The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-06-07

The women prisoners sewed these
strips into flags, and before the first
of July, there was q flag and q bit of
candle in every cell. When day broke
on the fourth, these flags foated from
the windows. But the celebration was
soon over, the demonstration sup
pressed. In the evening the spirit of
liberty again broke forth in an flu
mination. 1t is not to be wondered at
that the Russian captive adores a flag
that guarantees freedom for speech
and press, as wide and unfettered as
the winds upon which it floats.
But what we are specially to recall
this connection, are the sacrifices
that made the progress possible.
In spite of that political corruption
of which I haye spoken, behind the
blessings we enjoy are the hardships
of the first settlers, the blood OF genu-
inc patriots. "They labored, and we
have entered into their labors."
The Importance of this study is en-
phasized by the fact that s'each breeze
that sweeps the ocean" brings hun
dreds and thousands of people to these
shores who know nothing about our
history, traditions and ideas. Many
an emigrant comes expecting to pick
silver dollars from the trees and
gather gold by the roadside, and
when he finds nothing but wheel
barrow and. shovel and has to 60 to
work as of old, complains as bitterly
against the republic as against despot-
ism. The political aspirant comes and
introduces new element into the cal
culations of party managers; and the
Irish. the German, the Scandinavian,
must be conciliated by the nomina-
ton of their candidates from their res
pective natlonalities. One thing all
must learn is that no group of people
here have any interests separate from
the interests Of all. We are one.
The agitator comes, driven out by the
governments he sought to overthrow
in the old world, and unmuzzled
gnashes with his teeth upon the gov
eminent that has received him. He
sometimes fouts the stars and stripes
and runs up the red flag of anarchy
in it's place. Let him learn what our
banner symbolizes, and humble him
self in dust and ashes. The crimson
stripes tell of blood unselfshly shed
that liberty might triumph; the white
of the purity and integrity of the mo-
tives that stirred the breasts of pat
riots; the blue smiles with heavens
benediction; the stars that glitter there
shine with che light of that honor and
Immortality to which our fathers have
risen.
Hundreds and thousands also come
to these shores with honest PURPOSES
and noble aims. They come to identify
themselves thoroughly with this land
and it's institutions. They make in
dustrious and upright citizens. They
turn many wilderness into a fertile
field and make the desert blossom as
the rose. And we do not ask them
when they come here to blot out the
memories of their fatherland or cut
the cords of affection that bind them
to the ancients shores. We ask them
simply to begin a new political career.
We ask them to study the history of
the land of their adoption; we ask
them to acquaint themselves with the
doctrines and the leaders who have
shaped that history; we ask them to
put themselves into sympathetic re-
lations with the institutions that are
the outgrowth of that history and
those principles. Thus, and thus only,
will they find the true meaning of
American citizenship. Once they were
Irish, German, Scandinayian; now
they arr II ish-American, German
American, American
and that is a great step in advance.
In another generation they will be
simply American, without the qualify
ing term. lido not sheer at the Shy
phenated Americans" as they are
sometimes called. I believe in them.
That hyphen is not a wall of separa-
tion; it is bridge upon which the
Irishman, the German, the Scandina-
Wan will some day cross over to the
complete and final American. Once
they marched under the old world |
banners. Now, they sometimes mount
both banners upon the same staff-apd
that is great step in advance. But
in another generation the stars and
stripes will be for them the only flag
that floats.
In the next place, the study of his
tory cultivates patriotism by teaching
us to understand the present.
In the light of the past must we in
terpret the conditions of today, the
state of society in which we live.
''Bah," said Napoleon the Great to
Lafayette, "Your American Revolu-
ton was but small affair." ''Sire, it