Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1897-09-21

will go up from the throats of sixty mil
lions OF people howl that will shake our
country as never before. As the waters
of the Mississippi are carried by such
tremenduous force into the gulf, when the
river Is on . rampage, so will the wave OF
public indignation sweep over this coun-
try, carrying everything before it, even
the principles upon which it rests until at
last it will sink into oblivion, and on the
wreck Of our once proud nation will be
written this epitaph; Killed by its own
folly in protecting Itself when there was
no danger"
Perhaps some will say drilled soldiers
are needed to fight against men versed in
the arts Of war, in case one arising be-
tween Us and an European nation
There is no way of judging the future
but by the past, and Judging by the past.
let US see how our soldiers have compared
with those of other nations. During our
revolution we fought the trained soldiers
of our mother country and gained our in
dependence. Again in 1872 we conquer
ed against the finest drilled men of Eu-
rope How was it in MeNieo2 Victorious
again. and so it has been all the way
through, and yet we have never had a
large standing army. Our fathers found
il useless, and one of the complaints in
the declaration of Independence was that
a large standing army was imposed upon
them by George the Third. Are we less
independent than they, when our country
: -, arr1 rs
population nearly Twenty-Five times
greater, and with it all are we to have
just what they fought against? Have we
who have descended from those men who
fought and gave up their lives 1t Bunker
Hill, at Saratoga, and at Guilford court
house. degenerated so that now when we
are strong we become towards and afraid
of those countries our fathers conquered
We do not want war, and it should be
the duty of every Christian man to avoid
it, bat should it come there will be men
found trusting in the God Of battles and
in the righteouncss OF their cause to fight
their country's battles. The true victor
is he who controls himself, and so it is
with a nation. The government which
avoids war and lives in peace with all
men is the truly great and glorious one.
Then let our country take the lead in
this. May she show to all the world her
greatness and glory by avoiding blood
shed; tor the true greatness OF nationsis
not to be found in extent of territory, nor
in vastness of population, nor in wealth,
nor in Notifications, armies or navies:
not in .he phosPhorescent glare Of the
field of battle, not in Golgothas, though
covered with monuments that kiss the
clouds: for all these are the creatures
and representatives OF those qualities Of
our nature which are unlike anything in
Gods nature. It's true greatness consists
of this equal justice to all. peace and pro-
lection under our laws, good will to men.
Let the true grandeur of our country be
discerned in the blessings it has secured,
in the good it has accomplished, in the
triumphs OF Justice and benevOlence, and
in the establishing of perpetual peace and
as the cedars of Lebanon are higher than
the grass of the valley; as the heavens
are higher than the earth; rs man than
the beasts OF the field as the angels are
higher than man as he that ruleth his
spirit IS higher than he who taketh
city. 50 are the virtues and victories of
peace higher than the virtues and VIC
tories Of war