Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-06-06

thereto. But in three lifetimes after Plymouth
Rock and jamestown, America had emerged
from one or two small settlements into nation,
proud, strong victorious.
Then new life came. Already settled only in
its borders. and even now hardly more men
turned from war to pillow, from the sword to the
western prairie, from battle with men to battle
with Nature-what an influx of life? In the
days OF the war. 3o,O0o000, twenty years after
| 60 100000, and now nearly 10000O,O00. Imagi-
nation can not keep pace with the last of our
| spaces of time. fear many have run mad over
| 1t.
| When the war closed our then frontier is now
| our next door neighbr; valleys of wilderness
| then, valleys of blossom and fruit now vast
stretches of prairie broken only by the howl of
the eayote. fertile acres now waving with wheat
| and corn. And yet millions of unbroken and
j unexplored still remain. The long, weary cen
turtles of waiting have ended. and our nation is
Just beginning upon its greatness The pride
and pomp incident to material growth, the
vanity OF such, Is apparent though 1t may have
excuse. 1t was shown more completely when
men by tens of thousands were ready to rush
into war with Spain without excuse tumbllng
over each other to get at her throat regardless
If the whole world condemned.
But the greatness the grandeur. the glory of
1t all, of the power that lies back of the effer-
vescing surface, was when the Maine was
sunk In the harbor of Havana. Then America
showed the splendor of her reserved power
Hearts throbbed. we know, volcanoes burned
beneath we know. hot anger was striving at the
leash, but no man saw it, Calmly. though
grandly, our people waited the ISSUE When we
consider the patriotism of our people, their
readiness to resent insult. their courage that
knows no fear, and know that nine in ten be-
lieved in the unadalterated insult and murder
of hundreds of citizens representing our nation
and consider the selfcontained courage of their
waiting we may be proud that there is no
nober parallel in the history of nations.
Momentous as are and will be some of the
results of this wal with Spain-so momentous
rs to make wise men pause and question-its
battles are in comparison but slight and of
little moment. 1t was a great big giant fighting
a decrepit but proud old man. 1t was again also
civilization against barbarism. 1t had moment
Gus results say One of them was of untold
blessing the fact that Mason and Dxons line
is hlotted out forever that for the first time in a
hundred years. for the first time along our whole
history, there is to-day no North, no South. but
the United States of America.
What of our new possessions? What of the
Philippines? | count our right there as resting
upon one iSsue-do the insurgents represent the
people of the island or the mob? Did the great
body OF men, average men, want IA government
of their own. or were those who did the advent
urers, the lawless, the irresponsible" Ii the
leaders of the Instruction and their followers
represent the people of the Islands, then Hoar
and Hale are right or the Declaration of indie |
pendence is wrong 1t is not wrong There is |
Concord and Lexington and Bunker Hill and
Faneull Hall and sam Adams aud Gettysburg
and AppomatoX and Misunderstanding MONT |
ments to government by the consent OF the /
governed And yet, though We do err along the |
way the waiting centuries have at last begun |
MS on our mission; here in America. The blood |
at Bunker Hin and gettysburg shall not be /
split in vain. "A government OF the people by /
the people and for the people shall not perish I
from of the face of the earth
III spite OF rock and tempest roar
In spite of false lights on the shore,
Our ship OF State shall still sail on
The time shall come-far OFF it may still be
when the stars that deck Four flag shall guide
the world as did that star of Bethlehem those
wise men of Old. ont and up into peace OH
earth good Will to men,. May there be to us
no star that shines SO brightly. no stripes loved
so fondly the stars and stripes that floats
above our nation to-day.