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"O cause us, and all Thy people who rejoice under the flag of the United States, to remain faithful to Thy divine will.

"Bless, we pray Thee, the Nation and the State, the President of these United States, the Governor of this fair State, the Mayor of this beautiful city, and give us Thy divine protection, so that our path be ever that of honor, and of everything that glorifies Thee, and dignifies the human race. Amen."

Governor Sanders welcomed the vast throng and the guests.

The Governor made one of his most eloquent addresses, inspired, no doubt by the historic theme, and by the enthusiasm of the multitude. He said:

"History was written large for the Western hemisphere, when one hundred years ago the needs of Napoleon, and the far-sightedness of Thomas Jefferson, added to the American Union the vast territory known as Louisiana. When we reflect that the first act almost, of the National government was imposing upon us the indignity of losing our name itself and becoming "The Territory of Orleans,' we see the beginning of one hundred years of difficulties and misunderstandings, that have often been our lot.

"Iberville's boat, in which he won success on the lakes of Canada, was named the 'Pelican."

"The first Governor of Louisiana, when he entered the mouth of the great river in 1699, brought with him the spirit of Louisiana, as indicated by its coat-of-arms, the 'Pelican,' a willingness to suffer that posterity may benefit.

"Josiah Quincy, representing Massachusetts, with all her traditions, her pride of accomplishment, her strife for liberty in the days of 76, did not want the sisterhood of States to cross the Mississippi; and the stalwart Josiah Quincy, representing that great commonwealth, in our National halls of Congress, announced a doctrine strange then-dead now-to the American people: The doctrine of secession. For, he warned his fellow-members of the Federal Congress that if they insisted upon giving statehood to what he was pleased to call an alien people, speaking a foreign tongue, who, by birthright and struggle had not earned the right of sovereignty and of statehood and the blessings of American self-government, Massachusetts would withdraw from the Union.

"From his lips the nation first heard the word 'secession,' and, some fifty years later, our fathers followed this statesman's inter

pretation of the Constitution of the United States, and withdrew from the Union, and then it was that two other sons of Massachusetts, Butler and Banks, with their legions of the North, proved to Louisiana's sons, the hollowness of the doctrines first enunciated by Josiah Quincy.

"Was the eighteenth star to be of the first magnitude? Less than three years had New England to wait for her answer.

"On January 8th, 1815, was fought the greatest battle that had yet drenched our land with blood; and the battle of New Orleans was the greatest military triumph that had yet graced American arms.

"So great and overwhelming was that victory, that it, far more than the Treaty of Ghent, forever settled all differences between the mother country and her former colonists.

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"On that day, the men of Louisiana answered the charge made by Josiah Quincy, some three years before, that they were worthy of statehood, that they were an alien people, speaking a foreign tongue, by furnishing over one-half of the total of Jackson's army, which humbled the pride of Great Britain, and defeated the Peninsular troops that were a part of the army which, six months later vanquished the mighty Napoleon himself.

"When our country came to battle with Mexico, her sons freely offered up their blood on the altar of their country. Zachary Taylor, of Louisiana, was the one great hero of that war, and, in recognition of his services, the nation conferred upon him the highest dignity.

"One hundred years since the acquisition of Louisiana, and in that time Louisiana has given to the nation thirteen great commonwealths—an empire in itself. An hundred years of statehood, and Louisiana's record, the services of her sons, need only be recounted to qualify us, today, as being worthy of those honors which Josiah Quincy had declared would cause the disruption of the Union.

"Bienville's foresight located the future commercial capital of the Mississippi Valley just where it should have been; and, with the opening up of the Panama Canal the next one hundred years will bring to Louisiana, and the Mississippi Valley, a prosperity such as no section of the world has yet enjoyed.

"In the hundred years of our statehood, ours has not always

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been a bed of roses. Louisiana has suffered by the heavy hand of war; floods and epidemics have been our lot, sometimes; but, through it all, the indomitable spirit of our people has ever found the way, and, today there is not, and cannot be any question as to the future of so American a people.

"The second century of Louisiana's statehood starts off,with promises bright, and with possibilities so great as to stagger the very imagination itself. The opening of the Panama Canal; Federal control of the flood situation; the elimination of all danger from epidemics in the future; reclamation of our wet lands; the building of good roads, and the tide of immigration that is turning our way will make the star in our country's flag, that answers to the name of Louisiana, shine, in the years to come, brighter than that of any of her sister States."

Mayor Martin Behrman spoke the welcome to the City of New Orleans to the many distinguished guests.

He said:

"I need not assure this distinguished gathering how deeply I am impressed with the significance of this occasion. Carried back in retrospect through the vista of a century to another occasion which brought together on this spot a great and enthusiastic assemblage, I see another imposing ceremonial, the result of which has made possible the event we celebrate to-day. We look in vain to-day for the kindly faces of those who were most conspicious in the events of that day and to whom this occasion would have been one of unspeakable pleasure were they permitted to be here. Gladly would they give the wealth of the Golcondas for the privilege of participating in this ceremony; of mingling again with their old comrades in arms and brothers in self-sacrifice and peril; and to witness the miracles wrought in that cause for the greater glory of which they rallied on this sacred spot on the day of which this is the never-to-be-forgotten anniversary. It surely must have been an interesting ceremony that added another star to the brilliant constellation that makes up the States of this invincible union, and which to-day glitters to the name of Louisiana.

"The Governor tells us in his eloquent proclamation calling public attention to the importance of this celebration, that as many as thirteen States were carved from the territory included in the Jefferson purchase. If ever cordial friendship, warm affection and

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