The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-06-11

temple of liberty. Here the wonderful
experiment of a republic was made;
here the soundest of all principles, that
governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed, was
demonstrated Here shall there be lib
erty without license, taxation without
oppression, wealth without ostentation,
power without crime, and conditions of
happiness as enlarged as our conditions
to enjoy. Scores of smaller republics
have since sprung up, b It like the
moon they shine from reflected light,
while our America blazes the way.
l want always to be counted with
those who honor the memory and ap-
plaud the deeds of the soldier of the
Revolution. | stand for everything he
fought for and for everything he held
sacred.
Remove not the ancient landmark
which thy fathers have SET is an old
proverb, but a sound one. l believe
the fabric of our government woven, as
Lowell says, upon the polseless loom
of time" is as sound to-day as the ten
commandments. A century and
quarter ago, facing duty and death,
band of patriots declared, I'VE hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights; that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness. That, to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed" That was
sound doctrine then, it is sounder TO-
day; it will always stand. l hope the
time is far distant when reverence due
the memory of the Revolutionary
patriots shall wane. The world never
saw greater crisis, TIE world never
bred drawer men in battle or wiser men
in council. And to my mind. the most
forceful evidence of their inspired
greatness appeared after the conflict
was over, as they collected the flying
ends of disOrganiZed and bankrupt
people, braiding them into nation.
Then they gave the new nation con-
stitution, iuiexible in principle but
elastic in detail, so that it applies as
we'll to 10 million people as it did to
shoeString of States along the Atlantic.
/ often wonder as / read the history of
constitutional days how men lneXperl-
enced in State craft could have drafted
the American constitution. The world
has voted it the greatest document
ever reduced to writing. Not word
could be omitted OF supplied. 1t has
stood the test of the bench, the bar.
time, peace, and war. 1t is free from
| antiquities; says what 1t means and
means what it says.
Ambition, State jealousy, and con-
hict of interests developed them on all
sides. Fortunately, however, suticl-
ent number supported the war leader,
| then the civil leader, Washington, so
| that out of chaos and dissension the
| best scheme of government ever devlS-
ed was adopted. Those were perilous
days, and again and again the failure
| of the eight years war seemed lmml-
nent No artist has ever been able to
| paint a rising sun as distinct from a
setting sun: little vonder then that the
| venerable Franklin at the adoption OF
| the American Constitution, sprang to
| his feet and facing the picture of ii sun
| on the walls of old Independence Hall
exclaimed: For weeks | have watched
that sun and wondered whether it was Il
rising or setting sun, now know. 1t
is the rising sun of America.
If | were to teach child what cltl-
Zenship in the United States cost, and
what it means in its largest and purest
sense, ! would have him study the life
of Washington as text book. | would
require it in the public schools. Search
history as you will, and nowhere can
there be found type SO perfect; as
| Wendell Phillips said of Napoleon so
may it be said of Washington, "He was
man without model or a shadow.
! Nature broke the perfect mold in
which he was cast; in humble confes-
sion she could do no more His brain
was temple of wisdom, his soul tenn
pie of liberty. A most beautiful Gus
| tom is observed by the steamers APP
preaching the Capital; as Mt. Vernon,
| the home and tomb of Washington is
passed the boat slows down. the bell
tolls, a national air is sung, and with
uncovered heads all turn their faces
reverently towards Mt. Vernon.
The germs of discomfort that appear
ed when our governments; was building
were pacified temporarily, but not ex-
terminated. Leading men, equal III
wisdom and good faith, held irreconcil-
able views concerning the rights of
States. They were honest, and from
their points of view their positions
were unassailable. One set believed
the States should practically merge
into Federal government; Others that
| CHty SllUulu HWY Soh PiCeNiy ISetsiAi
their sovereignty and identity. Unfor-
tunately, the former segment were
from the north, the latter from the
south. A sectional question was rails
ed, but who could have dreamed that
out of this conflict of honest opinion
such terrible results could have ensued;
that one day passion would silence rea-
son, national sentiment be stricken
dumb by sectional interest, State pride
rage supreme over fealty to the union,
and reason rule the hour.
Thus hastily and imperfectly we
have Travelled to-day through the over
shadowing events that have led to this
occasion and its meaning. l have adj
verified to these things at the expense
of regularity but in the hope that we
may better understand the length and
breadth of the eternal debt this genera
ton owes the soldiers of the Civil War,
in the further hope that the sublimity
of this day throughout the land may be
enriched with the sunshine of charity,
that we may be tolerant of the views
of those heroes on the other side. Only
the years can tell how much just opin-
ions were confused and tangled in that
conflict. For us it is enough to know
that our contention of nationality was
true, and that our brothers on the other
side admit it now. But when men die