an uplifting power 10 AN the
tOiling downCast and suffering races Of
mankind over the face Of the whole
/ earth,
VOTr or THANKS
As soon rs Professor Ty cr had ended
his address and tho storm ~ applause bad
tbatcd ehowcred upon him bv the audience
Hon. W. WIT Henry arose and stated
that he wanted 10 give expression t0 the
feeling in tho breast Of every one present
that vote Of thanks be given FOR tho fine
Grafton that had been so delightfully."- pol
ishod and instructive. The vote Of thanks
was thcn given hv rising. whereupon the
gathering dispersed.