Ohio History Journal

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REMARKS OF HON

REMARKS OF HON. SAMUEL F. HUNT.

 

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: It is certainly not my pur-

pose, in this unexpected call, to disturb the very agreeable

impression which was made by the scholarly oration of

the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts. For

historical research, for analysis of fact, for application of

principles, for beauty of diction, it has rarely been sur-

passed; and I may say that no less instructive was the

oration of the gentleman from Virginia.

In the name of the people of Ohio, I may say that they

reciprocate this sort of patriotism; and Ohio, like Virginia,

hereafter will look to the Federal Constitution as the

pledge of perpetual union.

It is very interesting to trace the beginning of a civil-

ization, and to follow society in its formative state. I was

greatly impressed by the allusion in Senator Hoar's speech

to the victory of Wolfe on the Heights of Abraham. It

has not been emphasized enough. It was one of the

most momentous of the hours of history. It determined

whether or not the institutions of the Germanic or Eng-

lish-speaking race should dominate hereafter in the great

Central States in this valley. He crowded the action of

centuries into a few minutes, and he filled his life with

lustre, although his sun went down before it was day.

That civilization we are to-day-that one hundred years

of results; the elements which have produced it are found

in the organic law which has blessed the people. Those

results are found, first in the religion and the morality

which have emphasized all the legislation of this civiliza-

tion during this hundred years.

The Ordinance of 1787 declared for religion and mor-

ality. The Constitution of 1802 declared for religion and

morality. The Constitution of 1851 declared for religion

and morality. Righteousness does exalt a nation; and

to-day our civilization is marked by the church spires,

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