The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-23

fiftieth classes to graduate from Holy
Cross.
At Has o'clock, when four of the es-
says had been read, his eXcellency, ROg
er Wolcott, governor of Massachusetts,,
drove up and was accorded a rousingre-
ception and applause from students and
audience alike.
Another phase of the days exercises
was that which followed upon the
awarding of the degrees and diplomas,
in the form OF banquet of the alumni
and students of the old refectory so
familiar to all Holy Cross men. This
was the, last exercise of the day and
during it every one present took occa-
sion to pay a last tribute to the grand
old man of Holy Cross, Bishop Healy,
whose health was drunk standing.
Tie essays of the orators of the day
were five in number, all of which wera
of much merit and dealt with the ques-
tions of the hour. The salutatory adj
dress with grafton, America, the par
ent of liberty" was given by William
H. Leahy of Ansonia, Conn. 1t was in
part as follows:
When our ancestors, a little over a
century ago, penned their signatures
to the ever famous declaration of in
dependence, they little dreamed that
on that occasion they were laying the
corner stone of an institution which
should one day rival or even surpass
in splendor and magnifcenCe the
mighty Roman empire of the Caesars.
No one, however, will deny that such
has been the result of their labor. For
the country which began IN its exist
ence with a few small important colon
les today, stands first on the list of the
worlds great and powerful nations.
Then Rome held the proud distinc-
ton of being the wealthiest ration on
the face of the earth; now without eX-
ception that great honor is given to
our own thriving republic. Rome was
mistress of the sea, and on land was
mightiest of the mightest; America en-
both land and sea knows no superior,
and, judging from her long list of vic
torious wars which stand untarnished
by a single defeat, even Europeans
must confess that she has none.
There is, however, this difference
between the worlds mistress OF 20 CEN
turtles ago and the mistress of today,
and in this difference lies the secret
of the downfall of one and the tri-
umphant onward march of the Other,
that while Rome was built on the
treacherous and unstable foundations
of slavery and bondage, America rests
securely on the solid and uncOrrupti-
BILE foundation of liberty. Not that ILL.,
erty which to some is but another
name for license, lawlessne5s and an
archy, but that true liberty which,
while it gives life, also looks carefully
to the protection of those rights.
1t was 20 show the world that men
have not yet ceased to love their lib
erty that in 1916 the colonies Of AmeTi-
ca hurled from their necks the heavy
yoke with which England had for 50
long a time been weighing them down.
The lGgEnn than Ta1phT how
ever, soon forgotten and as a result in
1872, proud England was again forced
to acknowledge herself Yanquished,
and has since then scrupulously avoid
ed picking a quarrel with the much
hated yet dangerous Yankee.
Her own liberty secured, America set
about securing the liberty of its neigh
bors, And in 1916, when the powers of
Europe were combining for purposes by
no means peaceful to our interests, she
sent forth the renowned Monroe doc
trine. Strange to say this doc
trine, issued by nation not
yet attained TO the age of
manhood, instead of arouslng all Eu
rope against US, had the wonderful eff
feet of preventing the most sensible
power from interfering in western con-
tinental affairs. France, however, was
indisoreet enough TO attempt a defiance
VI AlllS ptIN4dll4iAlOA4f am Abl n NiiAAN
Mexico seemed doomed to live out her
days in bondage. But upon being
forcibly reminded of her mistake, the
erring culprit lost no time in with
drawing her troops and falling back
into her proper position.
England, a few years ago, thinking
the old doctrine had been laid aside
never to be again revived, considered
herself safe in acting as she showed
| toward weak Venezuela. But the true
| American spirit was far from being
! cast in the background, and the world
| fairly trembled at the thought of the
two English-speaking peoples coming
| together.
Though America was jealous for her
| own as we'll as for her neighbors' free
| dom, she still permitted within her
| borders a crime against humanity. For
| the history of her entire existence, pre-
! vious TO 1854, though respondent in
| some parts with deeds done in the name
| Of liberty was nevertheless blackened
| by the awful curse of slavery. But
| luckily for the cause Of freedom there
We're not wanting noble souls who loved
! their liberty above all else, and who
| were willing to sacrifice everything
| rather than see their fellow men en-
| shaved. As a final result of their mag
| nificent efforts, we have the glorious
| emancipation proclamation issued in
| 1864 by the patriot and martyred pres
| ident, Abraham Lincoln. That procla-
nation is one Of the brightest pages Of
| American history, and more than
serves to illumine the darkness Of the
| preceding 80 years. And on that proc
| lamation as much as on any of her
| former achievements America may well
rest her claim to the apDellation par
| ent Of liberty"
| In the stirring events of the past year
| the United States has still further
| strengthened her right to that title.
| For with everything TO lose and prac-
tically nothing TO gain. she braved the
wrath of all Europe by taking upon
/ herself the task dangerous in the
extreme of lifting from downtrodden
Cuba the cruel yoke of Spanish op-
preston. At the call Of the president
| the youth Of the land FASTENED to con-
| secrate their very lives to the cause
| which all held dead. and against Of
Tending Spain was hurled the mighty
| thunderbolt of war, which brought to