Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-06-30
BRYAN ON THE WAR.


The war views of a man whom so large
portion of our countrymen supported.
and yet support, for the Presidency, are
important to all the people of the Union,
from President Mckinley down the
war is matter OF the whole great country,
and not merely of political party.
Especially as Mr.. Bryan has enlisted in
the conflict, and it is said will be sent with
his large regiment to the most remote point
in the worldwide field of operations will
his opinions upon this subject be read with
special interest at this time, and by his
supporters and political opponents alike.
We therefore quote, below, from his first
public utterance on the purposes of the
war, called from him in an address he
ion of the dedication of the Nebraska
Building at the great Trans Mississippi
Exposition last week at Omaha.
OF course he makes not even a remark
on the plans Ut conduct of the war like
every patriot soldier he puts himself I'M
quesiioningly at the command of the
chosen Commander-in-C Chief and his coun-
selors. But Mr.. Bryan, as leading citi-
zen and leader of great party, properly
expresses and with his accustomed clear
ness and plainness = his opinions -
of what is the grand and the
only purposes of the war, for country and
humanity, in which he was one of the
promptest to offer his name, his rare abili-
ties of body and mind, and the jeopardy of
his life and the happiness of a much-loved
family.
We quote from his speech at Omaha on
the great State occasion. He said =
"War is harsh; it is attended by hard
ships and suffering; it means a vast ex
peDditure of men and money. We may
well pray for the coming of the time.
promised in holy writ, when the spears
shall be beaten into pruning hooks and
the swords into plow-shares but uDiver-
sal peace cannot come until Justice is
enthroned throughout the world. Jehovah
deals with nations as he deals with men,
and for both DEGREES that the wages of sin
is death. Until this right has triumphed
in every land and love reigns in every
heart, government must as a last resort
appeal to force. As long as the oppressor
is deaf to the voice of reason, so long
must the citizen sccustom his shoulder to
the musket and his hand to the sabre.
"Our nation exhausted diplomacy in its
efforts to secure peaceful solution of the
Cuban question, and took up arms when it
was compelled to choose between war and
servile acquiescence in cruelties which
would have been disgrace to barbarism.
History will indicate the position thus
taken by the United States in the war
with Spain. In saying this, I assume
that the principles which were invoked in
the Inauguration of the war will be
observed in its prosecution and conclusion
If contest undertaken for the sake of
humanity degenerates into a war for con-
quest, we shall find it difficult to meet the
charge of having added hypocrisy to greed.
Is our national character SO weak that we
cannot Withstand the temptation to appro-
pirate the first piece of land that comes
within our reach !?
"TO inflict upon the enemy all the pos
sible harm is legitimate warfare, but shall
we contemplate a scheme for the COLOMBIA
ton of the Orient merely because our feet
won remarkable victory in the harbor of
Manila?
"Our guns destroyed a Spanish feet, but
can they destroy that self evident truth
that Governments derive their just powers
NOT from force-but from the consent of
the governed ?
Shall we abandon just resistance to
European encroachment upon the Western
hemisphere, in order to mingle in the con-
troversies of Europe and Asia
Nebraska, standing midway between
the oceans, will contribute her full share
toward the protection of our seacoast her
sons will support the flag at home and
abroad, wherever the honor and the inter
ests of the nation may require. Nebraska
will hold up the hands of the Government
while the battle RACES, and when the war
clouds roll away, her voice will be heard
pleading for the maintenance of those ideas
which inspired the founders of our Govern
ment aud gave the nation its proud emf
nence among the nations of the earth
If others turn to thoughts of aggradize-
ment, and yield allegiance to those who
cl0the land covetousness in the attractive
garb of national destiny, the people of
Nebraska will, if l mistake not their senti-
ments, plant themselves upon the dis
claimer entered by Congress, and expect
that good faith shall characterize the
making of peace as it did the making of
war; Goldsmith calls upon statesmen
ITO judge how wide the limits stand
Betwixt a splendid and happy land
eff some dream of the spIendors of
Heterogeneous empire encirciling the globe,
we shall be content to aid in bringing
enduring happiness to homogeneous peo-
pie, cousecrated to the purpose of maintain.
ing government of the people, by the
people and for the people,"