The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-26
A SPLENDID GRAFTON
Delivered by Miss Anna Heick-
sen of the Manila Schools.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
Excellent Grafton Full of Helpful Sug'
g%estiOns. Miss Heicksen of Aspin-
wall the Writer.
A GOLDEN INHERITANCE.

0lSaSJ SO1SloSl oUloa plAo oSSI1
handed down to them from some an
cestor, and not the educational facilities
that we have o compared with what
the people had in years gone by. Our
advance in knowledge, dating from the
foundation of this government, is al
most incomprehensible compared with
the old monarchs and empires OF Eu-
rope, especially Egypt and China that
date the foundation of their empires
from two to three thousand years be-
fore the Christian era, and which had
not made any appreciate advancement
until recently. Though other empires
and kingdoms, as England, Germany
and Spain have progressed in recent
years, it must be understood that none
OF these nations made any great adj
vancement until a government had
been established in America as a guild
ance for them and which seemed to
lead them out of the abyss of o%bscurity.
Let it be impressed upon the mind,
that our greatest advancement in
knowledge, was derived from men,
who in their day were considered OF the
most humble walks of life, but who
breathing an air of freedom, arose to
prominence, becoming great explorers,
statesmen, t~heologians and politicians.
Take the discovery of America, the
inhabitants of the aborigines, is still
but a speculative theory. The mound
builders and other races which give
evidences of a remote civilization will,
perhaps, remain forever. hidden in
mystery. 1t was not until the fifteenth
century that the continent was not
only entirely unknown to the inhabi-
tants of the old world, it was not even
known that the earth was a globe.
Even the most skilled navigators be-
lieved it to be a circular plain and
surrounded on all sides by a sea of un-
known extent with terrible mysteries
in the boundless waste of waters be-
You'd. They even supposed that a
short distance above the earth the
heavens rose like a great arch, and
rested on the tops OF the highest noun
tains, while the sun, moon and stars
we're thought to rise from and set be-
meath the we of the sea 1t was at
this period that Columbus blessed the
world by his superior mind. Being
convinced that the earth was round he
addressed himself successfully to every
maritime power in Europe for assist
ance in discovering the truth Of, his
theory. but he was treated as q wild,
visionary ~adveuturer. He had become
utterly discouraged, when Isabella,
Spaln's noble queen. interested herself
in his behalf and even resolved to
sacrifice jewels to aid his purpose.
With such a noble friend enlisted in
his behalf, Columbus set sail from the
Spanish port of Palos on his western
voyage discovery, with three little
ships, that were frail for such a voy-
age, among unknown dangers, without
q chart or knowledge of the difficulties
he was to encounter. Who a con.
template bis feelings and those of his
crew as day after day they sailed away
from everything they knew on the
earth. Day after day passed on, the
sun rose and set upon the wide waste
of water, and land appeared not:
morning and evening clouds fringing
the horizon had often deceived the
weary mariners into the glad cry o.
Gland but the deception fioate6
away, the wild waves rose and fell, the
frightened and mutinous sailors re
fused to venture further to their al
most certain destruction and clamored
to return. but the calm, heroic courage
of Columbus won their devotion. He
reasoned with them SO calmly and 81
ably, as to convince them of the cor
RICHNESS of his theory, that they were
willing to proceed. AT last the fra,
grant breezes, laden with the perfume
of tropical flowers came from the is
lands of the new world, and the sor.
rows and misgivings of the long, wear,
voyage we're ended and the inheritance
of a new world was proclaimed to the
people who Immediately set about tt
form colonies, and immigrate to the
new lands to build their future homes
until great settlements we're estab
lished from all the different c%ountrie.
of Europe. From the landing of tn,
Pilgrims at Plymouth till the uprisin.
against Charles |. about twenty thou
sand imr igrants came from Old Eng
land to n " England in pursuit of intel
lectual freedom and ecclesiastical indie
pendence. rather than for worldly homo
and profit. At this time the great ant
learned statesmen of Europe though
that no other. save q mOnarchial form
suitable for the government of thei
possession but these people having des
cended from hardy men, who had he'
for conscience sake, from oppression
IL WdS DuU udGuFdl tudG d SplFlU OI OppC
sition to royal interference shout,
exist among the children of pioneers
There vas in it an Inheritance of cour
age,o of manliness, love OF liberty, @
undying adherance to principle. No
being able to convince the mothe
country of her unjust ways and rulings
began TO plan and establish a govern
ment of their own. After one of tn
bloodiest contests, and fiercest struggle
after enduring all the hardships an
privatations of war, they convinced tn
people of Europe that they could estat
lish their own laws. The representa-
tive men among them assembled tc
gether, and established in that day
new form of government, far advance
over that over that of the old-tim
monarchies of Europe, a government
superior over any other in the way G
moral and educational advantages,
government that had never been eA
celled before, the good and beneficis
results of which we are reaping today
and will undoubtedly continue to il
herit for generations to come. 1t wa
only in the uar 0f 1910 at tho mamo,