Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-06-01

facts like did Gradgrind, as though a
fact is of any value apart from the un-
derstanding Of IT. Potatoes are facts
but their mercantile value depends
upon this Interpretation Of them that
they are eatable.
Having thus touched upon two OBJ
scursd but valuable truths which the
War gave into the national life the
second relation will be discussed.
II.
THE RELATION OF THE WAR TO THE
IDEA OF FREEDOM.
Among civilized nations the idea Of
the absolute freedom of man as man
without regard to sex, color or race re-
ceivsd its coronation upon the bloody
battlefields Of the United States. The
honor of commencing the crusade
against slavery belongs to little Den
mark; the honor Of paying the heaviest
price for human liberty belongs to
this country. Hegel has pointed out
that in It's evolution the idea OF free
dom has passed through three dis
tinct stages.
First there is the ancient oriental
idea that ONE man Is free. He, Of
course, being the despotie monarch,
possessing absolute control OF all life
and property within his dominions.
This idea was generally accepted
throughout the east and still exists in
Russia and China, for Russia Is at
heart eastern.
Afterwards the idea that one man is
free expanded into the larger concep-
tion that SOME men are free. This stage
is represented by Greece and Rome,
where the two great classes of freemen
and bondmen existed in juxtaposition
Even Socrates and Plato did not tran
scend the idea OF their day.
The third epoch Of this development
commenced with the teaching Of
Jesus, having for its belief the idea
that ALL men are free. Christianity
has ever stood for this doctrine and all
civilization has been permeated by 1t.
No power ranking among the en-
lIghtened peoples of modern times per-
mits slavery. Brazil was perhaps the
last to fall into line, but the battle of
universal freedom was won when Rus
sia and the United States almost SIM
ultaneously abolished serfdom.
The recognition of this idea by this
nation, not as tenet Of belief merely
but as work to be done marks the
greatest victory OF the Kingdom or
God In modern times This recogni-
tion is based upon Christ's teaching OF
the dignity of man as man. Liberty
does not belong to the despot by right
Of power, nor to the aristocrat by
right Of birth, nor to the plutocrat by
right Of wealth; 1t belongs to despoJ
and slave, Caucasian and Negro by
the divine right Of manhood; and the
Christ who lived for men, who died
for men, who taught men; gave the
world Of thought the idea which has
created .he new, free, universal man
hood Of today.
The War was the great upheaval
which shook theories into deeds. It
was Gods electric shock working In
the atmosphere of civilization, caus-
ing the clouds Of thought and theory
to condense into a bounteous rain OF
liberty. Before the War slavery was
a recognized institution. vigorous, ag-
gressive; after the War 1t became a
mere question of time as to when the
hideous thing should cease to live up-
on the earth.
In Russia freedom cost the stroke of
pen, perhaps the life of car; In
England 1t cost much money, but here
it cost the stroke Of q pen, and the
life Of one Of the grandest men God
ever sent to do his work, and wealth
untold and the priceless blood of tens
of thousands of martyrs in such sac
riflce as hath not been since Jesus
gave himself for us. 1t is by the ira
ditions Of the past, by the awful cost
of its liberties that this land ranks
first among the free. Proudly IL can
turn to its sister nations and sa-, aye
have not resisted unto blood striving
against SIM" 1t was America which,
the by grace Of Goo, crowned Freedom
when her feet was bathed in blood and
her eyes were wet with weeping for
the bravest of her sons because they
we're not.
Itwas America, which by the grace Of
God, escorted Freedom to the throned
world dominion, not with acclamation
from applauding multitude. not
with long trains Of trophies and heaps
of spoil, but with reversed arms and
muffied drums and piteous crying and
strains of the march for the dead; vet