The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-21


erclses be such as shall tnpreEs upon
our youth the patriotic duties of Amefi.
can citizenship. Our system OF free aud
common education Is the niaster-foTct
which. uader God, has been flllipg the
American people with their ideas OF
equality, Justice. and seems to
be. moreover the Institution upon
which America must largely depend for
the proper training In good cltixenship
OF the coming generations. While un.t
checked waves Of TIM American sentl.
ncnt are spreading tiiemselyea oyer our
country, the common school has n sure
command OF the future; Its education In
Intelligent patrlotIsm, It's trainlng in
the duties OF citizenship. are forces
which can be trusted TO Amerleaaize
the huge armies OF allen Immigration.
What grand opportunities the youth
have lp these American homes and
schooE where there Is an open Bible.
tho fountain OF all true patriotism.
IL we deslsc to have true love Of
country In our hearts, we, must have
love TO God. We must offer praise and
glory to Him, as Ruler and Governor,
as Lord and King, as Law-glper and
Judge, Without God nothing OF what
we properly value to-day could have
been. Without God, there could hive
been neither nation. no. nations birth
day. II Is He that made and kept us
one. Think OF the mighty hand that
hath led US and upheld US through,
these years what It has done for US!
Look back to the humble beginnings
to the poor little colon!sts with their
scant store, their modest desires: think
OF their iong-suffering patience, and al
soiof their honorable resolve not 10 sub
NIT TO Injustice and oppression; remem-
Der the band OF men who met together,
more than one hundred years ago, to
sign the Declaration. how they did IT.
not. as popular legends tell US. with
transports OF enthusiasm and amid bell
ringing and general jubilation, but In
secret session of Congress, with an aw-
full sense OF what It meant, with Wis.
Ion OF death before their eyes. and well
aware OF the toll, and blood, ahd gr!ct
that It must cost to maintain their atti-
tude before the world. Let US hnvc
tender heart toward the old fathers of
the Revolution, the men who took their
lives In their hands. and so brought che
new nation into existence And then
think amid what untold trials and sut-
fering3 they carried on their seven
years war! It Is touching to read the
memorials OF those days, and to think OF
all that has come since then; how We
are entered into their labors. and are at
peace because they went through all
that: they sowed In tears and we reap
In Joy.
Never let US forget, amid the proud,
and grateful memories OF our origin
and our young life, with what a mission
we are charged, what transcendent
good is within our reach. what posi-
bIIItIes to be realized or lost, and what
immeasurablc interests for millions yet
unborn are involved In our experiment
of self-goverament. Though It has
stood well the test OF a whole century,
and a little more. In calm and in storm.
It Is, as time advances. and population
increases, and complicated questions
are evolved, an experiment STILL, The
theory, the fair ideal OF our American
government Is the very minimum OF re-
straint on the Individual will OF the cit
izen that is consistent with the general
welfare. II In changing the form of
responsibility Is shifted
from the one or few to the many, let US
keep the eye fixed with concentrated
gaze on the one critical point OF our salS
walton, the intelligence and the religious
virtue OF all the people. With no cause
for shame, with every reason for con-
graduation and song and happy mem
orial In the past, the great drama of
history Is not yet complete, and you are
enacting now for your children, as your
fathers did for you. one OF many scenes
which hasten or retard the great con-
summation.
THANKS TO GOD.
Thanks be to God FOR all that Is. past
and secure already; for dellverances
wrought In the sea and the wilderness.
and for the l3rgeness and the wealth!
and opportunity Of our national hertz
age! Blessed be His name for more
than a century OF new things In new
nation, for our flag, our Union, cur na-
tionality; for the magnificent ideas OF
liberty and equality. OF human right
and progress, which have been evolved
into form and action and fruit in this
period Of our existence. Blessed be God
that the visions and yearn!ngs OF cody
patriotism at the beginning have not
been disappointed. but have been fully
realized in the happiness and freedom
and security and honor of this our dear
native lind. sought and open to the op-
pressed and weary of oil lands. Blessed
be God for religious liberty, liberty OF
conscience, liberty OF thought and be-
You'd and above golden mines and
laughing harvests. for all the churches,
the schools, the institutions of learning
and art and philanthropy which have
sprung up over all the land, out OF the
free will of an Intelligent people. like
flowers In the path OF the sun. Blessed
be God for all the good and heroic men
who, from the beginning Of our history
till now. In times Of calm and in times
of war, In all questions OF right, and
sentiment and conscience and duty.
have been raised up to be guides and
leaders, teaching the people what should
be done and how to do 1t. They were
thoughtful. patriotic, self-sac rificing
men. who built this great temple of civ
II and religious liberty. By such men
only, can It be kept In repair. and made
to stand for ages and ages. Every good
man Is reason in Gods eyes, why He
should spare the nation and prolong It's
life; every bad man, In his vicious, sell
FISH. evil life, is a reason why God
should break up the whole system to
which that worthless, miserable being
belongs. The wisest king who ever sat
upon throne has told us that right
eousness exalteth nation. Not policy
In government. not fertility in soil. not
Of climate, but Righteousness.
Not literature and art, not the wisdom
of the schools, but Righteousness, Not
admirably framed laws and well-con-
sldered constitutions, but righteousness.
Not extent OF territory, nor greatness
OF revenue, but Righteousness. Not
fleets and armies and munitions OF war.
but righteousness-that is the only tlcm