1872-73. CITY DOCUMENT. No.8. AN ORA&TION I)ET.J_VER.ED BEI?‘Oa”I2.I.+3 write CITY AUTHOR.I'I‘IES AND CITWJENS OF PROVIDENCE, we JULY 4-%TII, 1872. BY" VVA.UI_‘I§}R I3. 'VINC]3}NT, PROVI'DI+]NOE: HAMM().\H), Axcmnu 85 00%., PRINTERS TO THE CITY. % 1 S 7 2. THE CITY OF PIi0VIDENCE.. I£fE'SOLUTIONS OF THE CITY C'()UN(_3’IL.. (Approved July 10, 1872.) 4 ‘Ir RESOLVED, Tl'1ittt11Gt1]i.l11kS of the City Council be and they are hereby teude1fec'{ to -VVALTER B. VINCENT, Esq., for the eloquent omtiou delivered by him on the late m‘uuieipa;1 celebration of the uiuety—six;th m111ive1'ea1'y of Aiiieiriezm Independelice. HIDSOLVED, That the committee of :.u'1'a.11ge1ueuts for the Foturth of July celehmtioii he zmcl they are hereby autliorized to request of Mr. "Vincent {I copy of the oretiou delivered by him on that day, and to cause the same to be puhlislied in such 1ua1iue1' they ineytdeeni ex- pedient for the uee of the City Council. A. true copy; witness: SAMUEL W. BROWN, CITY CLEItK. O B 4-1 _TIiO N. FELLQW G1'1‘1z1«3Ns : “ The wave is lineztlzixig on the s11ore,—-- V , . l ,, l‘ho echo fltcliiig from the 01111110,--- Again the slmdow movoth o’o.1r The, d1a1-plate of‘ time I” c _’_(,».;D U 63’ Q‘ A «x 5% l L:: ,;;;*E lizwe ZLg£1'l1ol 1'~*).‘ii.(’3lQiL1(-‘.(§l, tl1ezt1111iV<;1'ssa1*y of :1 ¢ :4 -7.‘: V‘ V‘ ~.- ‘-E ,3 M ~ tl1::Ltd.::ty wl:1iL:h We hail am the li)i1*tl1- déity of 01:11“ :i€~311T")11li‘)llLt, .‘§:Ll’1Ll liming‘ lz:Li<;l :xs:id(ldelod t<.o;gotl1e1' to (;‘.t~3lG.lj.)1'£l1t@ the test1vz1l, VVl.ll(,‘.ll. now ll<;).11(,)1'S botln tlm mo1*eLl 1il‘1(*3lflTl0.1‘y of our €L1‘1C6Sl301l‘S, who .~:;ucoess- full’ :Z1"otl1e1';~3 and our sons, W}1oiI.1lzite1*yea1*s so 11ol'>ly fouglit to 1;)1“eso1'Ve. zzmcl 11:i1aiI1tair1 tlieir lt1o1*it2tgo,1112t1oo1y of tho111 seztlilig their dovotion to country with their blood anal yielding up their precious lives 1111k11ell.eld, save by the booming cannon, and [lflCOfi3L11e(lHS%LVe in the cold eal-th. More tl1::tI1 a oe11tL11*y ago our fa,the1*s, driven if1'o111 their native land by injustice :.md (T.>1‘)}“)1’(~3S:'E3'l(')Il, sought H 0 1i’. A T1 0 .N. t1t1eeca+h1eahluey 2111 C1 zwa1‘ieioue11eee by belmolditng the riches of the west, mnd g;1'0a11i11g u11de1”*thei1*taxes, op1.)1k'eeei<:>1eh1e 2:u::1d 1;)eve1'ty, the B1*itiel1 determilled to 111::Lke 0111' fet»Ihm1.e1*ezfteeiet in hem-:i11g their hL11'de11e. J need not 1‘e1.f>l‘(4.\1)‘V";r with their fl eete and a1“-1niee they strove to eat 111:) cm 1- etlhetelxee, 01* of the fi1*111 1‘eeiste.nee of these youthful C(Ti)](fi)1.1i€;*F3 VV’1'j1i(‘}1 e111mi1f1.eted in open VV.‘e71I.‘.”' A A Ni11et.y~eeix yeare ::1g<:) to-day, delegates fi'*c>111 the thir- teen u1"1i.ted eeleniee hei1:1g asse111h1ed together, ”e11d 1h1evi1.:ng 1e*ou lzistziiig 1in011un1e11t.~3, and WhOS8 deeds; are 11z1m(t1ed ('1()WI1 freni geiiemtioln to generation. The fatliers of our itepuhlie i3i”..11L'L‘)1,.1‘5:gf‘1ilt .~e:eVe1;1 leiig yesws, 111 eag'1'e]t y t'e<;l, tliiinly czlmjl, t§5L1‘i"i‘€31'i.If.1 1701' :2m;‘;1e1.e& z?L1;1<;1 niuiiiitions ef’ V-V211‘, 11mi11tz.1.i1‘1e(t1 i3i'fl(‘5i.1.' et1'i1gg;1e fol.’ i11<5le- 1:>e11<;lenee ag'z1i11st the skilled all-;l(.i‘{ ti11c>1‘<>1hi1ig111y' <::<;:1i1ippe<]l zmiiies of E1e1.g1:a,1:1d, mid t1101.1gi1 o'ften fz1,i11t :.m(;1 We:,L1'y‘ i7i]€«“}7 never for one 111e1i11e11t qu £L"i1(E3d £155 th<:‘+y 1ti1e1:iL1e*e1h;1<:::

