The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-18

luuohs OUR Our Father!' "Our Father
SAID the noble. "Our Father" prayed the peas
ant. "Our Father" prayed both prince and
peasant. Then if he is the father of both, the
prince ana nc the peasant must be brothers. Thus
the Ol9 w orld on Its knees was praying Its way
toward Bunker Hill-toward that nobler esti-
mate OF man which America would give to the
world.
Events had moved on in England, religious
and civil movements had taught her the worth
and the power of Parliaments as a check TO
royal aggression: England had heard the
voices OF Pym and Hampden, speaking IN the
name OF power greater than that OF nobility;
she had telt the mighty spirit of Cromwell and
heard the thunder of Marston Moor. Then
England knew that the power of the people
without the throne is mightier than that OF
the throne without the people. [Applause.l
she saw the King whom the people hated. over
throw by the untitled Cromwell whom II the E
people loved. Then England learned that
what the people really want and agree upon
they can have, in spite of Kings. [Applause.I
up. The colonies were all listening when
Hampden told Parliament that "to resist the
King is sometimes the duty of the citizen.
1t when the Pilgrims landed. She believed it
When the foundations of the commonwealth
were laid. She taught it by her tiresidesfn her
churches, her schools and her college until
that great day when the voices of her eloquent
sons proclaimed it to the world. Sam Adams,
while still in his teens, said the same thing In
his graduating Grafton in the very presence OF
the royal Governor. Events moved rapidly on
mere were popular gatherings ana popular
resolutions. The cradle Liberty was working.
Royal aggression was more and more insolent.
Already the political atmosphere was athrob
with the electricity of coming storms.
Across the sea there were great men who saw
and who affirmed in Parliament the justice OF
the American cause. Edmund Burke pro-
nounced in her behalf such an grafton as Par
lament had never heard before. Charles
James Fox exclaimed: "Open the port OF Bos-
ton or you will drive the Americans into re-
bellionp William Pitt, with splendid elo-
quence and real craftsmanship, said: "lnstead
OF exciting unconditional submission from the
colonies we ought to give them unconditional
redress Isaac Barre. in Parliamentary
speech of great power, characterized the pa
trlots as 'sons of hberty'-a name at once
adopted by the immortal band which met In
Faneuil Hall.
On this side of the sea there were great pa
tr1ots whose eloquence thrilled the colonies
James Otis, ardent, able, heroic; John Hancock,
who became the first President OF the CONT
mental Congress; John Adams, who was to be
the second President of the United States; Ben
adopted son of Pennsylvania, whose powerful
pen and voice made him one of the most con-
splcuous figures OF the revolutionary era.
Patrick Henry OF Virginia added bis power
full voice, saying: 81 am no longer Virginian,
am an American" But easily chief in this
band of patriot leaders was that son of Massa-
chusetts whom Pitt called ''the greatest states
man of his age" the man who through all that
stormy period led the counsels of Faneuil Hall,
shaped the colonial legislation and laid the
foundations of the American Congress, the
man who faced the British commander and
forced him to withdraw the troops from Boston,
the man under whose splendid leadership that
little New England town became the hope OF
the world, the parliament OF man." That
great leader was Samuel Adams. [Applause.1
He foresaw the conflict. He welcomed it.
And now, on the eve of it, history discloses
another immortal name linked with his on
the Committee OF Correspondence. 1t is that
of the young, ardent and lofty Joseph Warren,
soon consecrate the soil OF Bunker Hill, who
fell saying, at is sweet to die for my country"
The hour had come for the birth. of a new
nation and for the complete establishment OF
civil and religious liberty therein.
The hour had come which, in the presence OF
the civilized world would test the spirit Of
those noble men whose defiance of tyranny in
vited the conflict Sam Adams had said
"Our fathers came here to escape from kings;
let us get along without them. Independent
we are and independent we will beP' He had
saidit and Faneuil Hall had rocked with ap-
plause. Would they stand to it? All the
heroic achievements of the past were vocal
with the great inquiry. The martyr blood OF
many ages-from the rich fields of Europe, OF
Florence, of Constance, of Smithfeld-cried
out saying: 80, heroes of the New World,
stand fastP' Into that issue went all the tears
in bondage. Into that issue went all the
martyr blood that had been shed.
Into it the heroic. struggles of the
| and the splenid victories of Cromwell. The
contests of the ages were to be fought over. 1t
was for that little band on Bunker Hill to say
w
through the ages, should be handed back to
feudalism.
These heroic men answered the question.
| They answered for themselves and all man.
| kind. In the words of Kossuth, they answered
in ga conflict destined to change the character
of human governments and the condition of
| the human race"
| Kings and despots, tyrants and masters
heard the answer, which said mo slaves will
ever answer roll call at the foot of Bunker Hill
monument" [Great applause.l
And so it came to that before the sun
went down on that battlefield new Nation
| had been born.
would be declared; a constitution would issue
These were necessary formalities. But our Ma
| ton was born that day when Joseph Warren
| and his fellow patriots consecrated with their
blood the soil of Bunker Hill.
These are some of the historic elements
| which enter into that conflict which con-
| tribute aff1uence and significance to the noble
monument which marks the spot where it was
| Waged.
| But have said that every great monument
has its prophecy as truly as its history What
of the prophecy here? In that day Of revolu-
! ton and prophecy this vast territory had, all
told, less than four millions of people. To-day
are the response of humanity to the heroic
baptism of Bunker Hill They do not mean that
| the Englishman is unmindful of his native
| land, but that he loves liberty. They do not
| mean that the Irishman loved the green fields
of Erin less, but he loved freedom more. They
mean that the jewellers in far-off Norway and
sweden nave learQ the 1nVltatlOn OF freedom.
They are still coming.
/ hear the tread Of pioneers,
OF empires yet to be,
The first low wash of waves Where soon
VIII roll mighty sea-
We want them to come-but only on condi-
ton that they will love America better than
any other land; that they will defend its insti-
buttons against all foes; that they win honor
the stars and stripes before any other flag.
[Great applause.l
Yonder, where the Rhine mirrors the crumb-
ling ruins of a broken feudaiism, and yonder
where the Tiber rolls by the ruined Coliseum,
and yonder where the lofty peaks of the Hima-
layas lift their white heads in Orient sky
everywhere the story of successful free govern
ment is known. That great fact is John the
Baptist crying in all the wildernesses of human
oppression, Prepare the way Said petty
Prince of India few years ago, "Tell the
Queen of England we are willing she should
govern, but only so long as she governs justly"
That was notice duly served on the imperial
crown. That satrap had read, Governments
derive their just powers from the consent OF
the governed"
| A cOlored preacher whose church was in
! process of repairs, and who desired to fresco
the pulpit recess, told his congregation, "Bred-
rem, you'se bleeged to keep on gibbin' and a
| gibbln' till dis yere abcess am fricaseed."
| lLaughter.1 the fresco brush of freedom is on
the ceiling of the world. Kings and thrones
must keep on giving and giving till the whole
| concave is covered with the sublime art OF