St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-03-29

| 1t is not expected Wnen q Ddpy Is
taught to beware Of fire lest he burn
his fingers, that that one lesson will
will be sufficient for his whole life.
1t is expected rather that when he
becomes a man he will put away
childish things, and instead of keep
ing away from the fire in obedience
to his childish instructions, he will
build fires, yea, subdue and control
them; and it is not an imputation
upon the memory of the Father of
our Country that the advice he
gave to the little struggling infant
republic of century ago is intended
as an iron rule for the foremost power
on earth. But however this may be,
the modern notion is, that having
become the wealthiest and one of the
greatest powers in the world, we
should take the position of full
grown man among the nations. Our
commerce and our people travel over
all the waters of the globe. The no.
tion has grown and now exists that
the rights of ourcitizens be protected
everywhere; and, in case of foreign
tumult, that they be not like hunted
hare compelled to seek protection
under a French, German or English
flag, but that they may manfplly
and promptly seek the Stars and
Stripes, and under its ample folds
receive that full protection accorded
to the most favored peoples. In
hundred and twenty-three years our
republic has extended from ocean to
ocean, with selfgoverning people on
every hand. Our guns have thun-
dered at the gates of tyranny on the
further side Of the globe, and the
Philippine question is on our hands.
What shall we do with it?
II spent a night on the highest land
in New England. In the early morn
ing l was reused by gong. A sun
rise, was shouted through the halls
of the Summit House. In utter dark
ness there were hurrying feet to the
platform on the east side Of the house.
In, if possible, deeper gloom there
was waiting. Why are we up so
soon p Has some drunkard or luna
tic made a mistake ? Will it not be
time enough to see the sun rise after
the dawn And as we exchanged
these sentiments in the misty gloom,
someone said, There it isn and sure
enough, looking out through the
erebic darkness away down to the
Atlantic on the shores of Maine was
the red disk of the King of Day
slowly and majestically rising to the
horizon; but it was still dark on the
mountain, and Old Sol swung out
into the mighty arch of the heavens
and far up from the horizon before il
lighted up the world. The highest
peaks around us one after another
began to emerge from the night, ant
the light of heaven swept slowly
down their rugged sides until thu
whole surrounding surface wa.
lighted up with the glorious sunlight
of the morning. How did it happier
that the sun rose without a dawn
The light which we get from the SUI
is reflected light; but when its ray
first reached the pinnacle of Mt
Washington they did not strike an,
surface to reflect them and light onl,
came full and strong when the sui
was high enough to meet large re
hecting area OF the earth's surface
So it is with the light of intelligence
1t comes from the great Contra
Source of all power, as our ligh
comes from the sum- but it is onl
diffused through humanity by hu
mainly itself. The Philippines mus
! be taught by some one wiser tina
r they or remain in darkness. The nc
S tions of liberty and self.governmen
] taught by our fathers have indee
spread far and wide; but if thre
/, millions of people have so spread til
d seed of self-government and huma
= intelligence, and have done no MOI
r than their duty as conductors froI
s the Supreme Source of intelligence
e what is the duty devolving upo
y seventy millions of people withor
d an obstacle in their path Shall W
It shed light upon the Philippines
IS Shall we build a wall around o,
intelligence and advancement {
!, shall we impart it to these wards
lie ours, that they may rejoice as v
d rejoice1