Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-06-04

perience of any great people is the
feeling of patriotism-of love for coun-
try. | believe that all history teaches
us that no nation never became great
in any sense of the word unless its
citizens had the feeling Of patriotism
the feeling that made them willing
to make sacrifices for the common
good of their common country; the
feeling that made them willing to die
in defense of their country, il need be.
All the great nations of antiquity and
Of the present time have shown that
they owed their existence very large
ly TO this feeling among their citizens;
and IL is especially important that this
feeling should exist among the citi-
zens of a great republic like ours; a
country in which the government is OF
the people, by the people and for the
people. 1t cannot possibly rise any
higher than its source, and If the cit
liens of the country are not patriotic:
are not willing to make some sacri-
fees on behalf of the country, II can
not long survive in its present condi-
ton. 1t always implies sacrifice;
nothing great has ever been achiev-
ed without sacrifice; nothing good and
great has ever been done without la.
Dor, without ~privation and pain and
anguish. The onward progress of the
human race has always been attended
by the labor and the anguish and the
tears of men and women, and without
these nothing great has ever arisen
among mankind and nothing great ev-
er will.
Let us apply that principle very
briefly to a few of the great events
in u own history. II is a trite say
ing that Americans believe that the
American republic is the greatest and
best nation that has ever existed
among men. nevertheless ! believe il
Is true. and there are many good rea
sons for that belief. A man can scarce
lily be a good American who does moi
believe that this is true: his ideas arc
out of harmony with those that pre-
vail in our country. The Almighty
seems to have reserved the great Amer
lean continent as a place where the
human a C might take a fresh start
as it were, where 1t might develoI
something better in the form of gov
eminent and in the general welfare
of humanity than had heretofore ex
listed; and | believe, and think W,
are all justified in believing, that sucf
has been the result. But we must no
be blinded by this: we must not b,
led astray by the fact that, as a nation
we have attained great power-per
haps the greatest power possessed b,
any country in the world in the pas
or in the present-because no human
institution is so substantial but that 4
may be dissolved with one breath o
destiny. and the p~erpetuity of our in
situations and their usefulness a b,
secured only by the eternal vigilance
of those who have chief interest II
maintaining them.
in the founding of our government
the fathers Of the republic found |
necessary to pass on some things TO
the solution of posterity; they left TO
the working out of those who shoul,
come after them certain problems, an,
one of those lay at the very root of on
government: il was intertwined in tn
very foundations of the republic-th,
question of human slavery. Now, tn
time has long gone by when a mention
of this topic arouses or needs to arous'
any angry or prejudiciai feelings IL
the breast of any living man or won
an; we can look at 1t calmly: tn
lesson has been learned; II lies benin,
us, and we may endeavor to under
stand its nature more fully as tn
years go on. It may seem strange tina
in a republic dedicated to the caus'
of human liberty, human SLAYER.
should have existed from the begin
ming, and yet, such Is the co~ntrariet,
Hontinne.d on Gixfh Pappl