The record-union., 1897-07-06
1r-o G Inic and he 1nEad Ii

was his and he loved it.
Do you remember how we lost two
ships of war in the island of Samoa,
several years ago? Do you call to
mind what those brave sailor lads did
when the hurricane drove them onto
the breakers? AS the engines, labor
ing hard, failed to stem the awful
storm, and the brave ships drifted back
towards the shore, though all knew
that death hOvered near. not cow
ardly cry was uttered. The dear old
flag was run up in defiance of the gale.
the bands played Hail Columbia" and
star Spangled Banner" and the men
summoned to the deck calmly awaited
their fate. And speaking Of the flag
that sweetened heroic death at Samoa,
/ cannot but think and with exulta-
ton of the unfurling of the flag over
the Islands of Hawaii. Necessary for
our defense, dangerous in the hands of
an enemy, our national marine outpost,
Hawaii is an acquisition of utmost i'm
portance, if not a new star for our
banner, at least a crescent satellite in
the heavens of our national existence.
To fail of Instrumentation is not to make
her a Japanese province, but to thrust
er into the all devouring NAV of the
British Empire, to be fortified like Hall
fax and Bermuda, st. Lucia and Esqui
malt, for the menacing of our own fu-
ture security.
Our position and resources mark us as
a great maritime nation, to divide with
England the carrying of the commerce
OF the world, and ourselves it's greatest
merchants. Commerce is destined to
dispute with manufacture it's present
pre-eminence. A great merchant marine
powerful navy and close commercial
intercourse with every foreign seaport
alone will enable us to attain our mani
fest destiny. When this prophecy shall
have come true, and it must-the Mon
roe doctrine will be accepted by the ma
tons of the old world, as boys and girls
at school accept the rule of three
Back of the never failing patriotism
has always been the republican idea of
Government and civil and religious lib
erty. Every man free, every citizen his
own king, the public domain for all, and
government by the people, of the people
and for the people.
Once Gladstone offended Queen Vic
toria by his insistance upon some popu-
lar right. Sir exclaimed Victoria,
you forget that 1 am the Queen"
Your majesty" he replied, I am the
people!"
Every patriot is the people among US,
and hence our patriotism is fraternal,
humane and law abiding. Our greatest
President since Washington was origin
ally loghutter and railsplitter. Our
greatest General was an unsuccessful
tanner.
You know that very lofty pinnacles
can be reached only by eagles and by
reptiles. High position in our country
not seldom has been attained by rep
tiles, and their patriotism has been like
that of the member of the old Irish Par
lament, who having been accused of
selling out his country, replied devoutly,
''Begorra, and I thank God that have a
country to sell out!" But it is marvel
lous how many of our rulers have come
to eminence by broad wings and keen
vision.
Another cause of our glory and no in
considerable part of our greatness is the
Federal Constitution. 1t is known by
you all, that at the close of the revolu-
lIO11dIS al lIlt lIllIlG liiQtpClluClII
colonies We're a loose confederation and
not in any true sense a nation. The
written constitution and our present
compact and powerful Government We're
the result of growing public evils and a
dread of anarchy and civil war; it was
the outcome of compromise and mutual
cancellations. Circumstances, as we'll as
the wisdom OF men, rendered it the flex-
ible yet mighty bond which holds to-
gether nearly fifty States. Time fails
me to speak, as I would, of the Federal
Constitution; hours, days and weeks
might we'll be employed by us in pom
dering it's judicious provisions; it's nice
adjustment of conflicting claims; its
even balancing of contending interests;
its careful recognition of the rights Of
the nation, of the States and of the in
dividual. Gladstone. in regretting ab-
serce from the centennial anniversary
of the adoption of the Constitution,
wrote: 1.-The American Constitution, so
far as | can see, is the most wonderful
work ever struck off at a given time, by
the brain and purpose of man.
And now I pause, not because no
more can be said about the glory of
these United States: but because my
time has expired and / could talk for
ever on such a theme. 1t is broad as
our prairies, deep as the oceans which
wash our shores, high as the cloud
feathers in our summer skies. One
begins anywhere on such theme and
ends never.
And our future.
Doubt it not, our land shall share
fully in that enlargement of human
prosperity which shall be. Not in
vain our mountains lift their velvet
pastures and lofty forests into the cool
upper air, not in vain mighty rivers
fertilize our lovely valleys and broad
plains. not in vain coal and iron and oil
and gold enrich our soil, not in vain
the races of mankind here meet and
mingle, to exchange thoe esht to polish
one another by contact and to generate
a vigor of body and activity of brain,
that shall use to advantage these vast
resources; not in vain has the blood
of heroes baptized our rich and varied
heritage; not in vain are our women
grand and beautiful. The present
promises magnificently for the future.
There are clouds, bat we will not see
them to-day; there are means of suf-
ferers and curses of disconnected ones.
but we will for the occasion be deaf
to any other than the cry of hope and
cruel wrongs, but we will dismiss their
consideration until the morrow.
Only one lesson is permissible to the
sternest moralist, on this Fourth of
July. It is said. when young Cor