The record-union., 1898-07-05

called new civilization nought but. the re-
Of Of the divine words Of the Dec are
created equal, and as. such are endowed
with certain inaliepable rights among
which are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness The true civilization that
the American people have offered to thet
oppressed of all lands, and now rislng
4 of the Declaration of Independence
throws her strong protecting arm around
those in other lands; and the glorious
banner of that civilization has been firmly.
planted and now proudly waves on foreign
| soil. the harbinger of peace to the world.
| people of the United States awake on this
| Anniversary Day to the strains OF mar
tial music, the thunder of cannon and the
/ clash of steel in armed conflict. In nun
dreds of homes in beautiful Sacramento
stands the vacant chair, which God grant
may again be filled by the loved one, who,
quick to respond to his country's call.
/ shouldered the musket, and smlllng
through the tears, with unfaltering step
| and ringing cheers, marched away on that
Sabbath day to eternal glory.
Our thoughts are with the boys IN blue
on land and sea. We look to the East
where Sampson with his guns is razing
to the earth fortresses and battlements, IN
Spanish hands, the instruments of cruelty
and savagery; where Skaters men, seal
ing the mountain tops with bayonets fixed
and saberS drawn, are driving to de-
struction the minions of an outcast ma
ton: where, beloved of his fellow men,
the hero Hobson engraved his name on
the worlds scroll of honor; where the
dying Capron, struck down in the thick
est of the battle, still had strength to say,
Don't mind me, boys; go on with the
| fight
We turn again, and look to the far
| East. where, in Manila Harbor, thirteen
Spanish ships lie beneath the waters,
potent reminders of the daring skill and
know that in two hemispheres the power
OF Spanish dominion is tottering to its fall
before the prowess of American soldiers
We tell the mighty Dons that before the
Ides of next November, the Iowa, the
| Texas and the Oregon will be belching
forth the fires of just retribution at the
very battlements of Spain; that Spanish
pride shall be humbled before the manly
valor and conquering power Of American
All hail the glorious valor of the men Of
America! All hail the fortitude the vir--
tue and the self-sacrificing bravery. of
the women of America! War is dreadful
thing, and no one feels its dire results
more than the women of the land. And
glory to the true womanhood of America
they say TO husbands, fathers, brothers,
sons, for the honor of our country, go
forth in Gods name and do valiant battle
| with the enemy And when the. war is
over, the highest, sweetest reward of vic
tory for the scar-worn veterans will be.
the loving welcome home.
strive as we may, the future fills our
| thoughts. We cannot rest upon the
glories of the past; new spurs to action,
new problem OF government confront the
| men OF to-day, and the question must be
determined whether selfishness and cow
| ei1uitS SildiI Sldllu IN the way OF the
mighty progress of the true civilization.
our national creed, our national glory !;
that selfishness that would dictate pol
| Icy OF exclusion and reserve; that selfish
ness that would declare that because
| within ourselves we are a mighty nation
IN IN war. war. culture and material resources
we must continue to remain within our
selves, and the rest of the world must
take care of itself; that selfishness that
qe hrog 70 Which God ihs led aa to
national and individual happiness; that
COW ardice that would lead US to fear the
| make an assault upon our most cherished
institutions, liberty and equality; all this
timidity. and conservatism, all this lean
ing on the past and fearing for the future
must give way as we advance along that
glorious path which our Nation must in
future tread
Our war with Spain is just; it is up
held by international law. True civiliza-
ton demanded that America intervene be-
tween Spain and the unhappy people of
The history of the barbaric atrocities
| committed by the Spanish Government
upon her colonial subjects during the last
to every nation. In 1867 the people Of
Cuba felt that their cup of bitterness was
fun to overfiowing; that death was bet
ter than dishOnor, and they appealed to
the God of battles to reach forth his pow
erful hand and stay the iniquity.
or eleven years war ragged in the fer
quer and subdue the Cuban patriots. con-
sented to reforms in the government and
war ceassed-in good faith by the Cubans.
In dishonesty by the SpaniardS.
| As time passed, the diabolical treachery
of the mother country became fully man
fest, and the last condition of that peo-
| it was not life to live, but rest to die.
We look back to the days of the revolu-
ton and call God to witness that our
cause then was just and holy. IL that
be true, then the angels in heaven must
| look down with approving smile upon the
cause Of Cuban independence, for not only
tax ton h.rt Ir1c.
| have there held almost undisputed sway.
The spirit OF their men has been degrad-
ed, the honor of their women violated.
| Three years ago the last and final strug-
| gle for liberty again began. l say final.
| because the honor and integrity of the
| United States of America is pledged to
| the end that Spanish misrule in her colo
| nies shall be wiped out, and her domin-
ion there be ended. The more than bar
barous atrocity of Spain's conduct of the
| war in Cuba is without a parallel in his
tory / will recall but one feature. Unable
| to conquer, Spain determined to eXter-
| inmate, and as result of that policy,
more than two hundred thousand inno-
cent men, women and children, herded to-
gether by Spanish soldiers have perished
by Starvation and and as 11 many more ore broken
victim of Butcher Weyler's system of re-
concentration.
In their extremity the Cuban patriots
appealed to US for help, In the name of
God and humanity. The heart of Amer
| ica's happy freemen began TO be stirred,
| and the nrSt step towards interference
was taken. President Cleveland gravely
| admonished the Spanish Government to
| take steps to speedily end the war. Upon
| a change in our political administrati ton,
President Mckinley again demanded that
the war in Cuba should cease, but with
out avail, for the destruction of innocent
lives continued greater than before. The
case of the United States for history was
| then made, for 1t is a recognized principle
of international law that Whatever q
| nation may lawfully defend for itself, it
may defend for another if called upon to
interfere"
In 1927, when Greece was attempting to
gain her Independence, Turkey, unable to
| conquer, began war of determination.
| Upon the appeal of Greece, England,
France and Russia intervened and COM
| PEELED Turkey to withdraw her armies,
and finally the Independence of Greece
| was acknowledged. But even if our
course is not fully justified by interna-
| tional law, 1t is justified by the law of
humanity. International law Is but a
matter of growth, and our country is
strong enough and brave enough to add
something to ii and make new rules, if
such course should become necessary on
behalf of civilization.
But the devilish ingenuity of the Span
ish character had not yet been fully
fathomed. On the 18th day of February
| last when our stately battleship, the
Maine, lying peacefully at anchorage pro-
vided by Havana officials, was, either di-
| rectly or by the connivance of the Span
ish Government, destroyed and the lives
link between peace and war was broken.
| With mastery patience and prudence.
| President Mckinley piloted the nation
| through the trying days that followed.
and the world now recognizes the wisdom
of his course. Fate had decreed that the
@.,11 i,