1.' with h::L1'e m:1il<_3ca*,<;‘lh- i11g feet over ice mid SHOW. The events of tlmt vv.-.11‘ are f:;m1i1i:,t1' te 1199. all, a.1:1ci the history of t11€Lt_fie1"(3(:‘¥ zmd 1;*>1‘ot1e':1c:te(1 st1*11gg].ef'o1‘ liberty and its g‘i(;)1‘iO'L1ES i3(*31'lflZ1'i1.1a‘i7LJD1..(7)ll1 aim eve1'1asti11g heaeoxi to W«‘EL1”‘11 tymiits of th.ei:1* d:.t1:1ge1' W11en theyiin- fringe the rights of the people. Ite events tea,c:1i;1 us that the e11eI'gy ::u;1<;1 };;>«>Wet* of a, :free pe<;>1:)1e, when united in the (;i@f<31‘.1(3(+"-3 of t"I:1ei1' 1*‘ig__§hts, are i1*1'eei.stib1e. The close of the VV:Z‘LI‘ f<:>111;1d thepe<)1_>1e with their re- sources (-3X11EL11E5i36C1, their eo1e11111e1'ee c1e.est1*c>ye1*ge1"1izati<3I1 they emerged t1-iiiixiphzmt. A eepimie ;~3t.1'ezm1 heg*2:i11 to flow ‘into the 'l‘1'e::Lsu1*y, the 0:11; left its imtive ii71i..i1Sid6 to plow the billowy wavee, and the fieilde g-.1~exiv White with theirliezwy }1a1*ve.ete. “ 0J’3.AL’I‘[()N. i Soon loegzm another strife more 1:n.omentou_e and more tmgic. In the earliest years of tour history, the eeed of slavery had been sown upon our shores, and the good and Wise men who founded our gover111ne11tpfa.ilecl, as they looked into the future, to see the bitter fruit it was destined to li>1*i11g; fortlii. There were thoee VVl1().‘~‘C)11g‘l‘]lZ~ to p1“(~3E3<31."V'€*. and extend it on the one side, and p tl1os:e Who ec)i1gl1t to control eiicl extirpate it on the other. Each striving for the aecendency, plnngecl ue at last into civil War. G1"€EL‘b and wise 1nen,l)oth at home zmcl el1:)1'o.m:l, lyiecl foretold this coining etriiggle, and lied pointed to it as the CO1"I1I].']€‘.1]Ce1.1'.1(-f‘11l] of the decline and fall of our Republic.‘ ii For four years the l1”)l£1Cl{ cloud of Wm‘ liuiig; over ue, po111'i11g its cleetructive shower upon the land, hut amid all thie e111‘gi1'1g’ storm there Were lightiiiiig flaehee iiidelihly stamped upon the nation's nieinory, and are already JDI‘z?1.11S5'lfl&31‘]”(%(Tl_ to its l1iet<)1'ioa.l page es the record of its glory. The graclual Wiclcmiiag ::in<;l cleepe11i11gf the conflict led to the Proclamation of E1fna11cipation, which inay he regarcle<;l as the thurider-bolt li)eneath which the rebel confederacy staggered to its en, While to us it i was zxnleneigizing power which made us victorious at every point, tl11"*o11gil1 our 11101‘f:ll ivell our pliyei-it eel etreiigth, and witltx erect mien and inanly confi- dence We Walked fc>1*wa.1*(fl to it t1“inmpl.m11t peace, to fgjlory and to per1{1m;ne11ee. ' l o J: A. 1'1 o N, up 9 0111- Will‘ was the most gigmltic. civil War on 1'eeor<.l.. It wares not a War which the goVe1°nment constminecl the people to Wage .-:mcl euppo1't,hut one which the people compelled the gc>ve1*n111e11t to Wage for its own protection nml their liberties, in hel1a.lf of country, institutions and piinciples which they el1e1*iel1ed with 11ntional pride and filial reverence. Hence, when the ealul. czmxie they s1)1:':m11g to zL1‘I11S hy the lmlf million. “ East, West and North the elmnt \V'€tSl.1(3fl.l‘(l Of freernen rising for the 1'igl1t ; Each valley had its rallying Word,-- Ench hill its sigmtl ligl1t."’ They gloried in What Ineyhe called 21, self-imposed tamt»io11, and pou1'ed~out their blood zmcl t1'ea,eu1'e With- out stint. But we lmve not l.'iIl(~3l7 tog;etl*1e1'l1e1'e, especially upon the a111c1ive1*sa1'y of‘ the 11ati<;m’e l“>i1*th, to triulnph over :;my portion of the Union. Our‘ t1*inn11_'>ln1 ie, that the «zn/wle Union is saved, and that no part of it lies bleed- ing and p1*ost1*ate beneath the rest. We extend the Wzmn hand of fmte1*11al love to the remoteet section, and ask. it to unite with 11.24 in eecu1'- ing justice and p1'o1noting equality. But, our gallmit brothers: and sons 1.11EtI‘Cl1eCl to the fmy ; as We traced them in their £«1,(lv2n1ce to the dis- tant field, and to the verge of the shock of arnue _; as we eagerly c.a.ught the sound of the oloening; conflict, ancl followed its progress till it hrougl1t its C‘..I'L1Sllll"1g story of W06; as We 1'en1e111he1* the3lo1*r:we111e1u1 who have 2 10 ORATION. perished, and the bereavecl who reinain in desolation ; We cannotbut feel that We fouglit in this struggle, as our fathers fought in theirs, for co»22..s*t~iz5’ut/2709‘2.