The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-19
TOLDANATION's HISTORY
DIR. j. X. sHOsMER BEFORE THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Treating of Historical Topics
Touched Upon the Period Between
the Beginning of the Nations Ex-
istence and the Revolutionary
War-Rain @Interferes.
AS N. P. Langford said when moving
vote of THANKS, the combination Of
untoward elements and unusual politi-
cal disturbance last night, was respon-
s1ble for the rHther slender audience
which greeted DR.. James X. HOsmer,
OF Minneapolis, who read a paper before
the state Historical society at the CAPT.
toll.
The paper, which was most interest
ing, was the first of a series treating
OF historical topics, and told of the
three stagesfpf the history of this coun-
try. dependence, independence, and in
Independence. .
DIR. Hosmer reviewed in terse MARIA
tive fashions the beginning of the ma
tons existence in the Revolutionary
war, and Touched on its international
relations since. ~
he referrad,' in opening, to the origi-
nal portraits hanging behind him, Of
Maj. JosephNHOSmer, an ancestor, who
ON the 19thaof April, 1775, as adjutant
or Col. James Barrett, the commander,
formed the minute men in line as they
concord. He told how they marched
down to the North bridge to receive
and return the British volley, and how
their leader, did much to keep them
f1rm before the enemy. OF all the "em-
battled farmers" who took part in the
memorable Concord fight, the opening
OF the Revolution, it is said that he
alone has transferred his portrait to
posterity, a fact which makes the pic
ture historic relic of some value
Government Of, by, and for the peo-
pie, the speaker continued, for which
those men fought. was no mistake.
Their descendants still prize it as did
their fathers. In the evolution of
America the first phase was one of de-
pendence. Before French. aggression
the. thirteen colonies could not have
maintained themselves without help
from the mother country.
The CONJUNCTION. Of the genius Of Pitt
and the genius of Wolfe was almost
miraculous, but it Is now believed that
but for those two men the ambition Of
france would have been realized, that
the English cofonists would have been
driven into the sea, or become subjects
| of the Bourbon king. Canada, however.
having been captured, independence be-
came possible.
| An English writer Of today speaks of
| the breach between the two great
as one OF the most calannttous events
| in the worlds history. The speaker
| d1ssented from this and argued that
| the breach was fortunate thing.
Without dwelling upon the benefit to
America OF the separation, a matter
which americans regard as too obvious
| to need exposition, the speaker claim
ed that the separation had benefited
England Through the shock of the
separation the liberties of England her
self Were confirmed; and the way made
plain by which, colonies, instead Of be-
coming estranged and hostile, may be
| held closely bound to the mother land.
| thereby making possible the magnifl-
cent British empire Of the present day.
"But independence having done its
work" continued the speaker. still
another phase Of evolution becomes
| proper and possible. Says a writer:
Corporation and not competition, in
ternatfonal tnterdependence and not ma
t1onaa Independence. are the highest
end and object Of civilization AS we
grow toward Tennyson's Parliament of
Man. the federation Of the world it is
| proper that among nations like should
become connected with like: and what
two peoples of the world are more SINH
| lar than England and America?
They are alike In origin, in language,
| In literature, for the most part in In
stitutions, England and her colonies
having in some ways more popular free
dom than America. Each nation has
| d1scredited pages in Its history and at
the present time has many faults On
the other hand, in the future. for each
nation the highest things may be hoped.
| Old prejudices ought no longer to es-
TRANCE the two peoples. Some such link
as council Of arbitration ought to
bind them into interdependence. This
| idea grows In favor at the present hour
! Under the dark clouds Of war, which
| at the present moment threaten both
England and America. the two great
bodies of the long severed English
speaking race seem preparing to clasp
| hands. a contamination devoutly to be
wished"
In conclusion, the speaker, reciting
F'mersons by the Rude Bridge That
Arched the Flood" referred to the
faithfulness to duty Of the "enlbattled
farmers" 123 years before and express-
| cd the wish that this generation might
show like faithfulness to the duty OF
| the present hour.