Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-11-19
LOOKING BACKWARD.

IL is nelpIul ana refreshing 10 oc'
casionally take look into the past
and read on the pages of history the
thoughts and impulses that moved
men in the long ago. 1t is especially
interesting with the approach Of The
annual day of thanksgiving to mcdi-
tate over the hopes and aspirations
that gave courage to the patriots in
the early days of the republic. George
Washington, John Adams, Ben Frank
lin, Thomas Jefferson and the scores
of brave patriots who lived in that
early period had prophetic vision
of What this country was to be and
in the public addresses of these men
there were evidences that in some
manner they were able to fofesee the
wonderful transformation that was
to come because of the victories that
resulted during the revolutionary per-
iod. There were no steamships and
navigation was crude and tedious;
there were no railways and travel
was slow and laborious; there were
none of the implements for tilling the
soil such as we now have and agri
cultural pursuits were confined to the
bare necessities of the time; there
were no factories and home made ma
terials furnished the goods for wear
ing apparel; there were no telegraph
or telephone lines and communica-
tion was largely by passing reports
from one community to the other.
There was nothing present to point
to future greatness except the faith
and courage of the men and women
who had a vision of what the future
years would bring to this country.
In 1924 Lafayette, the French pa
triot, who had assisted the struggling
colonies in gaining their liberty, paid
visit to the young republic which
he had helped to establish. AT that
time Henry Clay was speaker of the
house of representatives and ii de-
volved upon him to deliver an address
of welcome upon the occasion Of Gen,
Lafayette s wish ito congress. Yin
the course of his address of welcome
Mr.. Clay said:
"The vain wish has been sometimes
INDUCED that Providence would al
low the patriot after death to return
to his country and to contemplate thsi
intermediate changes which had taken
place; to view the forests felled, the
cities built, the mountains leveled,
the canals cut, the highways con-
structed, the progress of the arts, the
advancement of learning and the in
crease of population. General, your
present visit to the United States is
a realization of the consoling object
of that wish. You are in the midst
of prosperity. Everywhere you must
have been struck with the great
changes, physical and moral, which
have occurred since you left us. Even
this very city, bearing a veneratedI
name alike endeared to you and to us,
has since emerged from the forest
which then covered its site.
SIN one respect you behold us unal-
tered and this is in the sentiment of
continued devotion to liberty and Of
ardent affection and profound graft
tude to your departed friend, the
father of his country, and to you and
to your illustrious associates in the
field and in the cabinet, for the null
tiplied blessings which surround MS,
and for the very privilege of address,
ing you which | now exercise. This
now fondly cherished by
more than 10,OOO,OOO people, will be
with unabated vigor down
The tide of time, through the count
ess millions who are destined to in
labit this continent TO the latest pos
erity." {