The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-15

port 1t has 10 be geared lower than that
which American workmen are willing 10
operate, In order to suit the duller wit and
the slower movements of the foreign work
men for whom il is designed. Readiness
to take the initiative Is high proof Of
manhood. Admiral Dewey. on a recent
occasion, pronounced our navy the great
est In the world. because, as he said. every
man in IL is a man of intelligence. He de-
scribed the modern warship as an enormous
machine shop, every part requiring highest
intelligence for its operation. He said that
were all the officers OF one of these ships
10 be disabled in an engagement the men
would be competent and ready successfully
to manage IT, II is a government OF the
people. and free institutions have developed
the spirit that waits not on the initiative
of officialdom. The people takes the in
itiative. Forty years ago, though IL seems
but yesterday, a federal army lay In its
intrenchments before a Southern city which
Il was holding against Confederate force.
The city occupied the bend or a great,
broad stream. and the Federal line. de-
scribing the arc of circle around it, ex-
tended from river above to river below.
Some miles to the front a ridge of hills.
sweeping round in wider circle. shut in
the intervening plain as IL IL had been a
great amphitheater. The Confederates held
the summit of this ridge with a continu-
Gus line of forts and rifle pits, while at Its
loot they had strongly fortified also first
line or works. These outlying works the
Eederals were ordered to take. They took
them. Out Of their earth-works. before the
city, the men leaped and aligned them
selves upon the open plain. That was a
noble sight, my countrymen, great, brave
snow or war. After the dark days, spring
in the air. sky painted blue. sun brightly
shining, shoulder to shoulder, $4,000 men;
arms cleaning, banners flying, and the
music-glad music and brave-that mocks
at death and wounds-that inspires, that
lifts mems souls. Across the plain In steady
advance, and then the hour of action came.
There was crash and thunder-roll of war;
Through iron hail up to the fire-crowned
forts once and again the dauntless bat
talions charged. And men died that glad
day, greatly died; and Of other men that
wounds. to MAIN and cripple them for life:
But the battle was won. The first line of
the enemys works was taken. That had
been commanded them, and that they had
done. 1t was war and they were soldiers.
But not here ended the battle. This was
to be something more than game of war,
and the men that fought here were to
show themselves something more than SOL
diers. The victors planted their banners
on the ramparts they had taken. Flushed
with pride they cheered the victory they
had won. They looked back over the plain
strewn with wreck of war To front then
they raised their eyes and beheld where
on the embattled heights the massed forces
of the enemy crouched and the great guns,
And they came. oh. they came; and their
coming was such as. since ever war was
made trade. no battlefield of earth had
seen before. For a wonder happened that
day-a thing that makes Ii not simply dis
tinction in wars history, but epoch-mark-
ing In the age of manhood. AS by a COM
mon impulse and without command of any
the victor troops reformed their lines: they
swarmed up the heights they stormed the
impregnable works; hand to hand they
fought In deadly contest; they turned the
enemyS guns upon him and drove him from
the field. And again In triumph they ran
their colOrs up. But 1t meant more, now.
Not mere exultant boast of martial deed;
the flags that that day foated to the breeze
on crest of Mission Ridge were proclama-
ton to the world of manhood's primacy-
declaration, celebrated in battlesmOke that
the young giant, public opinion, was full
grown and come of age and henceforth To
rule in the councils of the Nation.
AS TO OFFICIALDOM.
Even so, In a government of the people
by the people. for the people, even SO il
must be. In a democracy authority Is not
I'm officialdom; 1t is not in congresses MOI
in cabinets. Oh, it is true. officialdom
sometimes COMFORTS itself as IL imagining
that it were the fount of wisdom, center
and source of authority. And so a little
coterie of federal oficeholders at the ma
tional capital appear to consider it incum-
bent on them to arrange for us at home
here our state and county and even our
city elections-to say who shall be chosen,
who rejected. But that is not because
pie ignorant and incapable. 1t is politics
And when the President of the United
States sweeps from coast to coast and back
again with much public speaking by the
way no one imagines that this is a mission
undertaken for the necessary enlightenment
of the people on public questions. Every
body knows that this also is politics. Pub
lie opinion Is intelligent and moreover the
people have common sense. We are not
afraid of trusts and of tariffs, as of things
mysterious and impossible of our compre-
hension. And, on the other hand we see
no occasion for speaking in hushed tones
as some would awe-fully warn u.s. when
we avow that We shall never permit an
Ehrenbreitstein to menace our isthmian
canal, nor Gibraltar of the West to be
fortified at entrance of Caribb sea-
Rule Is with the people, and under free
institutions our people has prospered. Pub
lie opinion has shown itself safe arbiter.
Its settlement of public questions has been
sane. Witness the period of the civil war.
Witness the years following the war,
Dances, incident to rapid industrial develop
ment. Witness our relations with foreign
nations; our dealings with weaker powers
ent position. Everywhere our public policy
has been humane; everywhere it has been
successful. 1t is the success of manhood
s;nS rhe recognition OF individual
private interests may retard they can
not change the course of public events
In a commonwealth Of freedom, public
opinion decides. Happy, then, If ii be an
enlightened public opinion. And in this
is out faith-our faith of culture Optimis-
tic Is 1.-THE spirit of this age, and espe-
cially of our American life, is optimistic.
holding in firm confidence to this. that.
Notwithstanding late instances of greed and
personal ambition. notwithsta nding present
apparent deterioration in public and pri-
vate life, Notwithstanding the fact that for
the time, humanitarian interests seem to
have passed out of politics, giving place to
questions of trade and tariff and other in
terest Of purely economic nature, notwith-
standing that in all departments of life
immediate utility seems to be usurping the
place of higher ideals, nevertheless We as
a people. despite temporary alterations In
our reliance on popular education, have
our feet set in the right course, and under
free institutions guaranteeing to all the
rights of manhood are moving forward i'm
the way Of the healing of the nation. And
let us ever remember. the hope of the
commonwealth is in an enlightened pub
lie opinion. Culture ii is that makes for
freedom-a culture that fosters and de-
velops the natural powers Of the Individual
man, preparing him not narrowly for this
place or that place in the social order. as
the slave is instructed for his task but
revealing to him something at least of that
large liberty that Is the birthriRht of
every human soul. Such culture makes not
only for freedom, but IL makes for some
thing without which freedom itself will
prove burden and curse, namely the
power to comprehend freedoms right limits
and to employ IL for worthy ends
RECENT REVELATIONS.
I'm the light of recent revelations of
malfeasance in Office that within the pa.t
two weeks, from the national capital have
come to anew and with added ominous-
ness. draw this inference IL you will. that
men are incapable of self-government. that
popular suffrage is failure, and free in