Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-05-17


Western world and destroyed her colo
NAL empire. The history of this natior
from jamestown to the walls of Pekir
in China indicate an heroic achievement,
growth in greatness and power unex.
celled. From suffering and poverty
we have grown to comfort and wealth.
Our wealth today is greater than that
of any other nation. From an agricul-
tural people we have become the
greatest manufacturing people in the
world; the products of factories exceed
ing those of Britain and continental
Europe combined. Our mines now fur
nlsh the world more than half its min
eral products and wealth. Rich plains
and prairies over which herds of wild
buffaioes wandered are now the gran
aries of the world. Cotton has become
king of plants and the worlds comfort
and clothing are dependent upon the
white fields of the South. In mechan-
ical appliances and inventions our people
have achieved wonders, more astound-
ing than any of which alchemists ever
dreamed. In miles of railroads. in nav
igable rivers, in facilities and means of
transportation, we are unsurpassed.
We occupy today the foremost places
in the worlds commerce, our exports
now exceeding those of Britain. Re
Gently we have become supreme in
finance, our banking capital being the
greatest of any nation. The worlds
financial heart now throbs in New York
and its pulsation affects the world. In
stead of three small ships-Susan Con-
slant, God Speed and Discovery which
landed the colonies here, we have. now
a navy second only to that of Great
Britain and which we propose to in
crease until it shall equal that of any.
Our phenominal development has not
been confined to material things. The
pioneer as he advanced across the con-
tinent constructed the log church and
schoolhouse contemporaneously with
his rude cabin. Education and Chris
tianity have kept pace with our won
derful industrial progress. We have
created vast system of public educa-
ton, generously supported by govern
ment, extending from primary schools
to splendid universities, which bring the
blessings and benefits of education
within the reach of ALL Here education
is more generally diffused than else
where. Today in the United States
there are more schools, more scholars.
more fine colleges and universities, more
good libraries, larger expenditures and
endowments for education than in anv
nation of the world. We have created a
national literature, distinctive and cred
table and which in the same length of
time has never been equalled. We have
furnished poets historians, essayists,
novelists, scientists, whose productions
are read and priced the world over. It is
true we have noty yet reached the highest
elevation, but with time and patience
we will climb the dizziest heights of
learning and genius. Freedom of action
and opportunity have brought us avon
derful material wealth, freedom of
thought and opportunity will in time
give US an amazing intellectual wealth.
Our innumerable free asylums, hos
pitals and charitable institutions, our
vast contribution to churches and mis-
slons bear testimony that our wealth
and Christianity have advanced hand in
hand.
We have made a national history.
every page of which is illuminated with
courage, heroism, success and hope.
We have furnished jurists, orators.
statesmen, whose genius and achieve
ments have placed them forever among
the immortals. We have waged war.
and our triumphs there are as marked
as are those of peace. In naval war
fare we have Lake Erie, Santiago,
Manila, and on land Trenton, Saratoga.
Yorktown, New Orleans, which proves
US possessed of great military prowess
and places us high in the annals of
warfare. This nation has engaged in
the greatest war of all times. In
number of men engaged, in number of
men and amount of property sacrificed,
In number of battles fought, in contin-
uous duration and in extent. of territory
over which waged the late civil war. it
was the greatest war of all countries
and of all ages. The splendid courage,
the high military genius displayed by
each side in that terrific conflict has
surrounded this nation with a halo of
glory that is eternal, and brought to it
the profound respect and awe of all
nations. The fierce passions and enmi-
ties engendered by that conflict have
disappeared and we are more so than
ever one people-one in love of flag and
country, one in all future destiny. The
nag once rent now floats without a
seam. All this has been accomplished
within three centuries. 1t is so wonder
full that the mere recital of it, in homely
phrase, appears as the language of ex-
travagance. AS to what this young
western giant will be and do when he
attains to manhood, human foresight is
powerless to prophesy. This mighty
Republic is yet fresh with the dews of
morning. The glories of its noontide
are yet to come. Decay has not even
touched the majestic fabric reared by
three centuries of courageous battling.
Despair has had no part in founding or
building America. Hope eternal, cour-
ageous hope, has ever been the pillar
of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by