fallen. The sun of civilization is now towards its highest point, and is advancing higher and higher. The greater the civilization the more widely knowledge is diffused, the more sure and strong republican governments become. The wiser and better the people grow, the wiser and better shall be democratic government. Each succeeding day dawns upon a more elevated civilization, which adds permanency to free government. Before the advancing, all-potent force of civilization, superstition and ignorance fall, and more nearly does man approach perfection and become better fitted for self-government.

As long as civilization shall advance, so long shall a representative government grow in strength and usefulness. The promise is bright, the dangers lessen as enlightenment and wisdom prevail. The tendency of civilization is onward; there are no indications of halting, no evidences of retrogression. Never since the historic period was civilization so great or knowledge so general as now. Never since the world began was the onward stride so sure, so steady, and so rapid. The future shadows success to free government, and gives strong promise of the universal spread of free institutions. We have just reason for high hope. The superstitions which enthralled are fast falling, the bigotry and intolerance which enchained are growing weaker, and the ignorance which darkened and crushed free thought has been conquered.

That republics in earlier and ruder ages have fallen does not prove that ours, too, shall fall. The times are vastly changed; men are greatly different. The useful arts engage the attention of men. Great talents are devoted to the sciences. Great men labor to advance the good of their fellow-men. The early republics existed in ages when war was esteemed the noblest and almost the only honorable profession, and when warlike exploits only secured power and fame. All this has changed, peaceful pursuits confer high honor, labor is honorable, and the arts and sciences crown with honor those who succeed in them. Many suns have risen since the day of our independence, and each has gone down upon a people older in days, improved in education, and therefore more capable of self-government,

More than a century ago Virginia-grand old Virginia with

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all her faults, grand, glorious old Virginia still-spurning the mottɔ, 'God save the king," gave to the world the more noble one of "God save the liberties of America." Be that our prayer forevermore. Be it not the prayer of a discordant and disunited people, but of a united and fraternal people. Moved by the grand, holy and hallowing memories which rise from the early years of the historic century just closed, let all Americans invoke the blessing of God upon our country and her institutions. Freemen! catch ye the inspiration of the day, join in the glad and sounding anthems of praise, swell the mighty refrain, unite in the prayer, "God save the liberties of America."

CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.

BY HON. GEO. W. C. JOHNSTON, MAYOR OF CINCINNATI, AT CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DELIVERED JULY 4TH, 1876.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,- More than twenty years have elapsed since a general demonstration of this nature has been had among us; but to-day, Cincinnati, ever responsive to patriotic calls, moves with one common impulse in celebrating the birthday of the Nation.

Thanks to the managers, the procession of this forenoon has been magnificent.

We meet in this building, ere its removal, to give place to the elegant Springer Music Hall, to further commemorate the deeds of the men of 1776, and to make particular mention of those who signed that grand Charter of Freedom, the Declaration of Independence.

They were men of high thoughts and boldness of character. Charles Carroll, not to be misunderstood as to identity, added after his name, "of Carrollton."

John Hancock, after signing in his large, bold hand, said, throwing down the pen: "There it is. I guess John Bull can read that without spectacles."

These men signed not for that day alone, but for all time and for all people.

It is the day we celebrate.

In this land, dedicated by these men to freedom, the foreignborn and the native citizen enjoy equal rights and privileges.

While the foreign-born retains his early recollections of his first. home across the seas, and many of the manners and customs thereof, he yet unites, heart and soul, in doing honor to this day, with those native and to the manner born.

One hundred years has wrought great changes in the appearance

of this land, but it has not dimmed our love of liberty or hatred of oppression.

The spread of intelligence preserves us. A celebrated divine, in an eloquent passage, commending the education of the masses, said:

"We must educate; we must educate, or we must perish by our own prosperity. If we do not, short will be our race from the cradle to the grave."

This spirit survives among us-the evidence of that fact is here. If intelligence preserves patriotism and virtue, Cincinnati makes her showing in the school children before us.

We are, therefore, celebrating this day with an intelligent understanding of the magnitude of the benefits and blessings we enjoy.

THE PAST CENTURY REVIEWED.

AN ORATION BY GEN. DURBIN WARD.

DELIVERED AT EXPOSITION HALL, CINCINNATI, OHIO, JULY 4TH, 1876

AMERICAN Independence is one hundred years old. Since the morning stars sang together, a century so grand, so crowded with events, so full of progress, has not closed its record. As heirs to the glory of our ancestors we proudly recall their deeds. From youth to age we have looked forward to the consummation of this grand event, and our eyes now behold the utmost fruition of our longing. Inspired with the memories of the noble past of our history we look forward with assured faith to the sublime future of our country. Struggling with the emotions of this hour, words are shadows of thought, and can but faintly express the burning conceptions of the soul. The face, the eye, the whole inspired mien instinct with eloquent silence must supplement the faltering lispings of the tongue. But looking upward in humble faith to the Great Father, speech and silence are alike worthy of this solemn occasion. So far as words can illustrate this epoch, what can they do more appropriate than recall some of the great movements of the past and contemplate, as though it were already here, the grandeur yet in store for America.

In reviewing the past century, an American cannot fail to remember that even the existence of this Continent was made known to the Old World by a discovery so sublime in heroic adventure as to make America from the first an object of profound and allpervading interest. The high motives and daring courage which settled our shores also inspired respect and wonder, and the hardy purity of the colonists in their new home was everywhere the theme of praise. But, even after all this, Europe was taken by surprise when the Colonies declared their Independence. That the government to which the Mother Country had subjected them was not a galling tyranny, though in many respects oppressive, was well