The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-16

ana gu 1,,1srican patriot will forever re-
e'e' 4, Is no small indemnity for the cost
Of war
Nation IndivisibIe.
,,.s sovernnent has proved itself in
- in the recent war. and out Of it
me a nat on which will remain in
la' ..i1,I. forevermore. No more worthy
o'Il+'t.5ttons have been made in patriot
md in men than by the people of
FL f. southern states. When at last the
"lrtunity came, they We're eager TO
IT, and with promptness responded
ts ,9ll of the country. Entrusted with
abe leadership of men dear to them,
-., had marched with their fathers under
a,ora,r dag, now fighting under the old
a., again they have glOrious4y helped
s+tud its spOtless folds and added new
,rs+ra 10 its shining stars. That Tag has
Zen planted in two hemispheres, and
here il remains, the symbol of liberty and
law OF peace and progress. Who will
withdraw from the people over whom it
e5,ts It's protecting folds? Who will haul
1t down?
The victory We celebrate is not that of
q ruler. a President or a Congress, but of
tbe people The army whose vaor We
admire and the navy whose achievements
uq applaud, We're not assembled by draft
or CONSUMPTION. but from voluntary enlist
mont The heroes came from civil well
a-ml.ilary life. Trained and unframed
soldiers wrought our triumphs.
serious Work Ahead.
THE peace we have won is not a sell
fish truce of arms, but one whose condi-
tions presage good 90 humanity. The
domains secured under the treaty yet to
he acted upon by the Senate, came to us
moi as the result of a crusade of conquest,
hut as The reward of temperate, faithful
and fearless response to the call Of con-
science. which could not be disregarded by
Ii5ertv-loVing and Christian people.
I'VE have so borne ourselves in the con-
fcr and in our intercourse with the pow
ers of he woTld as to escape complaint of
complication. and give universal conf
dence of our high purpose and unselfsh
sacrifices for struggling peoples
THE task is not fulfilled. Indeed, it is
only Just begun. The most serious work
is stlI before us and every energy of
heart and mind must be bent, and the i'm
pulses of craftsmanship subordinated, to its
faithful execution. This is the time for
earnest, not faint, hearts.
New occasions teach new duties To
this nation and to every nation there
comes formative periods in its life and his
tory. New conditions can be met only by
new methods. Meeting these conditions
hoosfully and facing them bravely and
wisely. is to be the mightiest test of Amer
lean virtue and capacity. Without aban-
doning past limitations, traditions and
principles, but by meeting political oppor-
unties and obligations, we shall show
ourselves worthy of the great trust which
civilization has imposed upon us.
struggle for Human Rights.
AT Bunker Hill liberty was at stake;
Il, 81 .,
fore Manila and Santiago our armies
fought not for gain or revenge, but for
human rights. They contended for the
freedom of the oppressed for whose welfare
The United States has never failed to lend
a helping hand to establish and uphold
and, 1 believe, never will The glories of
the war cannot be dimmed, but the result
viii be incomplete and unworthy of us I'M
less supplemented by civil victories, harder,
possible TO win, in their way. no less
INDISPENSABLE.
We will have our difficulties and our
endorsements. They follow all victories
and accompany all great responsibilities.
They are inseparabe from every great
movement or reform. But American ca
pacity has triumphed over all in the past.
Doubts have in the end vanquished. APP
parent dangers have been averted or avoid
ed, and our own history shows that prog
tNHa 4ldS come 50 udluidlly anu SNStNlly
on the heels of new and grave response
bilities, that as we look back upon the
acquisition of territory by our fathers,
we are filed with wonder that any doubt
could have existed or any apprehension
could have been felt of the wisdom of
their action or their capacity to grapple
with the then untried and mighty prob
lens
The republic Is to-day larger, stronger
and no for
wise and profitable developments in new
directions and along new lines. Even if
the minds of some of our own people are
still disturbed by perplexing and anxious
doubts, in which all of us have shared and
stll share, the genius of American civil
lzation, will, I believe, be found both Or
iginal and creative, and capable of sub
serving all the great interests which shall
be conided in our keeping.
I'VE Have Done Our Duty"
Forever in the right, following the best
impulses and clinging to high purposes
using property and within right limits
our power and opportunities. honorable re-
ward must inevitably follow. The out
come cannot be in doubt.
we could have avoided all the Difficult
ties that lie across the pathway of the
nation. If few months ago we had cold
ly ignored the piteous appeals of The
Starving and oppressed inhabitants o.
Cuba. If we had blinded ourselves TO the
conditions so near our shores and turned
deaf ear to our suffering neighbors the
issue of territorial expansion in the An
TILES and the East Indies would not have
been raised.
But could we have justified such {
course? Is there any one who would nov
declare another 10 have been the better
course? With less humanity and les
courage on our part, the Spanish fag, in
Stead of the Stars and Stripes, would
sim he floating at Cavlte, at Ponce, anC
az Santiago, and chance in the race o
life would be wanting to millions of hu
man beings who to-day call this nation
noble and who trust, viii live to call j
blessed
Thus far we have done our supreme
dirty. Shall we now, when the victory wei
IN war is written in the treaty of peace
ana The civilized world applauds and wait
H expectation, turn timidly away from
L.