[Pennsylvania County Histories]

S-ft 'V’M.* 9 «, 9,6 Hi A Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniacoun04unse_ ^ 7 V- M PaS« NOP I Q R R p T U V W W W X Y Z w times the Gazette' was loyal to the Gov ernment and faithful to the best interests of the State and the community, though for | 1 PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING the time being it was on the unpopular side and had to maintain its fidelity at no small ,_ fExcept Sunday),_^__ - It sacrifice of personal and pecuniary interests. ; TIRJRSDAY. JULY 09. 1SS6. It may safely be affirmed that, following ' ONK HUNDRED YEAR*. this noble example of its founder, the The Commercial Gazette congratulates Gazette has ever since been ranged on its readers on having completed the one the side of law and order. While abating f hundredth year of^its existence. It is some¬ neither jot nor tittle of its right to criticise : thing to be proud of that a newspaper en¬ and condemn whatever it conceived to bo , terprise, started in the Western wilderness amiss either in the laws themselves or the i at a time when social and political chaos manner of their enforcement, it never conn- j brooded over th’e new world, should have tenanced nullification, secession or armed ! grown steadily on through all the mutations rebellion. With the National chart in its of time and the dangers and vicissitudes at- hands, the Gazette could never go further [ j tending business management, and should than to tolerate the institution of human j have rounded out the century without a slaverv, and to maintain that it be confined break in the long chain of successive issues strictly within its constitutional limits, j and in a condition of robust health which When the slave power made war upon the gives promise of belter service and a wider principles of free government and under- i influence in the hundred years which are to took to nationalize slavery, it encountered come. in the Gazette an uncompromising and In taking a retrospective view of the relentless enemy which never ceased its * career of the old Gazette, one of its most opposition until perfect liberty with striking characteristics will be found to National unity was achieved. have been its patriotic and unselfish devo¬ It is not alone in the political affairs of tion to the interests of the Government as the Nation that the Gazette has made its represented through the Administration of influence felt in a marked degree. In the Gen. Washington. It is somewhat re¬ development and cultivation of those forces markable that the paternal ancestor of necessary for the advancement of the social, John Scull, the founder of the Gazette, moral and religious interests of the com¬ should have been influenced to emigrate to munity, the Gazette has always taken a this country by William Penn, the founder leading and active part. At all times con¬ of Pennsylvania, and that a century later servative as respects the time-honored prin¬ his grandson should have been induced, ciples of the Government, it has unceas- j through the influence of Wash¬ ingly raised its voice against those insidious ington or that of some of his encroachments which, under the guise of | immediate supporters, to undertake the “personal liberty,” would utterly destroy hazardous work of establishing a printing some of the most sacred institutions of the press at the ‘‘Forks of the Ohio.” a spot country and pave the way for its speedy made historic in our colonial history through dissolution as a Christian Nation. 1 the civic and military achievements of. the In its secular and business relations the daring young colonial officer who bore in influence of the Gazette has been far- his person the destinies of the greatest reaching and important. An examination nation of modern days. When the Gazette of its files, running back into the last century, was established it could not by any possi- will reveal the fact that it has been earnest bility have been foreseen that it would so and steadfast in its advocacy of those soon be called upon to exert its influence in numerous enterprises which have contrib¬ j support of law and order and against insur- uted so largely to the prosperity and comfort | rection, and in less worthy and resolute hands of the community, the State and the Nation. it might have yielded before the popular As a faithful and conscientious chronicler frenzy which grew out of the famous 1 of the financial and mercantile transactions “Whisky Insurrection.” In those trying jf this great center of traffic, the paper has innumerable variety of complicated ma¬ been read from generation, to generation I chinery for lessening human labor, there is and implicitly relied upon as a business an instinctive sensation in intelligent minds barometer of inestimable value. that enlightenment is yet in its infancy, The changes of a hundred years! To and what we at present enjoy of these classes are but little more than seeds of the harvest dwell upon these would be to open up a vast yet to come. The development of material and almost limitless field for thought and i resources in this country has byt little ; speculation. Not a single human being more than begun; the accumulation of pe- ; who was then able to read, remains to tell of I cuniary wealth—the amassing of riches ! his perusal of the first number of the | with a rapidity probably without precedent j in the history of Nations—will soon be ac¬ Gazette. Although John Scull lived to 1 counted as but trifling. For the really a green old age, there are few now in active | great and permanent changes which have life who can recall having seen him. As been effected since the Gazette was first human life is averaged, almost two genera¬ published, those, which will mark the past tions have passed away since he was gath¬ century from all othRs preceding it or ered to his fathers. As no one now living, which are to come, must be searched for in no matter how great his age, can speak from something besides mere materialism. The religions of the world and of this experience of the events of 1786, so no one, continent are substantially the same as they be he ever so young, is likely to be spared to were before and as they will be for a long j witness the bi-centennial of the Gazette. time in the future. The same lauguages | Each generation, however, will have enough exist that were spoken a hundred years ago to occupy its thoughts, and each indi¬ and no new ones have been created. The vidual will find ample opportunity in his leading sciences of to-day are those of past ages, with such additions and modifications ' day to make the world better for his having as have arisen from development of the lived in it. If the labors of John Scull useful arts and material wealth already re- | and his immediate successors, with their | ferred to. All these mark not the century i limited opportunities, were productive of as distinctive. such vast .results, what solemn obliga-1 The first great change in this country tiotis rest upon those who, at the j was from a Confederated to a' National threshold of the twentieth century, Government. Even that was embryonic and its fruits have not yet fully matured. control and direct that mighty engine The evil was but partially removed. It —the printing press 1 Inspired by the was in a right direction and of sufficient memories of the past, and full of hope and power to support itself a much longer term encouragement for the future, the Commer¬ than the Confederation lasted, but with the cial Gazette enters upon its second cen¬ growth of necessities the time is not far dis¬ tury with a determination to spare no effort! tant when an equally positive change and ; further step in advance will require to be i to keep the paper up to the high standard made. The nationalizing of business laws, of usefulness as an exponent of sound moral uniformity in our commercial, military, and political principles, a faithful reflex of educational and social systems, particularly the current events of each succeeding day, j concerning marriage and divorce, will be and an unflinching supporter of the right, | found to be essential to the unity of our “as God gives us to see the right.” people and the preservation of this great | Nation. THE FtATUUK OF 'THE CENTURY. The real characteristic of the hundred j One hundred years, compared with 1 years just passed has been the abolition of ! the ordinary period of activity of individual i slavery in Europe and America. From the humanity, is along term, but historically, earliest ages of history, civilized as well as speaking it is little more than a brevity. barbarous, man deemed it to be right that The changes which have occurred during men should be held in involuntary servi¬ the past century are very great, but there j tude. The United States of America, the , are many of those changes which will fall first to teach the principle of liberty of ! into insignificance in the future. With the conscience and the equality of mankind, I wonderful development of the useful arts was among the last to abolish human which has been made by the introduction of i slavery.

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