600 

 ADDRESS 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE OAKLAND OOaNTY AGRtCULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BY W. W. PHELPS. 



Mr. President and Fellow Citizens: 



Every intelligent inhabitant of this continent justly regards its dis- 

 covery as the most important event in history. It was a bcW thing to 

 push beyond all known landmarks, and commit lives and fortunes to an 

 unknown and dangerous sea. It required a still higher fortitude to 

 overmaster and control a disheartened and mutinous crew. But the 

 commanding and enthusiastic spirit of Columbus was equal to the 

 emergency. Mutiny was suppressed, and the doubting, trembling sail- 

 ors were hopefully pointed to the west. Sun after sun had set in that 

 west, disclosing naught but a wide waste of waters — hope itself had 

 almost died, when, one auspicious night, from ship to ship and man to 

 man, the joyous shout was borne along, A light! — A light! — A beam 

 of light had discovered to the anxious eye of Columbus the long sought 

 land, and a continent was bom to the inheritance of civilisation. 



The light which pointed the adventurous mariner to unknown shore*, 

 was a type of that destiny which was to make the new continent a light to 

 the nations of the earth. Our country — this goodly union of States — 

 the best fruit of this discovery, has not only been a light for all people, 

 but an example, guide and asylum. Our liberty, religious and political; 

 our progress, mental and material — are extending their mute teachings 

 to every land and people. As the star which shone on Bethlehem, at 

 our Savior's birth, has illumined a world with a pure and perfect Chris- 

 tianity, 30 will the light of our liberty and progress shine upon kings 

 and people everywhere, shedding a like benign influence upon man's 

 social and poUtical condition. 



Heretofore we have taught the lessons of progress and republicanism 

 by our success and prosperity. It will not always be so. When Capt, 

 Ingi-aham forcibly and successfully resisted the attempt, by the Austrian 

 authorities, to seize Koszta, a Hungarian patriot, upon the simple ground 

 that he had made application to become an American citizen, so invio- 

 lable is American citizenship regarded, and in a port of a neutral Eu- 

 ropean power, broughi the loaded cannon of the St. Louis to bear upon 



