The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-02-25
Bryan on DESTINY.

-
q part:
When the advocates of imperIa-
ism find it impossible to reconcile
a colonial policy with the principles
OF our government or with the
canons of morality; when they are
unable to defend it upon the ground
of religious duty or pecuniary profit,
they fall back in helpless despair
upon the ascertain that it is destiny.
Suppose it does violate the consti-
tuition, they say; suppose it does
break all the commandments; sup
pose 1t does entail upon the nation
an incaiculable expenditure of
blood and money! II is destiny,
and we must submit
sThe people have not voted for
Imperialism; no national convention
has declaled for it; no congress has
passed upon it. To whom, then,
has the future beef, revealed?
Whence this voice of authority?
We can all prophesy. but our pro-
Phesies are merely guesses, colored
by our hopes and our SURROUNDINGS.
Mans opinion of what is to be is
half wish and half environment.
Ava. zee paints destiny with dollar
mark before it; militarism equips it
with a sword.
CHE is the best prophet who,
recognizing tile omnipotence of
l., a
the great forces which are working
out the progress, not of one party,
not one nation but of the human
race.
History is replete with predic-
tions which once we're the hue of
destiny, but which failed of fulfill |
ment because those who uttered |
them saw too small an arc of the
pursued the fleeing Israelites TO the
edge of the Red Sea he was conf
dent that their bondage would be
renewed, and that they would again
make bricks without straw. but des-
tiny was not revealed until doses
and his followers reached the further
shore dry shod and the waves rolled
over the horses and chariots Of the +:
When Belshazzar, on
the last night OF mis- reign, led his I
thousand lords into the Babylonian /
banquet hall and sat down to ia c
Die gllttering with vessels of silver g
and gold he felt sure of his king dom a
or many years to come, but DIES +
my was not revealed until the #
land wrote upon the wall those h
lwe-1nspirlng words, Meme, Meme, 81
Eekel Upharsin.' When Abderrah- ~
nan swept northward with his CON 81
Luerlng hosts his imagination saw m
he crescent triumph throughout the h
,orld, but destiny was not revealed
ntil Charles Martel raised the 81
ross above the battle field of Tours is
nd saved Europe from the sword m
Moha When Napo- ci
con emerged victorious from Ma w
engo, from Ulm and from Aus 81 81
,rlitz he bought himself the child ex
oSStiiy, oot teSttIly was not re- w,
called until Blucher's forces joined an
lie army of Wellington and the van
lished Corsican began his melan- he
1oly march to St. Helena. When -,
e red coats of George III. routed fin
e New Englanders at Lexington P''
Id Bunker Hill there rose before
e British sovereignty visions of y 3
'lonies taxed without representa- OF
On and drained of their wealth bv tnbl
reign made laws, but destiny was of
It revealed until the surrender of III, III
completed the work be- ret
n at independence Hail and w
hered into existence government
irving its just powers from the :,
nsent of the governed. fur
eve have reached another crisis. s or,
re ancient doctrine of imperialism the
nlshed from our land more than IL 70
ntury ago, has recrossed the At SURE
tic and challenged democracy to e''
'rtal combat upon American soil -
neither the Spanish war shall be
DIV in history as d war for liberty,
as war of conquest; whether the ,