Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-04-26

Orleans, at Buena Vista, at Gettysburg,
In every sea fight on Lake Erie or on
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 war and victory In
the interest of liberty. The American
flag had appeared as a liberator In
both hemispheres. When it f1oated
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 Repub-
lican party:
81 believe, Mr.. President, not only
that perseverance in this policy will be
the abandonment of the principles up
on which our government is founded,
that it viii 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, but | believe persistence
in this attempt viii result in the defeat
and overthrow of the Republican par
ty. That defeat may not come this
year or next year. pray God it may
never come | well 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 ayowed and undertook to aban-
don the great territory between the
Mississippi and the Pacific to its fate.
1t held its convention at Philadelphia.
1t selected as its candidate a 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 more audacious, a more
foolish. more astounding utteranee
never fell upon human ears And what
was the result? The party carried the
country and elected it's president. But
within less than four years thereafter
Daniel Webster, as he lay dying at
Marshfield, said, The Wing party as
political organization is gone, and it is
WELL Let no such fate attend the Re-
publican party. In my Judgment, If
not now, it will retrace its steps in
time"
The two concluding sentences of that
paragraph are pitiable when we con-
slider who uttered them. Senator Hoar
is an old man. He helped create the
Republican party. which, he fondly
hoped. was immortal, but he sees it's
finish. Yet the affections of his heart
cling to it. and despite the evidence of
his own senses he exclaims, 'In my
judgment. if not now, it will retraee its
steps in time" Vain hope! The Re
publican party, like Ephraim of old. is
Joined to its idol, which is the almighty
dollar. All the eloquence, all the learn
ing, all the pathos. all the courage, all
the patriots of dozen men like Sena-
tor Hoar. cannot check it in its mad ca
reer. 1t is doomedl
nIustrfous Traitors.
Speaking of Edward Everett's spIen-
did prophecy-tha time would come
when Washington'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, a people
had achieved their independence and
thrown off the yoke of centuries. They
were longing for civilization, education
and liberty. To the millions, with
which that land Is swarming, in the
dawning Of 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
and beautiful character, our shield so
often against distempered folly and un-
hallowed ambition, may be theirs
also.''
AS to traitors the venerable senator
delivered himself of these sizzling sem
tences:
''If to think as do in regard to the
Interpretation of the constitution; In
regard to the mandates of the moral
law or the law of nations. to which all
men and all nations must render obe-
dience; in regard to the policies which
are wisest for the conduct of the state.
or in regard to those facts of recent
history in the light of which we have
acted or are to act hereafter, be trea-
son, then Washington was a traitor;
then Jefferson was traitor; then
| Jackson was traitor; then Franklin
was traitor; then Sumner was a
| traitor; then Lincoln was a traitor;
| then Webster was a traitor; then Clay
was traitor; then Corwin was a
traitor; then Kent was a traitor; then
| Seward was a traitor; then Mckinley,
Within two years. was a traitor. then
the supreme court of the United States
has been in the past nest and hotbed
of treason; then the people of the Unit
ed States, for more than century,
have been traitors to their own flag
and their own constitution
I'VE are presented with an issue that
can be clearly and sharply stated as a
! question of constitutional power, a
question of international law. ques-
ton of Justice and righteousness or a
question of public expedieney This
can be stated clearly and sharply in
the abstract, and it can be put clearly
and sharply by an illustration growing
out of existing facts
He then proceeds to roast the ribs OF
the jingoes in this artistic fashion:
81 hold that this acquisition, holding
and governing can be only means for
constitutional end-the creation of
new states or some other of the con
stitutional purposes to which | have
adverted. And / maintain that you
can no more hold and govern territory
than you can hold and manage cannon
or fleets for any other than constitu.
tional end, and ! maintain that the
holding in subsection an alien people,
governing them against their viii for
any fancied advantage to them, is
not only not an end provided for by the
constitution, but is an end prohibited
therein.
Congress and the Constitution.