Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-23

ton was the first to conceive the idea ,
Of bringing France to our aid Il was
Patrick Henry that first suggested this.
But it was Warrington that did most to
execute IT, Franklin, that shrewd di-
plOmat was sent To France 10 bring
about such an association. ! do not
think that We could have obtained our
freedom without the aid OF the
French nation. II was by the union of
the colonies with this great power that
England was made TO understand that
she could no longer hold the American
people under subjugatlon. Washington
saw during those dark days that moth
Ing could be accomplished unless a
greater federal government could be
formed. Frederick the Great was sneer-
ing at this republic There was no re-
public on the continent. unless Ho-
land might be looked upon as one
Greece had been a republic, and there
had In ancient times been others, but
only their ashes remained. At any rate.
the eyes OF Europe looked upon this re-
public as an imposslbility. II was I'M
der these circumstances that Washing
ton took the stand In favor Of a more
perfect union After the war. we
drifted along under the articles of con-
federation, Washington retired TO Mt.
Vernon. He was not ambitious, and
preferred a private life. and never
sought public office or military honors.
In the past, men wh0 had gained vic
tories on the battlefield, sought to rule
the countries they had so served. so II
had been IN Rome, In the nations Of an
tiQuity, and In the nations Of Europe.
Not so with Washington He sought
no rule and received not a dollar for
his services
with others he sought to make strong
tie lettering central government. Asa
rp0ult the constitutional conven-
ton gave US the Constitution.
Everything said Washington, is
! siaNed upon the success of this
untried experiment, FOR Il was
| largely without precedent. Yet we know
! tfat Washington had been a profound
and careful student Of Montesquieu and
cf Rousseau, who had taught him that
The common people could be trusted;
uiat they were capable OF self-goyern-
ment. And arist0crat as he was, this
doctrine Of legal equality had become
! Idrt Of him, and was bone OF his bone.
constitutional government Is the
greatest and grandest thing in history.
We like 10 read OF blood and war; We
like to read Of Caesar. Napoleon and
Alexander the Great We ike 10 read
| Homers Had, and Of the battles his
| characters fight our blood runs faster
as we read these things. But this Is
not the natural condition. I hate war.
| abhor bloodshcd. These are the darl,
pages OF history. The most glorious
| page In the history Of any nation Is
that in which the people are trusted
with governmental power. Christ came
e. teach peace and universal brother
God Of man. The proudest vote ever
| gave In Congress II / may be personal.
was that which | gave against large
| armies
That government does most FOR It's
people whom II establishes IL am
especially proud Of one vote | cast IN
congress and that was a vote against
6reat armies and nayies. I abhor wa
and dislike much preparation for H.
| ! believe that the law Of Christ VIII yet
| prevail on the earth and peace VIII
take the place Of war; our govern.
ment and our constitution were evolved
ny great men. You cannot find today
| IN the Congress OF the United States
80 men who are the equals OF the so
signers of the Declaration Of Indc-
pCndence.
As for our fathers, what they knew
they knew well They had few books,
knew nothing Of Darwin or Of science,
or OF the magazines and Sunday papers.
but what they knew they knew well.
We waste our time in airy nothlngs. IN
endless slipping OF little sweet things;
In dilettantlsm. But our ancestors
were thorough
The teachers present will pardon me
II | say something Of our modern edu.
cation, Tor ! am not criticislng. The
great trouble with out education Is that
we DO not get down 10 bedrock. We
nit around from this subject to that
We DO not learn 10 analyze, TO reason
We are memOrizers instead. The news
papers cover our tables even on Sunday
mornings, and remain there until SAT-
urday night We are deluged with
reading matter Books are as numer.
Gus as the sands on the oceans shore
But II was not so with our forefathors
They reasoned; they had few books
but they knew these They studied
Shakespeare and the Bible They did
not so 10 the old Testament 10 find the
FIRST chapter OF Revelations.
when Napoleon sought TO enlist sol.
diers in America. the people favored ths
idea because France had helped us, and
we should help her, but Washington sci
his face against q, expelled the Frencl
rcprcseutatves and set nation aboy,
European conflicts and quarrels ON
duties are here not In Europe AT HON,
not abroad Keep away from European
affairs was the advice OF both Wash
ingtun and Jefferson.
Plato declared that you cannot stud!
character IN individuals And this {.
largely true Hence you study "a,
Fronchmau. not Ia any individual
Frenchman. but In the French nation
You study the Turk. not In any one
Turk. but IN the Turkish nation. AnJ
70 Is 80 In our nation. we must so q
our national lie Tor DE character o
the American And so IL Is true that
I in the life OF a nation as On That of th'
individual, honesty is the best policy
II the nation be dishonest IN its deal
ings. the nation viii ultimately pay lo
H. She win reap the results Of be-
wrongs, Just as individuals reap III
results Of their wrongs.
The first 10 amendments are the rea
, charter OF our liberties. Patrick Henri
, / and jefferson formulated these. an
, ! Virginia ratified the Constitution oi
, condition that these amendment
should be- incorporated into IL. Wash
| ington was more like Lincoln. a char
, acter that fills me with amazement.
is irreverent 20 compare any man {
Christ. yer Lincoln, silent. sad. sorTow