The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-11
II CITIZENS FAITHFUL
TO COUNTRY AND LIBERTY.

TO COUNTRY AND LIBERTY.
1t is manifest to the reader of news
papers and the observer of passing
events that a very decided majority
Of the white people of our country are
not yet enamored Of Mckinley militar-
ism and republican imperialism. The
American people will not willingly sur
render their principles, their love of
liberty. their rights and privileges un-
der the constitution at the crack of
the governmental whip or under the
false inspiration and cheap gush of the
newspaper organs of the present cor
rupt and vicious party in power. There
are people all over the land who were
swept ava by the cry against Spain
and to avenge the destruction of the
Maine, but who never favored a war
waged upon mere sympathy for Cuba.
This class now regrets hat in the light
of subsequent events it ever yielded to
the enticements of the hour and ever
agreed to war upon the Spaniards I'M
der the Specious plea Of the Mckinley
gang. There has been so much that
was ruinOus and rascally in the man.
agement, and such a perversion of
principle has followed success that they
are disguised most thoroughly. Then
there is a great class that never favor
ed war, and as militarism under Nc
Kinley has raised it's horrid front,
they are more than ever wedded to
peace and opposed from first to last of
wars of conquest, and oftrying to shoot
civilization and Christianity CD into
the Philippines who believe that they
have the same rights now that The
Americans had when they turned
rebels and fought John Bull for seven
years for the privilege of taxing them
selves and having the right of choice
in who shall govern them
There is danger to American liberty
whenever there is a large standing
army. The patriots, the statesmen,
the great men who favored the consti-
tuition of our country were utterly
against any great standing army.
Do you know that it is only a little over
200 years since England had a stand
ing army? Although an Important po-
litical and national power in Europe
for a. thousand years, the English peo-
pie were afraid of a standing army,
and most wisely so. The great instrt-
ment for the subversion af government
they knew was an army of disciplined
soldiers. The safety and p~erpetulty pr
free institutions find no; guarantee II
standing armies. A real republic must
rely upon it's people-intelligent, libe-
ty loving, united, brave-and upm
what is known as citizen soldiers
We recall that in 1916, we heard Danfl
Webster eulogiZe American "citizn
soldiers in a brief speech at Ralelg.
No free people a any need OF q
large standing army and should MT
tolerate one. There are 100000 |
men in this country capable OF bearlg
arms. They have shown to the worl
that they are as brave as any moder !
soldiers whatever. Fighting for thei
country-for a free government, fd
home affairs and the domestic fire.
they are invincible n would defy Eu
rope. But with $4,000 armed men ~
this LAND of the free" the beginnin
would have been made for change, fd
new forces in the republic for aspirin
and reckless demagogues, and foI
chieftains who believe in mi1itarism,
strong government. an empire. Whdl
sane. we'll balanced. patriotic lover d
his country and his people and civil
and religious liberty can possibly de-
sire in his soul that an empire shou4
take the place of a government Of TIL
people, of a republic, and that a mil
itarism should dominate and overaW
and subvert the very foundations 4
liberty? |.
No one ever heard sensible, patrt
otto people clamoring for military ruiz
foreign conquests and the setting VI
of an empire, until the Mckinley gan
of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES in power b
cOTTuDIlOu"SOl pUSJcSSloIl u Xix 1Al1lC4
lean government and began Its wa-
| upon peoples of other lands, and It'd,
foolish, destructive idea of imperial.
ism by conquest got possession Of IT,
political traitors and crankS. l.,
Let us copy a letter here from tAi
National Waterman. The words copidi
are words of wisdom, of ponderends
of patriotism. 1t says: IT
A imperial or colonial policy alo{s
= 4 49, 4xo- r,olyo ~ nnaa.-aSI
for the United States to maintain IN
| large military establishment. fe
( Soldiers are not needed for the legftl
innate ends of our republic, n it bt
| we'll tina our people should let til
| fact sink deep into their souls that
| large military establishment will neV
be created for the purpose of extef
| ing our colonial possessions and guar
ing them without in the end bel
| used for Legitimate purposes at hoIti
| The ideas of empire n republic th
| not assimilate in the mind. They he
antagonistic and only one of them Nn
/ prevail in the end. I'll
1.-The republic is safe and liberty ln'
cure until a large armed force is On
thoriZed by and establish
as a permanent part of the machine r
/ of government. . 1t was a grdk N
/ spectacle to see the ex-soldiers of Il,
| north and the south lay down thu
arms and take up b peaceful pursd| n
OF a great civilized n progressive Il,
| ton. L.
1.-The Roman republic was invincl n
/ for centuries under its citizen soldia -
| but when it's soldiers were compo IN
| of the homeless and familyless, VIII "a
| interests were detached from thoseaya
the people, militarism superseded ot
| republic, liberty WIS lost n the gIko
Roman republic gave way to an $r
| pire which swept on to its DOOM" ns
There are great dangers wrapt I
in an important policy and the a