Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-27

SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS
PRESIDENT TUCKER SAID
Standing upon an eminence Of three
centuries Of achievements, the Ameri.
can Republic pauses today to cele.
brate. in fitting manner, the Tercen-
tennial of its birth on the banks of
the tawny James. The steadiest head
grows dizzy, the strongest nerve ag.
ifated. while the pulse of the lion
hearted assumes the motion of the
tripiammer in the retrospect of the
marvellous progress of three hundred
, years. The origin of ancient Rome,
or Greece and Of other countries that
In their day have controlled the desti.
MES of the world, are shrouded In
mystery. or preserved in fable, by
poetic fancw: and even more modern
nations>find 1T difficult to point with
historic accuracy to the date of their
nirth Even our own mother land,
endeared to us by so many ties, finds
1T difficult, in the incursions of the
Norsemen, the piratical invasions of
the Angles and Saxons, and the mis-.
ty origin of the ancient Briton. to
determine either It's paternity or the
birthday of the kingdom. More for.
tnnate than these, or any of them.
is this American Republic, not only
IN Its knowledge Of the date of it's
birth but in the possession of the
names and characters of those who
flrst faced the dangers of the sea-
and then the dangers of the savage
and forest. in the founding of the
greatest Republic of modern times.
And so we gather today in the pres
ence of this distinguished company,
representing not only our own coun-
try, but the mother country, and, with
few exceptions, every civilized nation
of the world. to celebrate the Tercen-
tennial of the birth of America.
A Day OF TwofoId Joy.
This day brings with 1t two-fold
Joy, In that 1t marks the Tercenten.
NAL of the birth, not only of the
American colony, both co-incident and
simultaneous. BY Divine presence
the infant Republic was first hidden
In the bulrushes of our Virginia Nile,
and nurtnred by its Mother, Virginia
the daughter of the King, whom Prov
tdence had placed in waiting on the
Tanks of the river, that she might be
the first to give to her offspring those
Impressions OF infancy so necessary
to high and noble character in ma
tnrity.
We greet you therefore this day,
Mr. President, and honored represen-
tatives OF the great powers of the
earth, at the birthday party not only
o fthe American Republic, but of Vir-
sinia also-the first, the Oldest of the
American Colonies.
And while we are ready at all times
to make our humble acknowledge
ments to the Mother Country for all
that she has done for the cause of
civil liberty, we feel that she is not
without obligation to her children for
leading the way at least in the adop-
'ion Of this, one of the greatest prin-
/ ciples of all free governments
throughout the world
The Rights of Citizens.
The rights of life, liberty and prop
erty of the individual man seem to
have been the chief concern of the
framers of the Federal Constitution
All legislative powers are vested in
Congress of the United States;
neither the President nor the Judi
ciary may legislate. All bills for
raising revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives, the direct
representatives of the people; the
Congress alone, except in cases of
rebellion or invasion, may suspend
the privilege of the writ of Habeas
Corpus; nor shall the citizen he pun
ished with any severer penalty by
the passage of Elk Post Facto laws,
than those which obtain at the time
m lie ot nf M Oh
the blood of the innocent he attained
by the corruption of that OF the an
cestor; nor shall the money of the
peOple--wrnng from them by taxation
IA compulsory gift. be paid from
the Treasury except by law; nor
shall thes President, Vice-President,
or any civil officers of the United
States be removed from office except
on Impeachment for and conviction
of treason, bribery or other high
crimes and misdemeanors; nor shall
q citizen, except in cases of impeach-
ment. be tried for any crime except
h VA pury OF his peers; nor shall such
trial be removed for the purpose of
conviction or otherwise, into any 9TH
ar State than that wherein said crime
shall have been committea; while the
charge OF treason against the United
States cannot be proven. nor convic-
ton had except on the testimony of
two witnesses to the same overt act,
or on confession in open court.
The freedom, of speech and OF the
press. the right of the people to
peaceably assemble, nre recognized as
essentials to a free people; nor shall
the right to keep and bear arms be