The evening times., 1899-07-05
AMERICAS HEROIC AGE.
Patriotic Speech of Justice John
Woodward ut Chautauaua,

Woodward at CIautauqua.
jamestown, N. Y, July 5.-Justice JON
Woodward, Of the New York Supreme
Court. yesterday addressed the largest
crowd ever gathered on the Assembly
grounds at Chautauqua. Bishop Vincent
presided at the celebration.
The grounds were beautifully decorated
with American colors. the amphitheatre
being ablaze with flags
Justice Woodward proclaimed himself
an enthusiastic and 5uncompI omising exi
pansionist. His speech frequently was in
terrupted by cheers. He said. in part:
1.-The Republic. whose career seemed so
rigidly definite, has suddenly been swung
out of the path Of its. orbit. and is bound
We know not whittier, on new track ard
toward an unknpyn destiny.
And there are. those who view the de-
partufe with grave misapprehension.
There are many who regard this day as
the harbingSr OF national disaster, and
who croak of doom as they recall the
epoch changing ipecord of the year just
past. But ], am not with these.
I'VE find ourselves entrusted with tie
lives and destinies of helpless millions.
hopeless gleom and place in the warm
sunlight OF freedom We realize all at
once that We are one of the great pow
ers of the worldzrthat henceforth we must
have a large voice In every international
dispute. a decisive vote in every inte ma
tional adjustment. We have become in d
day colonizing power whose distant in
terests will necessitate policy of trade
and whose flag will follow that trade TO its
ultimate port.
We have become a great commercial
nation. and stand forever committed TO
the policy of expansion. We have. in
brief, begun new era. an era that is
destined to be a memorable one.
For quarter of century We were
in transition stage. The civil war had
left us nation torn and shattered, united
only by the shreds of a political premise.
The Union has been maintained, but at
what cost? The struggle over. We imme-
diately began binding up the wounds Of
conflict and set about the work OF social
and lingual assimilation. That work was
almost accomplished when the cra for
which Providence had slowly been prepar-
ing us suddenly burst upon our horizon,
and sil at once Americans found them
selves the world-applauded heroes OF a
heroic age.
For We, who were burning to test the
worth of our national manhood, have been
tried and have not been found wanting.
We have come from the contest clad with
the warm confidence OF victory, and Today
beliigerent world would fail to appall us.
We feel equal to every emergency; We are
confident we could rise to every opportun
ity.
I'VE are engaged in constructing the
most wonderful civilization and the grand
est empire of modern times; a civiliza-
tion whose chief glory is individual hap
piness-an empire whose cornerstone Is
personal liberty.
America has never been committed to
the narrow policy laid down by the anti
expar sionists as the tradition of the past
She has always expanded. From the orig
inai thirteen colonies she has. by various
methods of accession, acquired territory
several times her original size.
Shall we basely give back the Philip
pines to chains and darkness? Shall We
destroy the opportunity to give them the
first benefits of civilization? Is it not our
duty to guarantee them the freedom they
pined for that We fought for, and how can
this be done save under American cen
troll,
The modern world is a uicrocosm,
whose nerves are telegraph lines which
flash lightning sympathy TO the universal
heart We have thus become more closely
drawn together in community OF inter-
ests and are, in consequence, more moral,
| more responsive to the common interest.
The Stars and Stripes fiutter triumphantly
| over new cIimes. fanned by the breath OF
victory, and the same. day the news quick
| ems the pulse OF proud nation many
thousand miles away.
IA child is kidnapped in one of cur
metropolitan parks, and millions OF hearts
are stirred in sympathy, while the. world
yibrates with the anguish OF a loving
mothers heart The child is found ana
! nations rejoice,
1.-THE king of the world is he who rules
| others by ruling himself. Thus domestic
| control must ever precede foreign con-
! quest, and weIcan dit ourselves for the wide
| sphere of our ultimate expansion and It's
| expansive and expanding duties in no bet
| ter way thanIby filling the narrow circle OF
! ery-day responsibility.
! THE world Will soon be one vast cos
uopolis whose constitution is freedom and
whose law is love. The statesmen of the
I future will not eonfine their efforts to their
own land; their operations will be felt in
i every cline They will be world-men.
with humanity the basic principle OF
| their statecraft. II would seem that God
| had made our country the crueible wherein
! the worlds hard problems are to be as
sayed
| Here were CUuGuCleu. Tue
from which has been deduced the saving
! philosophy OF humanitarianism. Here is
| the battle ground Of human freedom and
/ the goal of the worlds oppressed.
| Geographical boundaries are no more.
| Material limitations have been ignored,
| and mans body has become almost as free
| and as unrestrained as his spirit. The
| kings of thought are the only true royal
ty. and TO these all men yield here will
oIr ,Srin h0p
And here I must emphasize the point
| of individual contribution. We must edu-
cate ourselves we must develop the indi-
| yidual up to a proper appreciation Of his
| duties and responsibilities. 1t is to him
| that we must look for pure government
| and an incorruptible administration. 1t ia
to him that we must appeal for redress of
| grievances and for deserved reward
| There are also those who tell us to solve
| our pressing problems before We seek 9TH
| ers abroad They would have an inane
| domestic perfection before we meet the du-
ties which our late successes have thrust
| upon US. But all responsibilities stand
| at the bar of duty, and we can flee from
| those abroad no more than we can escape
| those at home.
| II deprecate the existence of corporate
| interests that threaten Individual liberty
and the perpetuity of our institutions but
| the corporations have come to stay. They
| are here not by our invitation. but by the
| exigency of modern conditions. which call
| into active play the principle of centraliZa-
! tion, which is but another name for unity
| and in unity alone lies success. We must
! therefore make the best of the situation,
| and make them SubServe their legitimate
| object. the public good. This can be done
| only by State interference and by Govern
| mental control.