The Irish standard., 1900-08-11
WIN. ]. BRYAN's MASTERPIECE.

The speech OF William ]. Bryan at In
dianapolis last Wednesday, i'll response
to the committee which notified him OF
his nomination for the presidency Of the
United States. is the greatest speech yet
delivered by him during his public ca
reer. AS a specimen OF patriotic elo,
qucncc it is destined to live whether its
author becomes president or not.
Nothing like it has clnanated from any
American statesman since the days OF
Lincoln. 1t was said by Burke OF Sher-
idan,.s great Begun speech during the
impeachment of Warren Hastings that
it contained passages from which texts
could be selected by the statesman, the
philosopher, the moralist, and the di-
vine; and without exaggcration the
same can be truly said of the remarks
bic speech delivered by William J. Bry.
an Before 6o.ooo OF his followers at In
danapolis on the principles of American
democracy, pure and undehlcd The
American OF any political party who can
read that address without patriotic emo
ton deserves not the blessings of lib
erty bcqueathed to him by his bleeding
sires. In the words OF Scott,
The wretch, conccntered all in self,
Doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he
sprung,
Unwcpt, unhonored and unsung.
The principal part OF Mr. Bryan's
speech OF acceptance is devoted to "Tm-
pcrialism," which he considers to be the
paramount issue OF the campaign. The
Philippine policy of President Mckinley
is shown to be departure from the
principles upon which this republic is
founded, and colonial system OF gov
ernmcnt by the United States is held UP
as a menace to republican institutions
on the American continent. Jefferson,
Franklin and Lincoln are quoted ci-
fectivcly against the advocates OF I'M
perialism.
Instead Of telling our readers how
Bryan disposed OF the fallacous argu-
mcnts of the Mckinlcyitcs we refer
them to his speech which is given in
full elsewhere i'll these columns. 1t
ought to be read slowly and rctlectively
from beginning to end. The scnt-
mcnts expressed by Bryan are OF an
elcvating tendency and on the highest
moral plane. The "gunpowder gospel
OF the missionary is puncturcd by him in
grand style. Love. not force. was the
weapon OF the Nazarcne," he says. He
ridicules the silly plea that destiny" is
responsible for the policy OF conqucs,
inaugurated by the Republican party
and he says that the destiny OF this re-
public is in the hands OF its own people
In his beautiful pcroration he says:
can conceive of national destiny
surprising the glories OF the present
and the pasta destiny which meets
the responsibilities of today and meas
urcs up to the possibilities OF the fl,
ture. Behold a republic resting secure
ly upon the foundation stones quarried
by revolutionary patriots from the
mountain of eternal truth-a republic
applying in practice and proclaimine
to the world the selfevidcnt PROPOSE.
ton: that all men are created equal
that they are endowed with inalienable
rights; that governments are instituted
among men to secure these rights; that
governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed Be.
hold republic in which civil and re-
ligious liberty stimulate all to earnest
endeavor and in which the law restrains
every hand uplifted for neighbours in
jury-a republic in which every citizen