Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-08


Creator upon the assemblage, said 81
am to ask the blessing of God upon us
because of the beginning of the nation,
Its progress throughout successive
years since that beginning and it's
prosperity at the present time, is due
to the blessing conferred upon it by
Almighty God. He then pronounced
the benediction and the ceremonies
were at an end.
THE ORATOR OF THE DAY.
A ForcefuI, Powerful Address by Hon,
E. A. Munger of Chicago.
The greatness of the American ma
ton and the American spirit was the
theme of the able address delivered
by Hon. e. A. Munger, of Chicago. as
the central feature Of the Fourth of
July celebration in Ottumwa this
morning. Mr.. Munger is, in every re.
spect, true and patriotic American.
as demonstrated by his every word in
addressing the throng of people that
gathered at the city park today to
hear his Grafton. His address was
eloquent, forceful and patriotic, and
throughout it breathed the sentiment
OF which he spoke so often, the Ameri-
can spirit. The one point wherein
Americans boast of themselves and
their antecedents is that of bravery
and fortitude, and the pride which fill
| ed the heart of the speaker as he re.
called the deeds of the sturdy pio-
neers Of the nation and of those who
nave continued their work to the pres.
ent time, was. shared by everyone in
the vast assemblage The address as
whole is a splendid tribute to the
foremost men of the American nation,
! with an additional word of praise for
every man in the country, however
humble, who prides himself upon be-
ing an American. The grafton was an.
preciated by everyone who heard it
and was splendid feature of Ottum.
was grandest Fourth of July celebra.
| ton.
The Address.
| MI. Munger spoke as follows:
"A Fourth of July celebration is a
distinctly, characteristic event in the
life of the American people. It is or
occasions like this that we hearker
back to the childhood of our nation
and live again in contemplation of the
stern struggle of that band of patriotic
hearts who first gave meaning to the
term constitutional liberty We turn
again the well thumbed pages of our
country's history and read once more
with swelling pride the story of the
struggle of that handful of men. With
bodies weakened by privation, with
bare and bleeding feet but with an in.
extinguishable love of liberty in theil
hearts, they fought against impossible
odds, their courage but the stronger
through each successive defeat; theil
victory finally won not through force
of arms but through the power of an
uncomfortable devotion to principle
which knew no compromise, which
could make no terms, which counted
| death no sacrifice and life without lib
erty but continued dishonor.
A Familiar Story.
To many who are assembled here
the story of the hardships of the stern
and unrelenting strife with the wilder
ness which marked the years of our
nations birth and early growth, are q
story which might have been taken
from their own lives, tale of expert
ences which many grandfather with
in the sound of my voice has known
as part of his own life story. Fo,
this fair Mississippi valley, the great
est garden spot upon all the broad
earth, has come so recently into the
! symmetry and order of civilized life
that the rough marks of the mighty
tools are still visible. The men are
yet among us whose courage and for
titude blazed the paths where today
the broad avenues of commerce beal
the changing products of millions O
farms and workshops to every corner
of the globe.
In one of his memorable speeches
Webster has said: 1t did not happier
to me to be born in log cabin, bu
my elder brothers and sisters were
born in log cabin, raised amid tn,
snow drifts of New Hampshire. at
A period so early that when the smok,
rose first from it's rude chimney anC
curled over it's frozen hills, there wa
no similar evidence of white man.
habitation between it and the settle
ments on the rivers of Canada It's re
mains still exist. make to it an an
!. nual visit. carry my children to i
to teach them the hardships endured
by the generations which have gon,
before them. l love to dwell on tn
tender recollections, the kindred ties
the. early affections, and the touching
narratives and incidents which mingl
with all know Of this primitive fam
| lily abode
A Worthy Custom.
/ among sterner scenes than thes1
and fraught with savage danger be
side, our forefathers labored and it il
well for us and it is we'll for the nation
that we should make thus in our heart
an annual pilgrimage to the shrin
where are yet preserved the Twin,
memories of the times of our nation
birth.
But it was not the men and womel
who founded our country brave an,
stanch though they We're, who made it
greatness nor has any subsequent gen
Grafton been responsible in any larg
measure for our great moral and ma
terial progress.
1T is the American principles of gov
eminent they enlSlciated and tn,