The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1915-02-18

HON. CHARLES n. FOWLER.
atty, the complete freedom and per-
feet independence of the American
citizen, is Abraham Lincoln.
When the pilgrims touched Plymouth
rock on that bleak morning of Dec q,
1920, a nation was conceived.
On the 4th of July, 1776, after $50
years of travail, the cry of the new
born nation was first heard in the i'm
mortal Declaration of Independence.
Through more than ten long weary,
wearing, wasting years of war, strug-
gle, hunger, Incompatible sacrifice and
glorious achievement the governmental
garment of this nation was in the
weaving and the making. In 1885 the
rules for the conduct of the life of
this nation, the constitution which
Gladstone said was "the most re-
markable instrument ever struck off
by man at single point of time," took
definite form and was ready to clothe
the nation which was still struggling
with the trammels and environments
of thirteen different state governments
On the first Wednesday in March,
1889, these thirteen states merged their
individual lives into the being of the
nation to the full extent that was es-
sential to the life and preservation of
the perpetuity of the Union.
The nation had been born and cloth
ed with power to speak and act its
part among the nations and in the
great historical drama of the World.
Vision Of the Founders.
The founders of this government
clearly comprehended our mission as
nation and apprehended with the
keenest appreciation that our indus
trial independence was the counterpart
of our political independence-inde
that it was the very soul Of our ma
tional life and the only sure road to
true national glory.
They saw that 1t was necessary not
only that we should be free from other
nations politically, but independent of
them as we'll. This was borne in on
our forefathers by the fact that Eng
land had decreed that we should not
establish manufactures here, by "cut-
ting off our trade with all parts of the
world" and by taking from us all our
gold and silver through an adverse bal
ance of trade, which they carefully
maintained by exchanging their manu-
featured products for our raw mate
rial Being poor indeed, we had no
power to overcome their policy. They
determined that we should be "mere
hewers Of wood and drawers of wa
| ter"
Complete independence.
A nation may be politically free from
all other nations and yet the people
of that nation be industrially the slaves
of the other nations
! Confronted with these facts and this
one great fundamental truth, Wash
| ington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe and that matchless coterie of
men who surrounded them proceeded
! Immediately to construct an economic
| system for the newly born nation.
4 Preparation for such a system had
been made by the trainers of the con-
/ stitution, who outlined their purpose in
/ its preamble and the powers it confer
red on congress:
/ We the people of the United States in
I order to form a more perfect union, es-
! tablish justice, insure domestic tranquil
| lily, provide for the common defense, pro-
mote the general welfare and secure the
! blessings of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity, do ordain and establish this
constitution for the United States of
! America.
And the power of congress was con-
ferred in article 1, section s, of the
| constitution, which provides:
| Congress shall have power to lay and
collect taxes, duties, innposts and excuses.
| TO the dahts and nrovida- far.. tho
| [Continued on 7th pagel