(zZ Z’z7Z>erz‘rz_/. The time that is allotted to me Will not "perniit a more extended review of that long st1'11g;gle from which We at leiigtli enierged torn and bleeding, but with our national strenfrtli and Vig-<;)1' Iininipaired. We have stood firm as a rocls: under the greatest and most severe test that can be brought upon ‘a Re- public, and the cause of our troubles has been swept away. Slavery is dead, and thousands upon thou- sands of precious lives have been scatterecl over its patliway to the grave. Four millions of our fellow countrymen no lo11ge1' hear “ the crack of the master’s Whip,” but rejoicing in that freedom Which. their own blood has helped to purchase,’ and under the energiz~ ing influence of social and political advancement, they already stand in positions of trust and confidence, in the leacliiig institutions of the country, and their voices are heard in the halls of Cl<)11g1*ess. V It is no longe1' an empty hoinage that We pay the Declaration today. It the liomage of sincere l1earts, undoubting belief, and consistent obedience. Its glowing Words <;-ronveypp no scathing rebtikeg its lofty truths bring no crimson blush of shame. It is more a reality now, when nearly a century has passed, than on the day, when 1"resh from J efferson’s pen, and with the sanction of his determined colleagties, it was issued A from Independence Hall. ORATIOJV. 11 The War ended in triuinph. The Vast arrny, liaving accornplished its work, melted away like mist before the morning sun. But We had only conquered in the field. There were many grave questions to be settled. Passion, pre_judiee zztnd all the bitter feelings which War enkindles still reineinedi. Seven long years lisve rolled by since the close of that bloody period. Years of political heat and tur- moil consequent upon such :1. season of revolution, but the work of reconstruction has goiie steeciily on. We lmve passed szifely tliroiigli it. One by one the States lmve assunied their pilaees in the Union, until every star is agairi on our b2u11'1e1', 211ir1(f:l We stan(l before the wccirld a. united "people, 17> urified by the suffering through which We lizwe 1:):3isse(l. G-rest a.dVa,11ces lizwe been made. G1*eetest of all is i the 1C)&S5&3‘l1T1.g m»v:?iy of mi institution the most dreadful tliet }_3liilosopl1y conteiiipletes or the iirrizigilizitioii con- ceives. G"1’(32ELt mil. Vz:i1‘1ce1.fi:i.ent Isms z;ilsolf>ee1i1 Inade in the arts of peace. A great work being ¢~affectecl in the edjustinent of the w1*o11gs which we suffered at the hands of Grrea.t Britain du1'i11g; our late \4ves1', a.11(fl the lexzunple to the World of two '_poWerful nations, submitting their dis- putes to arbitration, will not be Without its effect throughout the civilized World. It will be a bright omen and creditable to both countries if they are able to settle peacefully that which once would have been avengecl by the l”1:?L11Cl of VVELI‘. 12 V “~ ORATION. The industry of our people is g1*eate1%._,.jtl1an ever be- fpre. The resources of the country are being devel- oped on every hand, and7’our national debt is being di— minished with marvellous rapidity. As \i’e 100k back and review the past, We find it a history of continued successes. From the beginning of‘ our career We have have been victorious in War, successful in diplomacy, and progressive and expansive in the arts of peace. We have been freed from a burden which hung like‘. an incubus upon the nation, dragging it down when its natural instincts impelled it to rise, and fettering its limbs in the midst of an ample field for the exercise of i its unlimited powers. Mo1'ally,'"*o1.11s* position is one of Inajestic grandeur. Among all the great nations of the globe We alone stand upon the broad basis “that all men are created free and equal.” V VVe are governed by no special classes in whicl:1-the great mass of the people have no voice, but the people themselves guide the ship of State on her course. The spectacle of a nation thus based upon the worth of intelligent humanity, where all distinctions are entirely disrega1'ded,3Whe1'e manhood is the title A