DeLancey M. Ellis

“ There was no question as to the consent of those whom we took over, and to whom we gave the protection of our flag, or as to nice points of constitutionality, when the greater object in view was the onward progress of civilization, the building up of hope and the fulfillment of our destiny as a nation, to perpetuate those principles which mean so much in the redeeming of the world. The exigencies of a later war found a precedent in the courage of Jefferson and enabled Lincoln to wipe from the escutcheon of state the blot of slavery which had too long tarnished it. ”

“ No man can walk about this Plateau of States, view these beautiful structures, see the people coming together from the north and the south, the east and the west, uniting in common loyalty and respect for our institutions, without feeling his heart swell with pride and gratitude.
"It is no disparagement to our sister States, for me, a loyal son of New York, to say that it is most fitting that the Empire State should be pre-eminent here also in the beauty of her building, the character of her exhibits and the magnificent representation of her people. ”

“ Success will always follow perseverance and genius. Every heresy, every doctrine which would teach the young man of this country differently, is an insult to the intelligence of our people, and is in the direction of building up a dangerous element in American society which in time would threaten not only the peace and prosperity we enjoy, but our very institutions themselves. When you have placed before the young man all of his possibilities, you have made it impossible to make of our Republic a plutocracy controlled by the few at the expense of the many. ”

“ In every phase of our nation's history, in all that has made it great and powerful and respected, New York has been both conservative and wise in the aid which it offered, powerful in the resources which it furnished in the building up of our republic. From the time when the courage and patriotism of our forefathers wrought out the nation down to the latest acquisition of our territory there is no page of history which does not tell of the devotion and statesmanship of New York's citizens. ”

“ In our veins courses blood of all nations, and it is the healthy commingling of that blood which has produced a race of world conquerors. It has produced the men who have made possible this great Exposition. We have been placed in the world's crucible, have been melted in the glowing heat of a nascent life, and have been forged into a weapon which shall carve the world. Our ideals are worthy, the hopes and aspirations of the nation devoted to justice and love; ideals which shall be the steadfast inspirer of nations and individuals to uprightness, to justice and to honor. ”

“ We all shine in the reflected glory of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, which shows the high-water mark of human progress. It is indeed the greatest of all international fairs and a lasting credit to the artistic skill of the men who planned and executed it. It is the culmination of all that has been done in the wide expanse of territory purchased from France in 1803, and the achievements of all nations in the world since that day. ”

“ All honor to those heroes who stood shoulder to shoulder in the days which tried men's souls, who, in the gloom and suffering of Valley Forge, saw in the distance the rainbow of hope shining over the dark clouds of defeat. They saw the light of a great nation which would serve as a beacon in the world progress and a refuge for the persecuted of the nations of earth. All races contributed to the founding of this beloved country. The roster of the Revolution is filled with names which show that the liberty loving of all European nations gave up a generous offering of blood on Freedom's altar. ”

“ It was proper, therefore, that our State, in its dignity, with its conservatism and with its intense patriotism, should be among the first to contribute of its means to make of this Exposition the grand success which it promises. With each succeeding international exposition the world becomes wiser, artisans more skillful, the contributions to science and art more valuable; in a word, they raise the standard of civilization and hasten the time when all men shall pay homage to the ruler of the universe. ”

“ New York is here to-day by its official representatives to testify first to its loyalty to the purposes for which this Exposition was conceived; to show the people of the West that in their progress we are interested, and that to them we look for such returns in dividends upon the stock of patriotism as will give to our nation men of energy, of right impulses. To you we owe much, and from you we expect much. Our efforts will be to aid you in every laudable undertaking, to stand behind you in all that means the prosperity of our common country. ”

“ America still beckons to the oppressed of all lands and holds out the gifts of freedom, and we at this time, and upon this occasion, should renew our adherence to those policies which have made us great as a nation. The future is before us, and the patriotism and self-sacrifice of those who made the country's history so glorious should be an inspiration to us all for higher ideals of citizenship. Through the golden gates of commerce pours an unceasing stream of immigration, which must be amalgamated with American ideas and American principles. ”

“ It is our common object to perpetuate the principles of American independence. Anything that retards human progress, or that would make of a man a mere machine without brains, is to be deprecated. Our object should be to encourage and to promote thrift, and to instill into the mind of every citizen a desire for advancement. In this direction our State will be found always in the forefront and the evidence of her greatness will be measured rather by the intelligence of her citizens than by mere accumulation of wealth. ”

“ I love the State of New York—her broad and fertile valleys, her stately rivers, the lakes which glisten like jewels on her bosom, her mountains which rear their tops to the clouds; but most of all I love the quiet life of the country home—the honesty and industry of the plain people. ”

