The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-07-10
M'LAUR|N'S SPEECH
AT SPART ANBURG

al III hi ] HNUUnU
HFrom the Rock Bound Coast Of
Maine to the Pacific Golden Gate;
From Superior's Crystal Waters te
the Evergreen Shores of the Mexican
Sea, Brothers Are We All''-"And
the Thoughts Of Men Are Widened.'
While the 4th of July, 1776, was the
date of the Declaration of Independence
the 4th of July. 1901, was the time when
it was carried into full effect by the es
tablishment of the capital, so that this
country is really but century old. Union
and independence forever is today the
watchword of 76 million American free
men. When the nineteenth century was
born, there was not nation in which the
subjects had voice in the affairs OF gov
errment. The influence of the United
States has been such during the past Gen.
tury that there is not civilized nation
in the affairs of which the people have no
voice. 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 are two republics in Africa.
Having republicanized the world and
made every nation recognize, at least to
some extent, the principles outlined In
our declaration of independence, we now
open a new century, as the beacon light
of the world, in bringing about the 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 the enhancement of their material
welfare.
Our forefathers 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 a perpetual
union of states and an enduring indie
pendence of the nation. The crises
through which we have passed. while
menacing the stability of the union, have
never imperilled 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 a 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, one
country. and one people, all cemented
together, by the ties of true patriotism
and the love of human freedom. Well
may the American people, North, South,
East and West, glory in this day, hal
lowed as it is by the associations and
triumphs of the past, and magniaed by
the bright promises Of the future. Our
past as a nation is safe, but it is gone for
ever: we cannot recall or change it. We
can, however, seize the present, and wise
~ use the opportunity to make our future
the realization of the widest dreams OF
the most optimistic American.
THE LESSONS OF THE PAST.
I propose today to emphasize our pres
ent splendid opportunities as a nation
and the grand results to flow from their
full appreciation and utilization. We are
standing today with the vanishing shad'
ows of the last century playing about our
feet, while the dim light of the dawning
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 II
has plodded on and on, making epochs In
earth's history and rearing monuments to
mark human progress. Let us, my fel
low-citizens, learn wisdom from the past
Its follies. crimes and blunders may be
turned into sublime stepping stones, tc
lift our generation to higher plane oi
existence. Along the highway, where we
have passed, hate, sectionalism and blind
partisanship show where the road has
dropped off into many an abyss, ragged
and deep. The torn garments and the
whitened bones we see far down below
should warn US to turn and seek the bet
ter path, at whose summit lie sweet pros
perity, liberty, peace and justice. Step by
step the process of education and ad
vancement has proceeded. Each century
has shown some progress in a certain di
rection in human thought, in human en-
deayor and in human improvement.
81 doubt not thro' the ages one increas
ing purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men are widened
with the process of the suns"
The thought so beautifully expressed
In the parable Of the sewers is true OF ma
tions as we'll as oflindividuals.
Behold there went out a sower to SOW
and he sowed, some fell by the wayside
and the fowls of the air came and devour
ed it up" This was true right in Jerusa
lem. "And some fell on stony GROUND
where it had not much earth and imme
diately it sprang up, because it had nc
depth of earth, but when the sun was up
it was scorched, and because it had NJ
root it withered away" This was true il
Rome, where Christians were put to deatf
in the Coliseum. And some fell amons
thorns, and the thorns grew up ant
choked it, and it yielded no fruit" Thil
was true in Persia, which at that time lei
the civilization of the world. We get ou,
common school system from Prussia, WHIT
got it directly from Persia.