The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-07-15

or philanthropy, for these grow out of
those elements in the system of univer-
sal instruction, but patriotism the love
of our country, our own, our native land,
with all its mirrored lakes and winding
rivers, its fertile fields and boundless
prairies, its history and its heroes, its
legends and its songs, its laws and its
institutions. 1t was this that filed the
sminds and stirred the souls of three hun
dred and forty thousand soldiers who
gave their lives for their country, and
who sleep
'on Farne's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread
While glory guards with solemn round,
The bivou &C Of the dead"
Thiscountry is great and broad enough
for the oppressed Of all nations, but it is
too small and too narrow for an Anarch-
ist, Socialist or Malta. The free winds
of heaven which sweep over us are
freighted with freedom and will bear on
their breasts the fold of no other flag save
those Of the stars and stripes We boast
it as the distinguishing feature of our free
institutions that ali power lies with the
people.
This is well, while the people are ca
pacitated to use that power wisely and
intelligently otherwise it is but knife
in the hands Of maniac. A republic in
which the great mass of the people, who
hold the sovereign power, is given up to
ignorance and degradation, is the grand
est treason that can be devised against
humanity. 1t is like volcanic noun
tain murmuring with internal fires which
rage and swelter within its bosom, but
which sends up to the surface a genial
warmth that covers it with verdure; thus
lifting itself in beauty and grandeur to
the eye, and inviting from zfar the hum
bic dweller Of the plain to climb its
blooming sides and fix amidst its loveli-
ness their treseherous habitations Poet
ry has sung the praises of the enlighten-
ed few, but History is a sterner monitor
and she raises her voice and warns us as
We value our liberty and our political
existence TO seek out the amelioration
and improvement of the many. The
French Revolution Of 179S, stands as a
solemn and terrible example Of an ex-
pertinent toward freedom conducted by
the enlightened few-while the great
mass of the people remained sunk in
ignorance and moral debasement. II
has not been left for me to portray the
reign of terror. It stands out in dark
and awful characters upon faithful his
tory, for lesson to the latest posterity
unless posterity shall refuse TO credit
such tale of deprayity and horror, and
treat il only as an ingenious fable of an
tiquity. The stage of French affairs
throughout the period Of the Revolution,
what was it for twelve years, but great
seaffold, streaming with blood, and chok
ed up with human heads while seated
round upon II muffied in robes of black
and ankle deep in gore, sat the enlight-
ened few, Condocet, Danton, Marst, Rob
espierre, Brissot, Roland and Barrene,-
presiding as priests at the sacrifice, and
feasting the sense with the SAVIOR of per
petual slaughter. Let us then as we con-
gratulate ourselves on the past, the rich
ness of the present, be admonished by
the lessons of history and look well to
the future. 1t never was in the ordina-
ton of Providence or of nature, that an
ignorant people should long be free
people. With all the forms OF freedom
they become their own tyrants; and it
is not too bold to say that they may even
elect a tyrant by their own free suffrages
and serve him in his tyranny. 1t is one
of the ways in which Providence chas-
tises degenerate people, to give them
rulers after their own heart. Augustus
was praised as god, while he trampled
on the neck of Roman Liberty; and Ma
poleon, as First Consul, made his tri-
umphal entry into Paris crowned with
flowers by the hands Of beauty and cheer
ed with the plaudits Of admiring thou
sands.
Let us then no longer hog the delusion,
that in free government which is ever
the mirror of the popular mind, imaging
forth the character as well as the wishes
of the people, free constitution and an
impartial representation, are all that is
necessary for the preservation of liberty.
Virtue, intelligence and patriotism are
the great pillars on which must rest the
fabrics of republican institutions. But
these are not of spontaneous growth;
they are the work of care and culture and
it is only by fostering Of common schools
and the encouragement of all those socie-
ties and organizations, of whatever name,
which have for their object the intel
lectual and moral culture Of our youth
and the diffusion of patriotism among
our people that they can be spread as q
leaven throughout the great mass of So
ciety, and thoroughly incorporated into
the national mind. Has this great and
vital truth fallen with its full weight
upon the public mind? Is it thus acted
on by those who are the constituted guar
dia1s of the public veal by the free,
men that crowd the polls,-by our State
Legislatures,-our Governors and our
Congress About what have been the
long legislative and congressional de-
bates? What has been the great care of
legislation as shown by the public jour
nals7 The monied corporations of the
country; her projects Of physical i'm
provement, and the corporations of gi-
gantie and disastrous monopolies. Mil
lions are voted for public works and mil
lions more squsndered upon naval equip
ments and military affairs. Are these
the bulwarks which statesmen and legis-
lators provide to preserve and perpetuate
the liberties of nation? Well may we
address them with the language of He
cuba to Prism, as she saw the feeble old
King about to seize his arms for the pro-
lection Of his empire, while imperial
Troy was already sacked BY the Argive
foe and her mighty burning Redeemed all
the Aegean Ses,-"Time needs no such
assistance nor such defsnses."
Look abroad over this country, mark
her extent, her wealth, her fertility, her