The record-union., 1898-07-05

common rejoicing. No man should take
advantage of position given him to-day
to argue his side of disputed questions,
what he considers political ills. 1t is no
day for mere critics and fault-dnders-no
day for professiona! reformers. Is no
day for those who have not full faith in
our form of government and in the en-
durance of American liberty 1t is no
day for the stirrer-up of discomfort, whose
mission is to undermine the confidence OF
our people in their free institutions, and
in their rulers whom they themselves Sc
lect. 1t is no day for the pessimist-that
who believes that whatever is is wrong.
and who is perpetually chagrined because
other people don't seem to realze that
they ought to be unhappy.
To-day let all such malcontents pc
silent, and keep away from the public
ublant aals IS Who ars orthodSx
levers in the political religion that, is
symboized by the flag of the Republic
and u, no other guests are expected o Hn1s Inn
for self -glorifcation, for hurrahs! And
be not afraid, fellow citizens, that any
orator will too fervidly portray the glory
aggeratiOn. There has meyer been an
other country like this. Follow back, in
mental contemplation, the pathway of
history; marshal before you all the ma
tions which have appeared and diSap-
peared along its course, as Well as those
now in existence; and point out one, If
you can, equal to yours in all the elements
of strength and splendOr and liberty
which make US a great, strong. grand,
free people.
Your flag represents country vaster
in its territorial possessions. and richer
IN independent resources or prosperity
and wealth, than was. that Of old Rome
in her best days. mightler in military
power than Great Britain ever was, or is;
and yet freer-with her freedom better
grounded, and more securely built in with
the structure of her civil and political
institutions-than any other nation that
ever had an organized government among
men, The love of such country cannot
be too often manifested, or expressed in
language too pronounced or too tri-
umphant
We are engaged in a foreign war Spain
was once a leading nation. She was the
home of chivalry. and the scene of the
stored deeds of the knight-errant. In
the days of the CrusadeS she was one of
the most valiant defenders of the Cross
against the Saracens on the plains of
Palestine; although afterwards she be-
came a most cruel suppressor of free re-
igious thought and worship. Her people
had a measure of liberty under her an
cient institutions, which they lost when
they allowed the purse and the sword
to be united in the hands of her kings.
Her colonial possessions were immense
and an -, her powerful but cruel monarch.
that he swayed a scepter over an empire
on which the sun never set. She is still
mo-, no ,insgnieant sign foe She is entitled to
her conduct may justify. But that bar
barrie inhumanity which has characterized
her for centuries has made this war un-
avoidabe She has written her doom
with her own blood-stained hand. The
result is certain the courses of the
stars. We may meet with some reverses
but whoever undertakes to stand in hos
tile array against that flag, must in the
end go down before it in ignomy and
defeat
I have trespassed too long on your time,
and have only one word more to say. A
man honestly and conscientiously disap-
proves a war in which his country is en-
gagged, has the right, no doubt, to advo-
cate measures looking towards an hon.
orable peace. But he who, in the midst
OF such a war, advises our young men
not to volunteer as soldiers, so that our
brave armies at the front, through want
of adequate reinforcements, may be un-
able to Withstand the enemy and thus
the defeat of our arms and the surrender
OF our flag may compel dishonorable
peace, is traitor to his country and de-
serves to be banished beyond her borders.
READING THE DECLARATION.
L. M. Heffron then read the Declara-
tion Of Independence in an impressive
manner and a clear voice that reached
the whole audience. He was greeted
with cheers.
The next thing on the programme
was the singing of Keller's American
Hymn by Miss Carrie Roma, magnifi-
Gently done, and she received an ova-
ton as she finished.