The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-04-26
/ HENRY |: | !, / ! .ST.ICIEORCE
TUCKER; GREETS i:
AI|IRiMl|Y.OFVlIsI'TORS 4 | 4 !
300 Years Of Pr og.
ress Rel E' I ]
ADDRESS OF HENRY ST. GEORGE
TUCKER, PRESIDENT AT The
OPENING OF THE JAMESTOWN!
EXPOSITION, APRIL asTH, 1907.

sgIEfH -. = y ~
Mr.. President our distinguished
guests. ladies and gentlemen:
Standing upon an emlnence Of;
three centuries Of achievements tis
American Republic pauses5 today toS
celebrate, in fitting manner, the 4 Ter.
Centennial Of Us birth on the banks
OF the tawny James. The steadiess
head grows dizzy, the strongest nerve
asitated, while the pulse Of the lion.
hearted assumes the motion ot the
trip.hammer In the retrospect 81 tho
marvellous progress of three hundred
years. The origin Of ancient Rome,
of Greece and Of other countries thks
In their day have controlled the des.
tlnles OF the world, and shrouded I'M
mystery, or preserved In fable by
poetic fancy; and even more modern
nations find 1t difficult to point with
historic accuracy to tae date ofl their,
birth. Even our own mother land /.
endeared to US BY SO many ties, finds
II difficult, in the lncurslons Oh the
Norsemen, the piraucal insaslons q !
the Angles and saxons. and the mis-
ty origin of the ancient Brlto1; to de.
termine either It's paternity or the
birthday OF the; kingdom. More for.
tunate than these, or any sof, them s:lsS
this American Republic, not only iii
its knowledge Of the date Of its birth
but in the possession Of the names
and characters Of those who frst fae.5.
ed the dangers Of the sea, and then
the dangers Of the savage and forest,
In the founding Of the greatest! !Repub.s
lie Of modern times. And SO we, gath
er to-day in the presence Of this dis.
tinguished company, representing not
only our own country. but the mother
country, and, with few exceptions, iey;s
cry civilized nation Of the world, To-
celebrate the Ter.Cel,enulal II the
birth Of America. I,
Thi, day brings with 1t a twotoI5y
joy. In that 1t marks the TerC Centefll.5
NAL Of the birth; not only of theAmer.
lean Republic, but also the birth ot5
Virginia, the oldest American colony
both co,Incldent and simultaneous BY
Divine bresclenee, the infant Republic
was first hidden in the buIrlshes Of
our Virginia Nile. and nurtured by$its3
Mother, Virginia, the daughter Il the 1
King, whom Providence had placed
in waiting on the banks Of tde river.
that she might be the first to; give 10 !
her offspring those Impressions Sofj IN.
fancy SO necessary to high and noble
character In maturity.
We greet you therefore this day
Mr. President, and Fhonored srepreset.
tatives Of the great powers Of the
earth, at the birthday party not only
Of the American Republic, but otsYir;
sinia afso--the first, the Oldest ofs taeS
American Colonies. III
When the Federal convention was
once on the eve Of dissolution, It was
the venerable Benjamin Franklin who
gave utterance to those remarkable
words God governs In the affairs Of
men, and II a sparrow cannot fall to
the ground without his notice. IS &c
probable that an empire can rise with.
out his ald'" Those otlus who agree
with franklin do not believe that the
birth of the nation on the soil OF
Virginia was accidental. For, from tie
lnspled Book, are we not taught that
he who would attain tae bliss OF eter.
nal life must be bonn again; and In
our subsequent history, may we not :
sec the analogy between man and 3a
nation? For, IL the first birth ofsotr, @
Republic was at Jamestown On the
18th of May, 1901. will It be / denied
that the second birth, necessary: to its
Immortality, took place q Yorktown
on the soil Of old Virginia, on the 10Th.
of October, 1881? AZ NJ
At the table taat Is this day spreai
for you, the thirteen original colonies.
occupy the seats Of honor while their
daughters and grand.daughters inithe
constellation Of States. vie with each
other In the brllllancy Of their gar.
ments and the patriotism Of their sem.
tlments; and the nations Of the world
honoring America BY the presence Of
their distinguished sons, lend an In.
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