Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-07-01
FOURTH OF JULY.

years ago the IOreIatneIS Vi the
republic founded a government
dedicated, as the immortal Lincoln
said at Gettysburg, to the PROPOSE
ton that all men were created
equal. The ideas advanced by
Jefferson, in the Declaration of
independence, that all men were
created free and equal before the
law, startled the civilized world.
That a government based on such
ideas could be permanently estab-
lished was declared to be the vagary
of an idle dreamer. Even the we'll
wishers of the new republic had
their misgivings as to its durability.
But in this period of the worlds
existence when old systems were
overthrown and new ones estab-
lished, Providence raised up men
suitable to carry out these changes.
Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton,
Franklin and others who fathered
the infant republic were extraor-
binary men, and it took just such
men to show the world that the
ideas advocated by them were pos
sibilities. In the old world, where
the divine rights of kings was the
cardinal principle of government,
and where the person and property
of the citizen were considered as
belonging to the crown, it was
prophesied that the republic would
not last long. Lord Macauley, the
English historian, writing to Trev-
elyan, of the University of Vir-
ginia, said that at the first great
strain our government would col
lapse. Macauley, schooled as he
was in all of the prejudices of the
old world, reasoned that the masses
were totally unfit for self-govern-
ment, and that demagogues would
arise and incite the poorer classes
against the wealthy and that out of
the wreck dictator would appear
and seize the reins of government.
The great civil war was a crucial
test and the struggle looked as
though it would destroy the country.
But after four years of as terrible
warfare as the world ever saw, the
country settled down to the peace
full avocations of life and it was
demonstrated to the monarchial
classes that government for the
people and of the people and by the
people shall not perish from the
earth.
The Tilden. Hayes contest for
the Presidency in 1876 demon
strated that our people understood
the spirit of their institutions and
could safely be entrusted with their
own liberty. In the light of the
recent attempt of the authorities at
Washington to foist Our ideas of
government upon the inhabitants
of the Philippine Islands it seems
that we are getting away from our
ideals and injecting a principle of
brute force that will in time react
on our own people. The American
people will come to their senses and
when the spirit of jingoism has run
itself out will count the cost and
then will they ask themselves for
what purpose is this sacrifice of life
and treasured They will then seek
an honorable means of withdraw
ing from bad bargain. The love
of liberty is too deeply rooted in
the breasts of the American people
to tolerate for any length of time
government based on brute force.
What they demand for themselves
they are willing to concede to
others.
30, star spangled banner, long may
il wave
Der the land of the free and the
home of the brave"
This Office will be closed Tues
day, that all hands may join with