Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1893 — PROCLAIM LIBERTY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PROCLAIM LIBERTY.

An Object Lesson in Patriotism. *• / Triumphal Progress of the Famous Liberty Bell—Enthusiastic an Imposing Reception nt Indianapolis. The train bearing the famous Liberty Bell to the World’s Fair, left Philadelphia Wednesday, April 25. A party of forty, including Mayor Stuart and a special escort committee, appointed by the city,were on the train and will attend the opening ceremonies at Chicago. The old relic was greeted with booming of cannon, ringing of bells, and cheers of great multitudes of people at Harrisburg, Pittsburg, Cleveland and Columbus. The special train bearing the Liberty Bell arrived at Indianapolis Friday morning, and the patriotic Hoosiers were fully alive to the importance of the occasion. Thousands of workmen with their dinner-

pails, stopped on their way to work at the side track where the car stood, to view the relic. At 9 o'clock tho crowd became so great that tho police force had to be increased, and guard ropes placed around the car. People became crazed over the idea of rubbing some article in their possession against the bell, and the escort committee were kept busy applying match-boxes, handkerchiefs, gold watches, to the sacred metal. A platform to allow people to pass up onto the car was completed at 10 o’clock, and from that time the crowd surged past in apparently inexhaustible numbers. Never, probably, from the beginning, has Indianapolis had such a gala day. The boys and girls even to the smallest, were Imbued with tho spirit of the occasion and were easily brought into marching order. It was a children's day, and the sight in front of the State House at 10 o’clock was one not soon to be forgotten. Nearly every child carried a flag, and a boquet to drop on the bell. The entire two squares fronting the Capitol was packed with the little ones and tho area seemed a sea of flags. At 10:15 ex-Presidcnt Harrison left the Governor’s parlors, and, with Mayor Sullivan at the head, the delegation of visitors and tho local committee’stepped upon the landing of the Capitol • entrance, over which two flags hung, to be greeted by more shrill cheering and flag waving. L. H. Jones mounted the small decorated stage and directed the immense chorus as it sang “America.” Thousands of voices joined In the chorus, and in a minute about twenty thousand voices filled the air with the patriotic tune. As those about the speaker’s stand finished the song, the crowds further away ended as if in echo, so far were they behind net which led them, and fora full minute away down the street the song was gradually brought to a close and grew fainter and fainter to tho ear. Mayor Sullivan introduced Mr. Harrison in a brief address, following which the ex-President said: , My Young Friends and Fellow Citizens— I am glad to-day to be a citizen of Indianapolis. lam glad to participate iu that worthy pride which we ail feel at being able to make, before these distinguished visiting strangers, such a magnificent exhibition of our Indianapolis schools. I think I should first, for you, most ly thank Mayor Stuart, of Philadelphia, and the gentleman who accompany him, for their kindness in enabling the citizens, and especially the children of our schools, to see this great relic, tho Liberty bell. It lias spoken its great message to the world, and is now forever silent. It is not the I material thing that we shall look upon with interest; it is that which it typihes. It is the enduring thing for which it stands that kindles our hearts and our enthusiasm to-day. tCheers.l If the old men and the old women of this country shall lose 1 their sentiment and forego the exercise of their imagination, those great things will be preserved among the children. I rejoice that there is a Renaissance of patriotism in the United States. I rejoice to believe that to our own hearts the flag means more to-day than ever before in our history, [Cheers.] There are more people that love it, and the generation that is coming on will iove it more fervently than that which is passing off the stage. [Cheers.] I rejoice that the American flag floats over more of our schools of instruction for the young to-day than ever before. [Cheers.] I have read with interest in tho last few days, of the lifting of tho flag on the Navesink Highlands, of New Jersey, so that our own peoplo, returning from’ foreign shores, or those worthy immigrants who seek > a home <among us, shall catch sight of the starry banner when the land lifts Itself above the horizon. [Enthusiastic choers.l The flag of the highlands, the Bartholdi statue lifting the torch of liberty in the harbor, are good object lessons to those who come to bo American citizens. I had unfeigned and lasting pleasure in the fact that ono of my last public acts was to lift the American flag over a great steamship in the harbor of the city of New York. It was liberty this bell proclaimed, liberty throughout hi] the land, to ali the people thereof; and how wonderful tiiat nearly a quarter of a century before, when tfio committee of your Legislature selected an inscription for that holL they unconsciously foretold the great act it was to perform. Let us never forget that the liberty this bell rang in was a liberty regulated hy law [cheers] —a liberty to do free to do as each one pleased only so far as the rights of others were not Invaded. Let us learn again this great lesson that no worthy object can be promoted except upon the linos of social order and lawful submission to public authority. [Cheers.] Not labor, not the church, not those who pretend to seek with unauthorized hands the ends of public justice can promote any of these causes by acts of violence. It is the law, casting its shelter over every household, arming every inan in a panoply that should he impenetrable that makes our home life possible and these schools what they arc. This old bell was made |q England, but It had to be recast in America (enthusiastic cheers) before It was attuned to proclaim the right of self government and the equal rights of men. And therein it was a type of what our Institutions have been doing

for that great teeming throng of Immigrants from all lands, who heard Ms voice over the great waters, and came here subjects to he re-cast into free American citizens. [Cheers.] I want to thank you for your patient attempt to hear me, and to beg that you will excuse me from further speech, in order that you may promptly see that for which yon have assembled—thiaold bell, which, if yoa will but open the ears of your hearts, will tell yon the story of our heroic ancestry, of the origin of our Government, more eloquently than any speaker can do it. [Cheers.] When Mr. Harrison concluded the cheering and flag-waving was renewed for a minute. - Mayor Sullivan then introduced Mayor Stuart,.of Philadelphia, who respondrdas follows: We pass through your city carrying the most sacred relie in the United States. Many of you will see it to-day for the first and last time. While that Declaration of Independence, of which Mr. Harrison just spoke, was being acted upon In Independence Hall, Philadelphia, his paternal ancestor presided over the deliberations. I could not give a more patriotic expression than one which I recently read. “There is not enough money in the world to buy that old bell. There are not enough people in the world to capture it. The people of Philadelphia, of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, of tho whole Union, would shed 'their blood andlay down their lives for it.” The speech of Mavor Stuart was followed by the song “Liberty Bell,” which was sung by the school children. Thft closed the exercises at the State House, at 10:40. The march to view the bell was begnn. Tho spectators lined tho walks and Capitol grounds, and until ll o’clock the little people kept up a steady tramp. The escort committee say that tho Indianapolis demonstration exceeded that of any other city, and were delighted with their reception and treatment.

THE "LIBERTY BELL."