The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-07-05

j.dging the future hy n,v past. our
lmders remaining the same, ought 10
Le maintainedg
Our late war with Spain has proven
/ to us and to the civilized world. that
though we have been essentially peos
j pie OF peace for more than third pf
I a century. we have not lost by rea-
I thereof any Of our martial spirit. The
best blood Of the North. the South,
/ the East and the West. has Redeemed
the soil Of Cuba. and OF the Philippines.
( Those who We're once pitted against
each other In deadly fratricidal war,
I have marched shoulder to shoulder
against foreign foe. and have stood
side by side upon the bridges of our
/ battle ships, Our Deweys, our Schleys,
our Simpsons. our Hobsons and our
Bagleys, and the brave officers and
sailors with them have added new lus-
tire to the American navy. Our Lees,
our Lawtons. our Wheelers. our
Roosevelts, our Funstons, and last. but
not least, our own Summers. and the
brave boys who marched under their
banners, have given fresh evidence to
the world that ours is nation Of
heroes when occasion requires.
But once let the integrity OF the
Constitution be disturbed. the martial
spirit which love Of country inspires
and maintains must and will be dis
turbed and the high state to which we
have attained in the arts. and sciences.
the high intellectual plane upon which
We stand as a people. will be powerless
to restore and revive 1t. Il may better
illustrate my meaning in the eloquent
words Of anOther.) internal commun-
ication was brought to perfection In
the Roman Empire. but did that revive
the spirit Of the legions or avert the
arms Of the barbarians? Did it restore
the age Of Virgil and Cicero? Because
all the citizens gazed daily on the
most sumptuous edifices. and lived
amidst a forest OF the noblest statues,
did that hinder the rapid corruption Of
manners. the irretrievable degeneracy
Of character. the total extinction OF
genius? Did their proud and ignorant
contempt Of the barbarous nations save
either the Greeks or the Romans from
subJugation by ruder and more
savage, but a fresher and a nobler
race? Were they not prating about the
light Of the age, and the unparalleled
state Of social refinement. when the
swords Of Alaric and Attila were al
ready drawn?"
Let US then, my fellow citizens,
lend our best efforts to the mainten-
ance Of our countrys honor in the
crisis now upon Ls, and when the arms
Of those against whom our brave
sons are pitted in war have been laid
down, let US bring to the proper settle
ment Of the questions which may grow
out Of that war. the best judgment Of
a patriotic people. Let us remember
that we have duties and obligations to
perform corresponding to the blessings
We enjoy. Let us remember the trust,
the sacred trust attached to the rich
inheritance We have received from our
fathers. Let us feel an individual re-
sponsibility to the full extent Of our
power and influence for the preserva-
tion Of the principles Of civil and re-
ligious liberty. And let us remember
that 1t is religion and morals and
knowledge alone that can make man
kind respectable and happy under
any form Of government. Let US hold
fast to the truth, that communities are
responsible as well as individuals; that
a government to be respectable must
be just; that without unspotted purity
Of public faith. without sacred public
principle, fidelity and honor, no mere
form Of government, no machinery Of
laws, can give dignity to political
society.
I'm our day and generation let US
seek to raise and improve public senti-