to sovereignty, and ‘\Vl1€1"€:‘ the most obscure citizen, if honest, Worthy and competent, can rise to the most exal- ted position, is a spectacle of moral grandeur and sub- limity. A ‘r Our capacity for physical greatness is even more strik- ing. Occupying the centre of a vast continent stretch- ORATION, 13 ing from ocean to ocean, and embracing‘ Within its boundaries "every clime and every variety of soil, With inexhaustible mineral resources, with all our genius for manufacturing and con1merce, and active minds ever ready to supply the varied Wants of industry and apply the power of nature—-—With all these imperial advantages our prosperity can know no bounds. The resources of England which have made her the leader in the World of trade, will in another century become exhausted, and her supremacy will pass away. Her most distinguished statesmen already'acknoWl~ edge our succession. _ A Already her political influence among the nations is ebbing away, and when her commercialadecay shall have begun, our country will be only in the youth of its prosperity. r It is a singular commentary on the progress of the world, and the greatest illustration of our national strength, that While less than a‘ hundred years ago, America was a feeble colony of England, today the child is the successful rival of the mother,’ and a hun- dred years hence, When she Will be entering upon the decrepitude of old age, America, in the early manhood of national life, will have surpassed her greatness. Our destiny may be that of the nations which have gone before us, but at present the most penetrating vision can see no point Where decay shall begin. The future opens before us a career of unbroken prosperity,and We enter upon it under the brightest auspices. A l4 O_R.ATIOl\7'- It is a common thought, but one which cannot be too often presented to the mi'nds of intelligent American citizens, I mean the thought or the idea, or it might possibly be called the contemplation, of our future and inevitably coming greatness. Look at it, think of it, and strive for one moment, fellow citizens, to comprehend it. Situated between two mighty oceans, with a vast extent of territory, with all the experieiice, the wisdom, the power and the wonderful statesmanship developed during more than twelve centuries of the European past to guide 1 us; with the uncountecl wealthand the enormous accretion to our population coming from almost every country in the world to add to our power, and with the intelligence within us to appreciate the one and develop the other, we have a capacity for greatness which is utterly incalcnlable. It is a power which niaiikind can feel. It is an influence which must, nay wzfll, sway the world. ' Already in the contemplation of theiresults which have beenindicated, we see glittering in the vista of the future, the domes and spires which are to be erect-i ed out of that which is to come for our Republic. ‘Shall we, failing in our ‘duty in this age and gene- ration, be looked upon and regarded as those who have not performed their allotted task, or shall claim the higher right, the loftier privilege, of having accomplished in our day that especial work which to us it was appointed to do. ORATION. 15 As We go ‘forth exulting over victories Won and for- ever secured, and with the brightest anticipations for the future, let our vvatchvvord he, J?u.sZ~2Icc ,' and let us cherish a lasting peace among ourselves arid with all nations, and then shall We be prepared to accomplish the great oloject for which the Constitution was or » clainecl, “ to form a more perfect union, establish jus- tice, insure domestic tganquility, provide for the com- mon defence, promote the general Welfare an cl secure the lolessings of .L’?/7)€‘7’li;?/ to ourselves and to our pos- terity.” Then shall our country appear as it shoulcl—--- “ Stretching like a golden evening forward to the setting sun.”