The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-27
Judge Walter Clark on
What the Celebration Means


Ladies and Gentlemen: Standing on the
Aventine hill, by the banks OF the I1oer,
we can still behold the cradle OF the
great Roman people, the beginnings Oh
that Imperial race which for centuries
held in it's control the entire civilized
world of their day and whose laws, whose
feats Of arms, whose thought have pro-
foundry impressed all succeeding ages.
Standing here we see the spot Wnere
first began on this continent the great
race which in the New World in three
hundred years has far surpassed in ex-
tent of dominion, in population ana
power the greatest race known to the
old. Farther than the imperial eagles
ever few. over more men than It's DO
minion ever swayed, with wealth which
dwarfs its boosted treasures, and 1nteln-
gence and capacity unknown to its rulers,
this new race in three centuries mas
covered a continent crossed great rivers,
built great cities tunneled mountains,
traversed great plains, scaled mountain
! ranges, and hating but for moment
on the shores of a vaster ocean. mas
already annexed thousand islands and
faces the shores of a western continent
so distant that we call it The East.
We do we'll to come here to visit the
spot where this great movement began
1t is one OF the great epochs, of all his
, tory. Here, SO years before the landing
of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, here
q years before John Smith and James
town, in the year 1854, the first English
keel grated on the shores of what is now
the United States Here the greatest move
ment of the ages began, which has COM
pleted the circuit of the globe. For thou
sands of years Cod in his wisdom, had
hidden this land behind the pillows till
| His appointed time, and in Europe and
Asia millions had fought and persisted
for the possession of narrow lands. The
human intellect had been dwarfed with
the dimensions of its prison house. In
! due season Copernicus guaged the
I heavens, revealing countless worlds be-
yond our grasp and Columbus almost
! at the same time, unveiled this tangible
world beyond the Atlantic Stunned,
dazed, the mind OF man slowly realized
the broadened vision unrolled before 1t.
Since then the energies of the human in
tellect have steadily expanded and
thought has wdened with the process
| of every sun.
Here broke the spray of the first wave
OF Saxon population and now westward
across the continent to the utmost verge
and beyond it, there rolls human sea
Three centuries have done this.
| About this very date Amadas and Bar
low landed here, for on July 4, day
doubly memorable on these shores, they
deserted land and sailing up the coast
| 100 miles they entered with their two
small vessels through an inlet, probably
now closed. Proceeding further they came
abreast this island, where they landed
and were Hospitality received.
Nature remains unaltered. AS on thai
July day, of the long ago, earth, air ant
sky and sea remain the same. Inc same
blue arch bends above US. The same rest
less ocean rolls. The same sun shines
brightly down. The same balmy breezei
breathe soft and low The same head
lands tut out to meet the waves. Th'
same bays lie open to shelter the com
ing vessels. The trees, the foliage, thu
landmarks, would all be recognized b!
the sea-worn wanderers of that memor
able day. But as to what is due to man
how altered.
To the westward, where the Indial
innumerable vessels, moved by the ener
gies of steam, pillow the waters, freighte
with the product of every industry an
the produce of every cline. Where tn
smoke of the lonely wigwam rose, nov
the roar of great cities fills the ear an
the blaze of electric lights reddens tn
sky. Where then amid vast solitudes tn
war whoop resounded boding death an
, torture, now rise a thousand, thousan
} steeples and anthems to the Prince c
Peace float upon the air. Where tn
plumed and painted warrior stealthil
trod the narrow war path, mighty en-
gines rush. Where a few thousand make
savages miserabIy starved and fought an
5 persisted, near one hundred millions {
, the foremost people of all the world liV
t and prosper Three short centuries hav
: seen this done.
Looking eastward the ocean rolls III
g changed, but not as then to be crosse
only after two or three months of voy
{ age. Already a week suffices for its pas
Y sage and across its waves even now mes
: sages flash without the medium Of wire