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Show "" In 100 Years. - Measured by jcais 1803 does not seem so very faraway. Our fathers lived then, and we have had fiom them llrst hand, the experiences, the conditions and customs of those times. We have heard our mothers sing the old revolutionary songs learned in their childhood. Napoleon was the tenor of the English speaking world, 100 j ears ago our mothers wero f lightened light-ened into quietness by tho mention of his name. Our country was passing tluough the uncertain stage of its childhood. European nations' didn't havo a very high regard for us. England Eng-land particulaily was waiting nJine when her old emeny Fiance would have her hands tied, and give her a breathing -spell to chastise us Into submission. Pitt and Fox ruled England, Napoleon was tho terror of Europe. Napoleon early In 1803 said to the English Ambassador, "See what power we should exercise over tho world If wo could bring our two nations together.. You have a navy which, with the incessant efforts of ten years in the employment of all my resources, I should not be able to equal; but I have 600,000 men ready to march under, my command whithersoever whither-soever I choose to lead them. If you are master of the seas, I am master of the land. Let us then, think of uniting rather than of going to war, and we shall lulo at pleasure the destinies des-tinies of the world. Franco and England United can do everything for the Interests of humanity." Franco arm England united could havo Indeed ruled the destinies of the world and one of their llrst acts would have been to snap out the flickering light of American freedom. But God had ordained otherwise. They could not immaglne that .within tho short space of 100 years the despised colonies colon-ies in America would wield greatei Influence in the world than they two combined. Franklin spake trul) ,...,, . .1, ,..,.. ... . . I, , when he said "America Is the Joshua that commanded the sun, (England) and tho moon, (France) to stand still and they obej ed him.'! . 4 There was no steam car In the world then. No ocean liner; no telegraph. tele-graph. Thor stage coach was tho fastest land vehicle and the sail dispatch dis-patch boat was tho swiftest vessel on tho water. There' was but little commerce. com-merce. There arc more vessels pass through the Detrlot river every week than crossed tho Atlantic In ajcar and more tonnage than tho fleets of tho world.' Tho Pacific Ocean was an uiiknow n w lldcrncss commercially. More vessels pass In and out of tho Golden Gate In one day now than sailed the wholq Pacllto Ocean then. In 1803 the farmer bound leather to his knees and walking on them cut his grain with a sickle. It took live men to mow a ten aero meadow In a day. In 1803 tho.man. with $10,000 was a capitalist. In 1803 men carried their grain and hogs down tho Mississippi Miss-issippi on flat boats, to New Orleans. In 1803 there was not a State Unl verity ver-ity In tho Republic; and colleges existed ex-isted only to educate boys for tho ministry or the law. In 11)03 the age of steam has come, reached its zenith and is passing away. Traveling palaces rush over tho ocean with the speed of the wind, salute each other In mid ocean as unconcernedly as pedestrians In an ancient town. Before 1803 Franklin had demonstrated that there was a subtle force In natuio called electric ity. In 1003 It conveys our thoughts around tho world ln'aan Instant. It transports us from place to place. It lights and waims our houses. It eonvejs the sound of our volco and enables us to converse with friends thousands of miles away. Twenty men now can cultivate and harvest a whole township. Hehlnd us are the greatest achievements' achieve-ments' ever been accomplished in the history of man. Befoic. us aic new pioblems and greater than seemed possible to the men of 1803. Wo do not think fiom tho lesponslbillity. We look upon the past with pridr and peer Into the future with promise. |