Evening journal., 1907-04-26

the continent. the expansion Of our people
,,ost ward TO the Aueghenles then 20 tho
Mississippi. then TO the Pacific, was al-
WAYS one of the most important tasks
and sotnctimcs the most important ln our
national life Behind the FIRST settlers the
conditions grew easier and In the older
settled regions OF all tho colonies lfo
speedily assumed much of comfort and
something of luxury. and though gem
eralv IT was on a much more democratic
basis than life In the Old World, It, was
bv no means democratic when judged by
our modern standards and here and
there. as in the tido-woter regions OF
Virginia "a genuine arlstocracy grew and
nourished But the men who first broke
ground In the virgin Wilderness whether
ON the Atlantic coast or In the interior
fought hard for mere life. In the early
stages the frontiersman had TO do bait
tie with the savage and when the savage
was vanquishod there remained the hard
or strain of war with the hostile forces Of
soil and climate. with flood, fever, and
famine There was sickness, and bitter
weather. there were no roads; there was
a complete lack of an hut the very rough
est and most absolute necessaries Under
such circumstances the men and women
who made ready the continent for civiliza-
tion were able themselves TO spend but
little time i'm doing aught but the rough
work which was TO mako smooth the
ways of their successors. In consequence
observers whose insight was spoiled by
lack of sympathy always found both the
settlers and their lives unattractive and
repellont. In Martin Chuzzewit the des-
cripton Of America. eliminating In the
description OF the frontier town of Eden,
was true and life-liiIe from the standpoint
OF one content to look merely az the outer
shell: and yet 80 was community Ike
Eden that gave birth to Abraham Lin
coin; Il was men such as were therein
described from whose loins Andrew jack
son sprang.
/ Hitherto each generation among us has
had its allotted task now heavier. now
lighter. In the Revolutionary War the
business was TO achieve Independence
Immediately afterwards there was an
oven more momcntous task; that TO
achieve the national unity and the
capacity for orderly development. without
which our liberty our Independence,
would have been a curse ana not a bless
ing. In each Of these two contests. while
there were many great leaders from
many different States. it as but fair TO
say that the forem So place was taken
bv the soldiers and the statesmen of Vir-
ginla: and 70 Virginia was reserved the
honor of producing the hero Of both
movements. the hero Of the war, and OF
the peace that made good the results Of
the war-George Washington; while the
two great political tendencies Of the time
can be symbolized by the names OF two
other great Virginians-JeSferson and
NIarshall-from one Of whom we inherit
the abiding trust IN the people which is
the foundation stone Of democracy. and
from the other the power to develop on
behalf Of the people a coherent and pow
erful government genuine and represen-
tative nationality.
Two generations passed before the sec
ond great crisis OF our history had 70 be
faced. Then came the Civil WAR terrible
and bitter in itself and in IFS aftermath
but struggle from which the Nation
finally emerged united in fact as well as
On name. united forever. oh. my hearers,
my fellow countrymen. great indeed has
been our good fortune; for as time clears
away the mists that once shrouded
brother from brother and made each look
"as through a glass darkly' al the other
We can AL feel the same pride In the