The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-02

Tag OF Spain-e1nblem Of tyranny and
crueltv-had been driven from the
western hemisphere anG was soon 10
20 down from her eastern possessions
! The war had been conducted without
the loss Of a gun or the capture OF an
American soldier in battle. The glory
of this great achievement was unlike
my other which history has recorded
1t was not that We had beaten Spain.
1t was not that 73.000,000 people had
conquered l5.000.000, not that the
spirit Of the nineteenth century had
been too much for the spirit of the fif-
teenth century. not that the younS
athlete had feiled to the ground a de-
| creDit old man of 80. 1t WAS not that
the American mechanic and engineer
! in the machine shop could make better
! ships or better guns or that the Amefl-
can soldier 81. sailor had displayed the
same quality in battle that he lad
shown on every feld-at Bunker bill,
at Yorktown. at Lundy's Lane. ct New
Orleans. at Buena Vista, at Gettysburg,
W w.
the Atlantic. Nobody doubted the skill
of the American general, the gallantry
Of the American admiral or the cour-
age of the American soldier or sailor.
The glory Of the war and Of the victory
was. that it was 4 war and q victory IN
the interest of liberty. The American
flag had appeared as liberator III
both hemispheres. When it hoated
over Havana or Santiago or Manila,
there were written on its folds, where
all nations could read them. the pledge
of the resolution OF. congress and the
declaration of the president. Every
true American thanked God that he
had lived to behold that day
ominous Prediction.
In these mournful words he predicts
and deprecates the death Of the RepIlb-
hcan party:
II believe, AIr. President. not only
that perseverance in this policy will be
the abandonment Of the principles up
on which our government is founded.
that it will change our republic into an
empire, that our methods Of legisla-
ton, of diplomacy, OF administration,
must Hereafter be those which belong
to empires and not those which belong
to republics. hut l believe persistence
in this attempt viii result in the defeat
and overthrow of the Republican par
t.. That defeat may not come this
year or next year l pray God it may
never come. we'll remember When
the old Wing party. IN the flush Of de-
lirium and anticipated triumph, gave
up the great doctrines which it had SO
often avowed and undertook to aban-
don the great territory between the
Mississippi and the Pacific to its fate,
It held its convention at Philadelphia.
It selected as its candidate great mil
itary chieftain. Amid the tempest and
delirium quiet delegate from my own
state arose and declared to the conven-
ton that the Wing party was dead. 1t
seemed that a more audacious, more
foolish, a more astounding utterance
never fell upon human ears. And what
was the result? The party carried the
country and elected its president. But
within less than four years thereafter
Daniel Webster, as he lay dying at
Aarshfeld, said, 'The Wing party as
political organization is gone, and it IS
WE'LL Let 10 such fate attend the Re-
publican party In my judgment, If
not now, it will retrace its steps in
tinoe.'
The two concluding sentences OF that
paragraph are pitiable When we con-
slider who uttered them. Senator Hoar
is an old man. lie helped create the
Republican party, which, he fo2div
hoped. was immortal, but he sees its
finish. Yet the affections Of his heart
cling to it, and despite tie evidence of
his own senses he exciaims, 'In my
judgment, if not now. it viii retrace its
steps in time Vain hope. The Re
publican party. like Ephraim OF old, is
ioined to its idol. which is the almighty
dollar. All the eloquerce. all the learn
ing, ali the pathos. all the courage, all
the patriots of a dozen men like Sena-
tor Hoar, cannot check it in its mad ca
reer. 1t is doomed!
IIIuxtrious Traitors.
Speaking of Edward Everett's splen-
did prophecy-.hat time would come
when Washingtol's birthday would be
celebrated even in the orient-Senator
Hoar exclaimed:
The time which the orator predicted
came. In that eastern archipelago, no
longer the home Of barbarism, people
had achieved their independence and
thrown off the yoke Of centuries. Tney
were longing for civilization. education
and liberty TO the millions. With
which that land is swarming. IN the
dawning of n new light the name Of
Washington has become familiar But.
alas. the people are citing his example
to protect their own liberties against
his countrymen. They are nearly
threefold in number the people to
whom his farewell address was deliv-
cred. Pray to God that that revered
al ca