The herald., 1896-07-05
CENTRAL PARK ORATIONS
". ]. Williams and Colonel Messmore
the Orators Of the Day
Pure Government DeIlnsatsd - Remarkable
Political Sentiments Rehssrsed-Laree
end Attentive Crowd

The exercises in Central park bulle-
tined for o'clock began considerably
after =. At that hour the walks of the
small park were covered with a fes-
tive concourse Of men, women and chill
dren. the men grouped in an audience
many members deep about the grand
stand; many women arrayed on camp
stools, others gracefully disposed on the
green sward. and the small fry making
more or less havoc in the exercises with
q continuous sputtering of patriotic
bursts Of small flrecrackers
speeches as patriotic as effort and oc-
casion brought forth were interspersed
with fine selections by the Orange City
band, the opening number being Ameri-
cas- new national hymn. The invoca-
ton was made by the Rev. s. A. Thom-
son. Prof. j. B. Millard thundered
forth the great Declaration of Independ-
ence. The first Grafton was made by
Mr.. w. T. Williams and was purely of
q patriotic nature, without depression
to the right or left Mr.. Williams said:
MR.. WILLIAMS SPEECH
Mr.. President. Fellow Citizens, Ladies
and Gentlemen-We have met here to-
day upon our national birthday in this
DSoutAAui Naikcy VI LOS AnScleS, upon the
shores OF the Pacific ocean, the western
boundary of our great republic, amidst
the orange groves and flowers and in the
enjoyment Of constitutional liberty, un-
der the patriotic folds Of that illustrious
banner Of the free raised here by our
patriotic pioneer fathers, that pierces
the clouds into the ethereal blue of heav-
en-, where 1t shall ever remain the pride
OF every patriotic heart the hope and
admiration Of the world, and where it
shall ever salute the sun, as he rises from
behind the waters Of the Atlantic and
wave him adieu as he sinks to rest far to
the westward behind the turbulent sea,
to commemorate the virtues, the patriot
ism and heroism of our fathers: to drink
anew at the fountains Of liberty. Like
the Musselman who has traversed the
deserts and undergone privations and
SORROWS, when he reaches the sacred
city OF Mecca, he throws himself down
before the tomb Of Mahomet and offers
up his prayers to his prophet and to his
God. Like the devout Christian, having
traversed thousands of miles and braved
the storms of oceans. when he reaches
the sacred city of Jerusalem he throws
himself down before the tomb Of the
Savior and offers up his prayer to his
Redeemer and to his God.
Around this sacred shrine we know no
religion, no creed; we know no political
OTSdulZdtiOIi, IciLutT OtIIlOCTdtlC, he
publican, Populist or Prohibitionist. We
all meet here upon a common level TAX
ing each other by the hand and greeting
each other and basking in the sunshine
of liberty.
Fellow citizens I do not think 1t would
offend any man to give utterance to
American sentiments upon this occasion.
All Of us are enthused by the sentiments
OF liberty. We are all Americans. We
are all concerned in the administration
OF the governmental rests upon our
shoulders. It Is part of us, we created
1t. 1T is government of the people, by
the people, for the people," AS Ameri-
cans we are opposed to the division of the
school moneys for sectarian purposes.
AS Americans we are opposed to the
union of church and state. AS Ameri-
cans we are opposed to the indiscrimin-
ate immigration Of foreigners, that
threaten the traditional institutions Of
our fathers, and we are opposed to their
naturalization until they shall have re-
NAMED here sufficient length of time
to become acquainted with the spirit of
our institutions. until they can read the
constitution of the United States in the
English language. (Applause.) We are
opposed, a. Americans, to any church,
any creed or any sect dominating or at
tempting to control in any manner the
liberty Of conscience of the people in the
eHJOyIucHt VI tuclT pOAillCdl VI SOCldl
rights These were the sentiments that
actuated our fathers in the struggle for
the achievement of our independence,
and these are the sentiments and prin-
ciples that we have inherited from them.
1t was that principal that stimulated the
hearts of the Continental troVps at the
battle of Bunker Hill, and when they
were driven from behind their breast
works, and when they were assailed by
superior numbers. they clubbed their
muskets and contested every inch of the
field, and when they had fallen they fell
with their feet to the enemy and their
eyes fixed upon the throne of an ever
lasting God It was these sentiments
which actuated the Continental army in
it's retreat through Pennsylvania, when
pursued by the victorious English and
Hessian army and reconciled them to
death as they lay PROSTATE upon the
battle field and received the bayonet at
the hands Of the hireling,s mer-
cenary Hessian soldiery. 1t was
the same sentiment that controlled that
patriot on the opposite banks of the
Delaware, when George Washington.