Smyrna times., 1881-10-26
o. Sacred Trust
INhe Lesson of yorktown.

independence "a Sacred Trust
The Lesson of yorktown.
The century of National boyhood is
over. The last of the great events of the
Revolutionary War has been celebrated,
and the Nation, having arrived at its ma
iOrity, ought to be able to take clear, un-
prciudiced and frank survey of the events
which it has been commemorating. Born
of a fierce struggle between England and
France, this Nation is large enough to
own its Indebtedness to each. Blood and
brain we owe mainly to England oppor-
tunity to France And, possibly, the fiery
philosophy of French Democracy had
more to do with the shaping of our insti-
tutions than history has yet recognized.
The great battles of the world have
generally been barren. Yorktown was
pregnant. In military sense 1t was a
small affair, less glorious than many other
Revolutionary fights. But in the light OF
results, it was, perhaps, the most import
ant battle ever fought. For Yorktown
gave birth not merely to Nation which
a leading British journal recently styled
"the most powerful Nation on earth" but
to a system of government and social order.
Beware" said Carlyle, when God lets
loose thinker on this planet" Several
thinkers were let loose by the surrender
of CORVALLIS. and the world has been
feeling the effect of their thinking more
and more ever since. A Nation owning
| its own land, Il Nation thinking out and
| framing its own Government and laws, Il
| Nation representing in itself many races
| and the blended experiences and temper
aments of many lands, Il Nation peculiarly
! fitted TO illustrate the capacity of mankind
! for selfgovernment and for the harmoni-
our union of liberty with order, came into
! being as a consequence of the victory OF
| Yorktown. The influence of such ideas
and such an illustration Of them cannot
now be measured. When President Gar
| field Law struggling with death, the whole
! civilized world was bowed with sympathy
and sorrow. American travellers in
| Europe were accOsted with surprising fire.
| quency. by plain and unlettered peasants,
| who asked for the latest news from the
President. No man can tell how deeply
the example of this Nation has impressed
| the minds of the people of other lands.
This singular and almost measureless
/ influence over the destiny Of mankind is
not the work of our own hands. This
| Nation has little occasion TO he boastful or
/ proud 1t did not achieve without aid its
| own independence. Had the inventions
| of to-day been i'll use a century ago, the
! colonies would have been p0WcrlesS 10
| resist British resources. Distance. circum-
! stance and the struggle between France
and England. helped our fathers to endure
, to the end. And as this Nation owes its
very being rather to the gifts of Providence
| than to its own eXertions, so its prosperity y
! and growth have been in large measure
/ due to the favoring kindness of Infinite
! Power 1t exists and has grown because
it had q mission in the world, and work
/ to do Yorktown marks the date, not OF
a self-achieved triumph, but of 81 sacred
trust.
I The best thing that can be said of this
Nation is that it has not been wholly un-
faithful to its trust. 1t has not altogether
forgotten that its mission Is to make self
government honorable among men. 10
| some extent it has curbed the raging
thirst for conquest and territorial acquiSl-
ton which. it had been supposed, would
make powerful Republic a dangerous
neighbor. To some extent, it has honored
self-government by seeking justice and
promoting humanity and peace in inter
national dealings. Its greatest victories
have been over reactionary forces within
itself The centrifugal force which, phi
losophers believed, would make voluntary
self-gOVernment a rope of sand, this
Nation has overcome by eXertions anC
sacrifices which not many other nations
would have made for flag or fatherland
The tendency to public dishonOr through
, inpatience of voluntary taxation, which
many philosophers believed would ineyit
ably cause a Republic to crumble and col
lapse, this Nation has thus far overcome
) in manner which surprises its creditors
The tendency of freedom to degenerate
into license, that impatience of restraints
which has so often made order impossible
and property worthless in self-governinl
: countries this Nation has in some degree
restrained, These are the victories which
5 entitle us 10 rejoice, as we celebrate thu
anniversary of Revolutionary events
, Had we failed in these things, neithe
physical power, nor vast wealth, nor gPea
material prosperity, would have entitled
t us to feel that independence has beer
+ deserved.
! This Nation is old enough to keep NOR
constantly in mind hereafter an apprecia
ton of its trust, and a sense of its respOn
sibility. If it is to be hOnored at all, il
: the years that are before us, it must be b,
: greater fidelity to its mission 1t mus
take greater care to make self-gOVePnmen
honorable among men. 1t must rid itsCl
E of the vices which now tarnish its nasnC
: 1t must so live before the world that al
men shall be convinced that self-gOVern
Rent, when sustained by popular educa
. ton and religious liberty, is blessing 70
: all races and all classes-fOr the weak u
! well as for the strong, for the poor as wei
az for the rich. and for the few as we'll a
for the many.-NeC York Tribune.
|