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the rupture between her government and our revolutionary fathers, as is 

 manifest in our colonial history, and in the causes enuiaerated in the 

 American Declaration of Independence. Our fathers, in the step taken 

 by them, assumed that Americans were competent to take care of them- 

 selves — that if there were any natural advantages in soil and climate 

 here, instead of inuring to the benefit and advantage of a distant peo- 

 ple, they of natural right ought to be realized and enjoyed by the in- 

 habitants of the soil. In fostering and protecting then the policy of 

 national industry, we are but carrying out the principles of the revolu- 

 tion — which require not the controlling influence of a party spirit, but 

 the patriotic union of all parties, and the loyalty of all true American 

 spirits to the standard of their real independence. 



By the American revolution the people escaped from the bonds of 

 all oppression. Other nations in previous times had also thrown oflF 

 the shackles which crippled the industry of their people, and they profit- 

 ed consistently by the changes which were eftected. Even the people 

 of Great Britain, in feudal times, when wars and imperfect agriculture 

 constituted their principal employment, groaned under their poor and 

 oppressed condition, and total dependency upon their Lords. Greece 

 in her early history, and Macedon and Rome, as well as most of the 

 semi- barbarous States, were alike oppressed and degraded by feudalism. 

 The people having no employment of their own, yielded their services 

 to their Lords in return for maintenance, and followed them in their 

 contests and predatory incursions, setting at defiance the rights of neigh- 

 bors, as well as all restraints of even crowns and government. From 

 this barbarous condition the people were ultimately rescued by those 

 considenitions of policy which resulted in the establishment of manu- 

 factures and the fosterioof of agriculture, and which have also, with the 

 aid of science.', advanced mankind to the summit of civilization and 

 happiness. Industry and enlightenment have constituted the two pow- 

 erful levers which have raised the civilized world to what it now is; 

 and while other nations, less favored than our own, have used them to 

 their advantage, and elevated their character to greatness, I can see no 

 reason why we, as a people, should be less regardful of the means at 

 our command to enable us to surpass them all anJ leach the very high- 

 est eminence of national greatness. 



In the pursuit of that noble object, you have united yourselves in 



