Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-02
ne hearts and minds OF the people Of the

the hearts and minds Of the people Of the
united colonies.
He had recited what had ralready been
accomplished in the struggle for freedom
when the Declaration of5Independence was
adopted. Washington had been made com
Elander-in-chief Of the armies: Boston had
been evacuated; Ethan Allen'and his brave
Green mountain boys had accomplished I'M
dying fame. 1t was not declaration of
war, for war was already earnest and aw
full. 1t was the fufillnient OF the solemn
purpose that had for Years obeen seeking
expression in New England and Virginia.
The colonies were 1J0 tyears old. They
were English in name and origin, but there
was no deep-seated attachment for thA
mother country. Americanism was already
rooted in every heart. 1t would have hard
ly been possible for a person to love q
country 5000 miles away because his great
grandfather had been born there.
Defense of the Colonies.
The speaker recited tn an interesting way
the political accomplishments in England to
the struggle of the colonies, and described
how the greatest of English statesmen
Burke and Chatham, defended thu rights of
the colonies. He called attention to the re-
cent statements of Joseph Chamberlain that
England had lost her American colonies by
req son Of blunders, and of the Duke of De-
vonshire, that If a wise colonial policy had
been followed England would have had
them yet. With fine effect he dismissed
these declarations as erroneous, and was
applauded when he said that even on spec
tacular occasions England found it difficult
TO give picture of imperial unity, and de-
cared that If she treated her colonies to-
day as dependencies instead of independent
and. 80
Returning to the Declare ton, Mr. Dolliver
said the Independence Of the United States
was very far under way before it was pro-
claimed.
THE colonies had instructed their repre-
sentatives in the Continental Congress to
press the subject to settlement. 1t had been
considered in all its phases, and he con-
tinusd, with grim bumor, cit had been dis
cusSed under parliamentary rules that have
disappeared everywhere else in the world
except in the Senate of the United States"
The country was already in war and con-
fronted with alarming problems. The Con-
tinental Congress did nothing for the
al mics in the field; there vera all sorts Of
schemes In progress to bring the war to a
close by compromise or absolute surrender.
WashihEtOn's Moral Supremacy.
Zone supreme factor stood between
these elements and the course of freedom -
he exclaimed, 1.-The moral supremacy of
George Washington. He was more than a
statesman; he was more than a soldier.
He was an inspired patriot who had al
| ready seen with prophetic vision the future
he raised another one; he would fight or
he would retreat, and he was absolutely
without fear. He declared that if he were
deserted he would take his little band of
devoted patriots to the mountains of Au-
! gusta county, Va, and fight the war for
| freedom as long as life lasted. If Wash
| iEgton had given up or compromised the
cause would have been put back fifty years.
HIS glorious personality lifted the strug--
Cling revolution above everything, and
course of human events"
The history of that period, declared Mr..
| Dolliver, should be made 40 large part of
| the daily education. Educators should give
| mere attention to 1t.
Children in their cradle he exclaimed,
should be taught the Rfanfpg and the sig
njficance Of the flag, So that If they are
t saed upon on In after to defend IN
for it. cherishing their first recollections OF
childhood"
i The advanced studies, wef fs not enough
for, for education The clsssc5 the pnlloso
| were not SO important as the history of
| our country
What the Youth Should Learn.
What is needed. he,asafdY is that our
youth should be taught what American
statesmen have done; WhataAHnerican sol
diers have done: whatIAmerican women,
| the sweet fnspirationseoof the home and
| hreside, have done, to give this great d.
| vine thing ren call their, country a place
| among nations. Continuing, Mr.. Dolllver
paid erudite attention to the Constitution.
| quoting Gladstone's expression that no
such perfect thing had ever been produced
In given time by the brain and purpose
| of man, and described how both the Decla-
| ration and the Constitution had to fight for
/ their lives.
He gave an interesting sketch Of the vi
clssitudes they passed through. and dwelt
at length on the subject Of slavery. Our
fe retailers had demanded in the Declare
| ton not actual equality, but equal rights.
/ mon were in bondage. Saying that the con.
! science and the climate Of the north were
both opposed to slavery, he recited the
| various phases of The controversies leading