Excerpt from Programme for Celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of American Independence on the Third and Fourth of July, 1876: By the People of Jersey City, With the Oration by the Hon. Charles H. Winfield, of Jersey City

One Century gone! When measured by events, how dim grows the distance; how far away in the past begins our history. The third of the Georges then sat upon England's throne, and his government had scarcely recovered from its fright caused by Wolfe Tone and his Irish rebellion. Catherine ruled the wild hordes of Russia, and dis membered Poland yet quivered in the paws of the imperial tigers who tore her asunder. Frederick the Great sat upon the throne of Prussia and led her victorious armies. Not yet seven years of age was the boy who was to make playthings of crowns and write upon the page of history the names of Austerlitz, Jena, Eck_muhl and Wagram. Over the continent of Europe the rights of kings were firmly established, and if there were doubts as to the divine origin of those rights, the power to make good those doubts and shake those rights was wanting. Nowhere were the people in the dignity of man hood. Nowhere had they broken the bonds of feudalism. Their whole duty was to do and die for the King, their lord. Night, deep, dull and starless rested upon the masses. Only in France the people began to show signs of impatience. But, alas, untaught to distin guish liberty from licentiousness, when the day of their freedom dawned, it was only to behold the same despotism transferred from the King to the mob, and as much worse, as a herd of infuriated beasts is more dangerous than one. Here only, on this new con tinent, uncursed by the despotism of feudal law, far removed from the tendencies of monarchical theories, were destined to be established a government and a nation unique in history.

Properly to understand this government, let us enquire what man ner of people settled these colonies, and what were the forces moving towards a government based on the fundamental principles of liberty.

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