Year: 1871

/ The last changes which have taker


place and, the progress which has beer


made in this country since 1860, are as


tonishIng. A continent has been bount


with the ironibands of the railroad, science


has accomplished results which would


then haYe been impossible. An institu


ton hoary with time has been totally de


stroycd, and race of human beings ha,


been raised from slavery to freedom.


In the beginning of last decade. slave
ry was established in large portion O.
our country. Had the shareholders beer
content with that, the war would moi
have been; but they wanted to dismem
Der our union and found gevernmen,
whose corner stone would be slavery,
Southern Congressmen defed the gov.
ernment to prevent the southern states
Fl ON seeding from the Union; and wher
at last emboldened by the apparent leth.
argy of the north they fred upon Fort
Sumter, how majestic, how terrible was
the uprising of the north. From the
city and hamlet, from the farm houses
and the cabins, scattered on the remote
frontier, rose one cry, the Union, it must
and it shall be preserved. A million OF
men sprang to arms, and soon there was
an army in the field which has seldom
been equalled and never surpassed.


Upon hundred battle fields the Amer
lean people proclaimed the Union is
indissoluble. At length, after four years
of war, piece was declared. The north
had gained all that they had fought for.
The cost was incalculable. The money
is only to be reckoned by billions, but
how priceless are the lives of those brave
men who died for this country. Few
homes IN the north but have vacant
chair for those who sleep their last sleep
beneath the southern sod. The grand
army of the north thinned by battle vast
ed by disease, bearing the banners aloft
which had been borne through many a
battle. at the close of the war, laid down
their arms and returned to the employ
ments of peace.


In the midst of our rejoicing at the
close of the war, our noble president who
had stood at the helm during the darkest
hours, was assassinated. Never was a
man since Washington. more truely low
ed; no pen can record the anguish which
the nation felt at the terrible event. It
was meet that the Slave holders rebel
lion which bad drenched the land in blood
should in its expiring agonies assassinate
our chief magistrate.


Immediately after the war, one of the
great questions which came up was
''what shall be done with the negro pr
At first, people Of coppery tendencies
told us that if the negro was free he
would oyer-run the north Finding that
he preferred a warm climate, they said
that there viii be war Of races, but the
negro harmed no one so long as be was
let alone, then they told us that the negro
would not work, but he has shown, I
think very plainly, that he will work so
long us he is paid Finally the question
came up, "shali the negro vote,' and
in spite of his color, the length of his
heel, and even in spite Of that cogent
argument: do you want your daughters to
marry niger. he was allowed to vote.


70 day there are negroes sitting in the
legislative halls of the southern states,
several negro members of congress and
even negro senator. IF this is not
enough to make the slave holders who
lived in the good old times,rise from their
graves, | am afraid the last trump can
not resurrect them. isa3A aaE5- "2'
In our country, great changes have
taken place, but in other parts Of the
world great events have also occurred.
An Empire has risen and fallen in Mexi-
CO. In England Republican principles
are slowly working their way, and aris-
tocracy and throne seem even now totter-
ing to their fall. In Spain, an entire
new government has been founded. France
which but yesterday stood one of the
foremost nations of the earth, now lies
helpless. it's Emperor prisoner in a
foreign land, and its so called republican
governmen fast drifting into anarchy.
Italy has thrown off the incubus In taking
possession of Rome which has kept it in
MEDIEVAL darkness, and is now free and
united from the Al ps to the sea.


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