“ I wonder if in this ceaseless struggle for gold and gain we pause long enough to study the true character of those men to whose valorous deeds we owe so much, those men who planted the tree of human liberty so deep that even the shock of revolution of succeeding wars could not uproot it, those men who demanded of Jefferson a free Mississippi and who made this Exposition possible. ”

“ This Exposition stands, not only as a monument to our progress, but to our united and determined effort to take a prominent part in all that means the advancement of mankind and the prosperity of the whole world. We owe that which we are at present to the devotion and heroism of the men of the past, and to protect and guard the inheritance which has come to us should be our aim. To be broad and conservative in our conception of our duties and responsibilities should be our purpose. ”

“ To these great achievements of a mighty people it is impossible to estimate the share contributed by the sturdy pioneers and their descendants of this vast tract of country, the cession of which more than doubled the area of our country a century ago. What great states have been carved out of this territory! What wonderful wealth of resources have been brought forth here! What a splendid citizenship has been established in this vast region! New York rejoices with you in the giant strides made by this newer section of our country. ”

“ While there may be an apparent decrease in some localities and a corresponding benefit in others, yet so intimate are our connections and associations that the prosperity of one, instead of being a menace to the growth of any other locality, really aids in building it up. So diversified are our interests, so skillful our people, that we may compare the whole Union to a great workshop, one vast cultivated field of industry, all laboring, not for the advancement of separate cities or localities, but for the continued growth of our common country. ”

“ There is no phase of American history which should inspire us with greater pride than the consummation of the purchase of the Louisiana tract, an event which opened the pathway to the West, and made possible the powerful nation to which we owe our allegiance. Trade, the inspiration for travel, which brought about the discovery and civilization of the Western Hemisphere, would have demanded inevitably the cession to the United States of the vast regions beyond the Mississippi. ”

“ We always wonder what other marvellous inventions may be in store for us to necessitate another Exposition upon a gigantic scale, to be held somewhere in this country. Perhaps within another decade, when the Isthmian canal is finished, the golden stream which will connect the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, we may celebrate at the national capital city the greatest event of the twentieth century, bringing to the commerce of the world peace and plenty. ”

“ This country seems to forge ahead at a rapid pace, not only in its material wealth, but in everything that tends to the happiness of our people, even the humblest citizens sharing in the general prosperity. Every section has cause to rejoice—the South with its cotton, the North with its financial resources, the West with its farm products, the East with its industries, all seem to participate in the general welfare of the country. ”

“ REMARKS BY MR. BERRI "We should be thankful way down deep in our hearts that we are citizens of such a great country—the United States of America. When you think of its wonderful struggle for years and know that to-day it is at the forefront of progress among the nations of the earth should we not be thankful that we are a part of it? We should be thankful that we have such a great President—a man respected by all nations. Republicans should be thankful that they won such a great victory at the polls, and Democrats should be thankful that the Republicans give them such good government. ”

“ What fills our mind with more gratitude; what inspires us with greater heroism; what instills more patriotism than the struggles of the early colonial wars? The Anglo-Saxon energy which swept from this continent the dominion of those who sought only wealth, and which substituted the thrift of the voyagers of the Mayflower and of the settlers of Jamestown—which Speaks of the battles with the Indians, which tells of the glories not only of victories but of the defeats of the heroes of the Revolution—all are incentives for purer and better citizenship. ”

“ To instill into the minds of our youth a determination to meet every question with true American courage should be our object. Every effort that makes for the good of humanity is a fitting tribute to that national policy which has taught us that there is no responsibility too great for our citizens to bear, and that in the onward progress of civilization America recognizes her duty and will not fail in its performance. ”

“ It is our privilege to give to others the same liberty which we enjoy ourselves, to establish some form of government such as ours whenever these people are ready for it, and it is our duty to protect them in their weakness until they are prepared for it. It was the dream of our forefathers that our country should be confined between these two magnificent oceans, but despite these hopes in later years additional responsibilities have come, Which the American people are too proud to shirk and too courageous to abandon. ”

“ As inventions are developed which make the worker more effective, which broaden the field of usefulness, there come responsibilities and problems which require education and discernment to meet and solve. Under the softened touch of Christianity, religion and education there should come about a universal brotherhood of man broad enough in scope to embrace all humanity. In all the work of the world, in all that is for the development of man, in everything that holds out promise to the future, New York State we may justly say, if not the leader, is at least in the fore ranks. ”

“ If we, who have left the old home to build a new one in the West, can be faithful to the traditions of our childhood—if we can bequeath to our children the lessons of industry, honesty and economy which our fathers gave to us—we shall do more to honor the State of New York than we could do by rearing marble to the skies. ”