The Saint Paul globe., 1898-07-04
A Time for Reflection.

Viewed in any light whatsoever, the
dependence should be approached with
a livelier sense of it's true meaning
than has been experienced during re-
cent years. For the first time in an
entire generation, the anniversary
which, more than any other in our ma
tional calendar, appeals to every Amer
lean for proper degree Of apprecia-
ton of the blessings of liberty we en-
joy finds the country's flag floating,
not only above the freshly modelled
graves, but even over the, as yet, un-
buried corpses of many of the brave
sons of the republic who have just
fallen in the midst of battle. Through
out the land the customary festivities
Of the period are in progress; but,
mingling with every patriotic outburst
Of JOY and merrment everywhere, are
the groans Of our wounded and dying
soldiers, whose fresh, young blood is
even now staining with its crimson
tints the rank verdure and flltering
through the rich soil Of distant Cuba.
Is it not appropriate for thoughtful
the purposes for which this sacrifice
is being wrought?
what is Cuba to us or what are we
to Cuba, that the children of this ma
tion's mothers should today be bat
Ting and dying in that palm and rose
embowered, but famine-strick and
pest-ridden country? Are we our broth
er's keeper that We should engage in
his brofls and assume to become the
arbiter of his fate before the nations
of the earth? Are we so fond of con-
tention that we should seek to gro
tesquely display our prowess before the
people Of the world after the fashion of
a conceited bully in a community Of
hoodlums? Is 1t for such a perform
ance as this that we have been re-
hears1ng during more than a century
of enjoyment of that blessed boon
which is styled liberty? Are our young
men marching forth to war under q
banner which bears upon it's face the
emblems of purity and virtue, while it's
reverse side is ugly with the tracings
OF wicked truth which tells Of con-
cea1ed purposes, of false pretenses, Of
worldly conquest? If these are the
vileiy selfish purposes for which these
sacrifices are now being made, this
young republic must henceforth stand
alone as a monstrosity Of ignominv.
inviting the just contempt of every peo-
pie under the sun. And yet, how close
ly together are the lines which we
have ourselves drawn between the
exalted pedestal Of honor and the
chasm which descends only to perpetuaI
infamy!
II strictly pursued to it's ending, in
accordance with the principles upou
which 1t was begun, the present war
between the United States and Spain
is the most sublime undertaking. on
the part of the United States. of which
history has any record. The War of
the Rebellion, resulting in the eman-
clpat1on of the slaves within our ter
ritory, cannot be admitted to compar-
fson in this regard with the war which
exists today. That conflict was one of
economics, as applied to our own peo-
pie. Slavery was a disease upon the
body polite which was eating out the
national life. Its very existence justly
caused US to be classified as a nation
of Pharisees and hypocrites. Until the
evil was eradicated we were not q
country OF free men. Our flag was, in
very fact, "a Haunting lie;;" and with
out being first purified of its unholy
stains, in the blood of it's own peonle.
shed in self-immolation and MARTYR
dom, 1t would not have been a. fit or
proper emblem with which to lead in
nation is now bent.
For the first time in it's history that
flag waves above an invading army
of Americans whose purpose it is to
secure for another people that tri-
umph over tyranny which they have
proved too weak to secure for them
selves. Behind that flag is a great
nation, the hearts of whose citizens
are beating in an incompatible uni
son of desire for the triumph of the
cause which has thus been undertake
en-. The anniversary of the birth of
that nation is at hand, and it's recur-
renee serves to remind us of that other
era in the history Of this world when
I n
volved in a struggle equally desperate
with that in which Cuba is now en-
gagged. Is it not appropriate for us
to try, ourselves, to fathom the
thoughts of those heroes with respect
to any nation, coming at that time
to their relief and rescue, possessed of
a sinister design for the SUBSEQUENT
conquest Of the very land and the
very people they were striving to set
free?
Let every American citizen hug
more closely to his bosom today his
country's flag with a calm sense of
confidence that neither in pursuance
of a false inspiration on the part of
the people nor under the Intoxicating
inf1uerce Of their triumph in a holy
cause will that emblem ever be per-
mitted to misrepresent their noblest
impulses or those deeper-grounded
principles which form the basis of the
nations honor.