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Show MI COUNTRY, 'TIS OF THR15. The good sense of Allen G. Thurrnan, as compared with Grover Cleveland's ill taste, in eschewing politics at the celebration of his 77th birthday, is a notable feature of the jubilee last night. Though considerably past the scriptural span of three score and ten, "the noblest Roman of them all" still retains a heart full of love and admiration for his country, and his review of the growth of the United States during his lifetime, and the Influence of our republic re-public upon the progress of freedom in other lands, breathes almost the spirit of youthful enthusiasm. Said he: Short as has my life been, in comparison com-parison with tha life of the nation, it has been large enough for me to see my native land, under free Institutions, increased in-creased in population more than seven fold, and in wealth a much greater degree, de-gree, in extent of territory more than double its area, in the general wellbe-log wellbe-log and prosperity of tho people, and in their educational advantages and religious re-ligious privileges without a rival in the world, while its magnificent works of internal improvement, its wonderful agrioulture, its great mines and manufactures manu-factures and its marvelous means of communication, its researches of science sci-ence and skill, have surpassed anything any-thing before by the human race, and in these same seventy-seven years the constitution con-stitution of nearly every government in Europe has been amended by the introduction intro-duction of more liberal principles. Central aud South America have be-, come republiosj Canada and Australia are substantially republics, without the name. Even in the far cast, Jnpan becomes be-comes more free and liberal with each year, and, more marvelous yet, the light seems to be breaking over benighted be-nighted Africa, and men are predicting, without exciting ridicule, her redemption redemp-tion from her barbario sleep of centuries. cen-turies. In a word, freedom seems to be gradually circumnavigating the globe, and, prond thdught lor us, the polar star of the navigator is our own republic repub-lic of the United States. Even in the hour of his party's triumph tri-umph Allen G. Thurrnan has tact and delioacy enough to mar not a personal event with a political harrangue, as did his running mate of 1888. The "noblest Roman" is no less a noble American, and Americans of all boliafs hope to commemorate many another birthday of his. |