Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1902-07-10
WHITE SHIELDS PICNIC.
Brilliant Address by John M.
Gerren.

w nlJWelI, lenl,, ) uIy O'-(OpeC~
ial. The Regents of the White~
Shield had their annual picnic } es-
terday in the grove near their hall
Excellent music was furnished by
members and friends of the order
At noon sumptuous dinner was
served. An excellent program
had been arranged which was nice
ly rendered At 8; am. the Re-
gents assembled in their hall and
marched from there to the picnic
grounds where the program was
carried out, First was the opening
ode America" Invocation. The
first speaker was John NJ. Gerren
formerly OF this place but now of
Chattanooga. Mr.. Gerren said in
part:
If any gentleman here suspects or
breads that am going to take you
through the Revolutionary struggle
from the celebrated tea and turn out
party in Boston Harbor the date of the
treaty of Ghent, shall do myself the
honor and this joyous company the fav-
or of disappointing him. Is it not all
written in the volumes of Sparks and
Bancroft whore every day you turn
leaf to read it? If you don't it is not
my fault. Let us for once allow our
forefathers to rest in peace on the ma
tional anniversary. We shall, perhaps,
best show our respect for their memory
by refraining from adding to the mass
of ornamental talk with which such
windy speechifiers have sought to en-
bellish their unembellishable glory.
| Suppose we say word or two of our
present-the happy offspring of the past
in which they figured Glance mental
ly over the space of hundred years
and you will see on these shores lit
tie speck of commonwealth numbering
less than two and half millions. Such
was the beginning of the great repub-
lie whose future growth and destiny no
man ventures to measure or guess. II
is the parable of the grain of mustard
seed exemplified in political history.
And to what do we owe this rapid and
marvellous expansion? Simply to an
absence of the artificial pressure which
retards the growth of monarchial states.
We are free to grow and we grow be-
cause we are free. On some Fourth of
of July in the far future when we are
dust, kings, kaisers, princes and mobiles
will be talked of as we talk of the mas
todon, the magolonyx and other obso-
lete animals The men of that day
will be puzzled to understand how men
like themselves could ever have believ-
ed in the divine right of kings or that
of "blood royal" was superior fluid to
that which circulated through the veins
of the rank and file of humanity. What
jest dynasties will be thenl
All! that will be great age. Mean
while we are contented to live in this
and to know that such an age must
come 1t is pleasant for us to be here
today and admire the prospect. Proud
to think that our successors a thousand
years hence will date back the origin
of their advanced social and political
condition to the day we celebrate In
, the meantime while the unborn mill
, lions and their institutions have our
best wishes, we are content, as | have
said, with things as they are. In one
: respect, at least, we have the advan-
; tage of the future. We are laying
> them under great obligation which they
can never repay; doing wonders for pos
terity while it is physically and NOR
: ally impossible that posterity should
: ever do anything for US.
But we, Regents of the White Shield,
meet here today to celebrate the Fourth
of July. Little children all look for
ward to Christmas with much interest
It So do we. The children want Christ
}, mas to come because they know Santa
n Claus is sure to bring them something
nice, We older people are also glad t.
see Christmas come. We like to hell
Il make glad the hearts of the little ones
it Then we love to celebrate it because /
d is our Savior's birthday. 1t is also trur
of the Fourth Of July. We like to Gel
citrate it because it is Americas birth
day. One hundred and twenty-si
years ago to-day America gained be
s. 5; independence from under the Britis
II rule. Our feIsfathers fought, bled an
10 died for the independence of our cour
a try, and we, as loyal citizens and Re
- = gents Of the White Shield maintai
1e the same patriotic spirit that the
or maintained.
: We are true patriotic Americans, W
a. love our order, our county, our hal
ly The old star-spangled banner that no
floats over you over the land Of the fre
and the home Of the brave we love an
will protect If It costs Us our lives. "
II are a patriotic order There is wrappe
up in our motto; Patriotism, Philal
tbropy and Protection, = great dea
which has a great meaning 10 us. "