Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-07-10
M'LAUR|N'S SPEECH
AT SPART ANBURC

AT SPART ANBURG
"From tho Rock Bound Coast Of
NIaino to tho Pacific Golden Gate;
From Suporior's Crystal Waters to
the Everarcen Shores OF the Mexican
Sea, Broihcrs Arc Wo All'-sAnd
the Thoughts Of Men Are Widencd."
While the 4th of July, l77d, was tho
date Of tho Declaration Of Independence,
tho 4th of July. 1901, was the time when
1t was carried into full effect by the cs
tablishment Of the capital, so that this
country is really but Il century old. Union
and independence forever is today the
watchword Of ~ million American free
mon. When the nineteenth century was
born, there was not nation IN which the
subjects had voice in the affairs Of Cov
ernlnent. The influence of the United
States has beon such during the past cen
tury that there Is not n civilized nation
In the affairs of which the people have no
voico. They vote even in Russia. There
are now five republics upon the continent
OF Europe. There are no nations that are
not republics In the western hemisphere
and there arc two republics in Africa
Having rcpublicanizcd tho world and
made every nation recognize, at least to
some extent, the principles outlined in
our declaration Of Independence, we now
open new century, as the beacon light
OF the world, in bringing about tho nat
ural sequences of this universal brother
hood Of manhood, taught first by Christ
when upon the earth, and forgotten
through eighteen centuries, the dealing
together Of the nations of the earth to
their mutual profit in the advancement
OF civilization, the promotion of peace
and tho enhancement of their material
welfare.
Our forcfathers pledged in revolution
their lives, their fortunes and their sa-
cred honor to secure for us this boon.
They forecasted the future, and built the
foundations OF our free government upon
broad and patriotic principles, which In
their triumph would secure n perpetual
union of stntcs and nn enduring indie.
pendence of tho nation. The crises
through which we have passed, while
menacing the stability of the union, have
never mperilled Our freedom The civil
war was severe shock to the unity of
the states, but we have passed through
the fiery ordeal, and today have Union
stronger and patriotism broader and
deeper than ever In all this land from
Maine to California, from the Lakes to
the Gulf, there is but one heart, ono
country, and one people. all ccmented
together, by the ties Of true patriotism
and the love Of human freedom. Well
may the American people, North, South,
East aud West glory in this day, hal
lowed us 1t is by the associations and
triumphs of tho past and magnifled by
the bright promises Of the future. Our
past rs Il nation Is safe, but it is gone for
ever: we cannot recall or change it, We
can, however, seize the present, aud wise
ly use the opportunity to make our future
the realization of tho widest dreams Of
the most optimistic American.
THE LESSONS OF THE PAST.
l propose today to emphasize our pres
ent splendid opportunities as q nation
and the grand results to flow from their
full appreciation and utilization. We are
standing today with the vanishing shati-
ows of the last century pla! !ing about our
feet, while the dim light of the dnwning
new century kisses our brow. From the
top of Times highest peak we can look
backward along the great highway that
all nations have travelled, we can see the
steady footsteps of the human race, as 1t
has plodded on and on, making cpochs In
earth's history and rearing monuments to
mark human progress. Let us, my fell
low w-citizens, learn wisdom from the past.
It's folltes. crimes and blunlcrs may be
turned into sublime stepping stones, to
lit our generation to n higher plane OF
existence. Along the highway, where we
have passed, hate, sectionalsm and blind
partsanship show where the road has
dropped of into many an abyss, ragged
and deep. The torn garments and the
whitened bones we see far down below
should warn us to t,.:n and seek tho bet.
ter path, at whose summit lie sweet pros.
pcrity, liberty, pence and Justice. Step by
step the process Of education and nd
yancement has proceeded. Each century
has shown some progress in certain di.
rection in human thought, In human en-
deavor and in human Improvement.
II doubt not thro' the agos one increas
Ing purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men arc widcncd
with tho process Of the suns"
The thought so beautifully expressed
In the parable of the sowers is true of na.
tions as we'll rs ofIindividuals
Behold there wont out q sowcr 20 SOW.
and no sowed, some fell by the wayside
andthe fowls Of the air came and dcvour.
ed 1t up This was true right in .Jcrusa.
lem. and some fell on stony ground
where 1t had not much earth and immc-
diately 1t spranR up, because it had no
depth of earth, but when thv sun VAS uu.
1t was scorchod, and because it had no
root 1t wthcrcd away This was true in
Rome, where Christians were put to dentb
In the Coliseum. "And some fell nmono
thorns, and the thorns grew up and
chokod 1t, and it yielded no fruit" This
was true In Persia, which mt that time led
the civilization of the world We get our
common school system from Prussia, who
got 1t directly from Persia.
And others fell on good ground ana did
yield fruit that sprang up and increased
some thirty and some sixty and some an
hundred." II fell upon good ground in
Germany and brought forth tho Lutheran
reformation. 1t fell on good ground In
England and brought forth the full cstab.
Nshment of Professionalism. 1t fell upon
good ground in New England and brought
forth the largest degree OF religious ant
personal liberty ever known II n,Iubt bo