Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-02-20
LIV I ST0CK <.
sTOCK- GROWERS' MEETING AT THE
CAPITAL.

A1AA
were passed in speech-making. The main
subject was that of the division of the
ranges as between the cattle men and wool.
growers. The principal participants in the
speaking were Judge Hilger, Marshal
Wheeler, w. L. Perkins, Ross Deegan and
James Fergus. Not being prepared to take
down the speeches we are unable to give
them, except the remarks of Mr.. Fergus,
which were mainly in reply to Mr.. G. Ed
wards, OF Gallatin, whose address was pub
lisiled last week. Mr.. Fergus said:
MIR. CHAIRMAN:
y Ilistened with wrapt attention to the elo-
quent Grafton OF our farmer friend, Mr.. Ed
wards, of Gallatin, on last Thursday eve
ming on the subject of "American rights"
as it applies to stock industries. here in
Montana, and while / bow with equal ado
ration in the church of the Christian, the
synagogue of the jew, and in the mosque of
the Mohamedan, and in each, and in all |
find some good. and some aspiration to
higher motives but in each and in all I
find evidences of human error, and of HUI
man origin, so / also bow with equal ado
ration before the altar of my friends gent
us, his patriotism, and his purity of pur-
pose, and from his utterances / also find in
SEPARATION to higher motives, but in his i'm
plications and omissions | also find evil
dences of human origin. IF this is not eulo-
gy enough, let the rest be understood. He
inspired me with a sense Of justice and
rightly his calculation Of American rights,
and thrilled me with patriotism by the de-
scription of the part taken by his ancestors
in the revolutionary struggle, but he chilled
that patriotism, cast a cloud over that glory,
by his implied censure on the son of La
Belle France, the country Of Lafayette, the
friend and ally of America, and without
her friendship and that alliance America
would not at that time have gained her in
dependence. Let us not censure her sons
but rather claim them as brothers. Iiber-
ty and patriotism are not trees of purely
American growth. We hear their echo
from away back in the dim ages. Greece
echos the word Liberty we hear it re-
echoed from the mountains Of Switzerland
and from the plains OF the Netherlands, its
reverberations crossed the Atlantic, burst
into flame in the American revolution, and
out of these flames arose no brighter names
than those Of Lafayette, Steuben, De Kalb,
and those Of their co-patriots who were
born on foreign soil. and they have LETT the
inheritance Of that liberty and their fame to
Americans Of whatever nationality. Yes,
sir; whenever wrongs real or, imaginary.
are to be redressed, there is patriotism, and
there we hear the word Liberty, and no
brighter pages of patriotism were ever wo-
ven thai that, that Is being made out Of the
warp and Weof Of the wrongs and sufferings
OF the poor and despised Indian on our Dor
ders, they untutored sons ofnature rising in
their feeble strength against 4 powerful and
civilized nation, their oppressors. They
look down the mnzzle OF muskets, not to
see liberty, but submission or death. The
guilt that separates the patriot and the trail
tor is very narrow, and is only the measure
OF success. He who owns d million mus
kets Is generally a patriot, while he who
owns only one may be hanged US a traitor,
and they may both be equally patriotic. AS
/ said on q former occasion, we are all
Americans, and we, too, ought to be all
Montanians. We are from the sunny South.
from the economical and Intelligent East,
from the generous West, and from across
the Atlantic pillows; we have fused and are
fusing our peculiarities, and Thope bunrying
our prejndices, until we shall become one
great, free and undivided people, willing to-
do at all times as we would that others
should do unto us, and at all times and all
seasons. be worthy OF our mountain home.