It was March 23, 1775 – 209 years ago this week – that Patrick Henry, one of oratory’s all-time heavy hitters, gave the blazing speech that made his name immortal. There was tension in the air as great men of Virginia gathered in the little St. John’s Church at Richmond for the colony’s second revolutionary convention.… Continue reading Remembering Henry’s Oratory
Year: 1984
Cleveland, Only ‘Split’ President
Grover Cleveland, who was born 147 years ago on March 18, holds two unique distinctions among American presidents: He was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms (1885-89 and 1893-97) and the only president married in the White House. Cleveland, previously mayor of Buffalo and governor of New York, was elected the 22nd president in… Continue reading Cleveland, Only ‘Split’ President
Most Want Prayer in Schools
Combining imagination with reality for a moment, suppose that Washington, D.C., were destroyed by a natural catastrophe or act of war and that archaeologists of a latter millennium found such inscriptions as the following amid ruins of government buildings and memorials: “In God We Trust,” on a wall in the Senate chamber of the Capitol.… Continue reading Most Want Prayer in Schools
Recalling Lincoln’s Pithy Sayings
It has been 175 years since Abraham Lincoln was born in a Kentucky cabin, Feb. 12, 1809. Indeed nearly 119 years have passed since his years as America’s 16th president were abruptly ended by the tragic assassination at Ford’s Theatre. But Lincoln’s imprint still lingers in the legacy of his resolve and leadership to reunify… Continue reading Recalling Lincoln’s Pithy Sayings
Quiz on Presidents Of United States
Any quiz on American presidents surely would carry the question: Which president was the oldest upon assuming office? The answer, of course, is Ronald Reagan, inaugurated Jan 20, 1981 at 69. He turns 73 today Feb. 6. Now that he’s officially a candidate for re-election, Reagan has a chance at stretching the age distinction by four years. Before Reagan became… Continue reading Quiz on Presidents Of United States
Strange Things in Budget
President Reagan’s fiscal 1985 budget is a curious document. It seems that it is more of a starting point, or an opening salvo in a political slugfest with the Democrats than it is a serious spending proposal. President Reagan’s 1985 budget proposes to virtually freeze non-defense domestic spending next year and increase military spending by… Continue reading Strange Things in Budget
U.S. Must Heed Report on Deficit
The 161-member business-oriented efficiency panel, which compiled a two-volume report recommending ways the government can slash federal spending, has performed a potentially valuable public service. The big question now: When, how, and to what extent will official Washington act to put the reforms into effect to improve efficiency and cut unconscionable deficits? The study says federal spending can be cut by $424.4 billion over three years. President Reagan has… Continue reading U.S. Must Heed Report on Deficit
Paris Treaty Bicentennial Noted
It was a bicentennial that sparked little or no fanfare, but one certainly worthy of remembrance. We’re alluding to the 200th anniversary of the Jan. 14, 1784. ratification by Congress of the “final Treaty of Paris” which officially ended the Revolutionary War. Actually congressional endorsement was more or less a formality. But it had its place… Continue reading Paris Treaty Bicentennial Noted