The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-07-30

| J hfteth anniversary of the organization, under
~ the auspices of the Episcopal church OF nm
ity parish of San Francisco C. v B gibbs stu III
active business but the only survivor OF the orlgnai
COMMITMENTS, delivered a most interesting ADDRESS,
in which he traced the detailed history OF the parish ana
astonshed the younger members OF the congregation
bv the record of eminent men and women who had been
connected with t6 work. both in its spiritual ana IN us
secular departments Mr. Gibbs himself had been the
president Of the Society OF California Pioneers, had
extricated St Lukes Hospital from a condition OF
virtual insolvency and raised it TO its existing pros
porous condition and during a life OF long duration
and OF intense activity, in which he had touched almost
every public interest except political management hao
established reputation in which there was no ha"'
and that resembled brilliant trail of light
Yesterday the Congregationalists began the cele-
braton of the hftieth anniversary OF the establishment
OF that form of religion in San Francisco and again
the chief spokesman the only survivor OF the MIST
local communcants-David n Hawley, gentleman
of whom it may be justly said that in all the relations
of life, he has maintained the high standard OF the
Episcopal representative. He, too, was enabled to
group together in his account of the labor that had
been performed by the Congregational denomination,
in this city and this the names OF men ana
women who are known far beyond the limits OF the
State of California.
These two incidents have been mentioned purely for
an illustrative purpose. During the next few months
similar celebrations will rapidly accumulate For sew
enty-ive years or more prior to the adoption OF our
State constitution the Catholic church had main
tanned effective missions, the history OF which is as
familiar as household words Even before the
close OF the last century the religious element had
permeated the Indian population OF the Spanish prov
ince that has now under American auspices, attained
high distinction among the States of this Union The
extraordinary intelligence education and enterprise OF
the pioneers of I84o have been repeatedly euoglzed
But these semi centennial illustrations enter into the
history OF the world the most convincing proof OF
the holiness of American civilization wrought into
symmetry and beauty by the great constitutional re-
public
The thirteen Colonies which in the first instance
formed the Union, largely owed their origin to reig-
ious prosecutions. But such motive power drove
the California pioneers the shores OF the Pacific
They came here simply in the search for wealth as.
centuries before the Spanish had gone Mexico and
to Peru Hardly had they reached soil, however,
when the genius for organization the deepest and the
strongest element in composite race especially
under the American system, controlled the situation
with unparalleled vigor and success. Not only were
churches OF every sort planted but before January
/ 1880 almost every fraterna charitable society
then existing in the United States firmly estab-
lfshed in our midst Trade and commerce were in
stantly marked by system and by order Society was
framed into consistency and strength. A complete
form OF for the State and for counties and
for municipalities which in the debates of 1850
ceived the encomiums of the first statesmen in the
country, OF such men as Clay and Webster, sprang
into being almost at a stroke, and the men who
posed our first Constitutional Convention, taken from
the professional and from the ordinary walks OF life,
constituted body scarcely equaed in the records OF
America. Even ynchngs not the wild outbreaks
OF the present day. They temporary expedents,
analogzed to the usual of justice in legal tr
bunals.
It has been the fashion to refer to the early Cali
fornians as adventures, hunting for gold wild,
undiscipned and turbulent. They have been miscon-
ceived by great writers and in the pages of leading
views In fact, they were the very of this
false characterization They exceeded all precedents
in every part OF the globe in the speedy formation OF
a progressive commonwealth. Within two or three
years after the migration OF I84o San Francisco, pro-
vincia it is true nevertheless possessed of all
the elements Of American civilization, and from this
center the force of organization extended to the
IRENE limits of the State Our school system covered
every county and every municipality and in newly
admitted State has it been equaled This fact
will be admitted by every trained educator who has
studied the subject.
Necessarily for many years there other and less
respectable features in our communities. But down
to the present date have produced degradation
such as exists in whole quarters of Paris, London,
New York and other metropolitan cities. Now and
for all time early history will shine resplendently
in the annals of human achievement and in the per-
manent literature of the future, in the glowing stories
Of the beginnings of States California will be relieved
from unjust odium and will stand among the leaders
Of American civilization.