Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-12-04
BRYAN'S HIGHEST IDEAL
Noted Nebraskan Says Thought
Will Rule the World.
fERVID SPEECH SWAPS LONDON.

the Thanksgiving Dinner of the
American Society - London Times
Pays Unusual Compliment by He
porting Him Verbatim.
At the American society's Thanksgiv-
ing day dinner at the Hotel Cecil, Lon
don, William Jennings Bryan captured
a large audience which was at first in
elined TO be cold If not hostile, says a
special cable TO the New York Amer
lean. Before he had spoken hundred
words even the critical Choate. a mas
ter OF after dinner oratory, was 80
moved by Mr.. Bryan's impassioned elo-
quence that he applauded enthusiastic
ally. while the Duke Of Marlborough
sat spellbound under Mr. Bryans elo-
quence, applauding heartily the speak
sr's noble peroration.
The London Times pays Mr.. Bryan
the unusual compliment of reporting
him verbatim.
Mr.. Bryan. after thanking Mr.. Choate
for his many courtesies and paying a
gallant tribute TO the beauty Of Eng
lishwomen. whom lie said he could not
distinguish from American girls, said:
This society celebrates two occasions
the Fourth Of July and Thanksgiving
day. On the Fourth we celebrate our
independence; on Thanksgiving day we
acknowledge our dependence. On the
Fourth Of July the eagle seems a little
larger than on any other day, and its
scream may CRATE more harshly on the
foreigner than at any other time. but
today we turn with reverence and ac-
knowledge our gratitude for those
blessings that have come to our coun-
try without thought of any aid from
human beings.
"On this occasion we may well re-
member that we but build upon foun-
dations that have already been laid for
u. All our natural resources were the
gaft Of him to whom we bow in graft
tuds tonight. If we show any great de-
vslopment of industry we must not for
get that every nation in Europe has
sent US its trained artisans. If we have
Intellectually advanced we must not
fsrget that those who have crossed the
| Atlantic and cast their lot with us
brought their intelligence and aspira-
tions for learning from Europe. The
free speech which we prize so highly
is not Of American origin.
'Since | have been here | have been
profoundly impressed with the part
Hnglishmen have taken in advancing
the right Of free speech. And before
CAME here an Englishman challenged
my admiration because of his deter
| mination to make his opinion known
when he had an opinion he thought he
ought to give to the world. When
| visited the Bank of England. ] was
grateful that, knowing my sentiments
| on the money question and the tariff,
was not driven away. | have admired
the moral courage and manliness Of
those Englishmen who have dared
| against overwhelming odds, to assert
their opinions before the world.
| I'VE sometimes feel that we possess
q sort Of proprietary interest In the
principle Of government set forth in
eur Declaration of Independence, yet
the principle therein set forth was not
the invention of an American mind
Thomas Jefferson expressed it in felic-
itOus language and put it into perma-
nent form, but the principle had been
felt and thought by men before. The
doctrine that men were created equal
and endowed with unalienable rights
and that governments derived their just
powers from the consent of the gov
.rned was not invented in the United
States Of America. 1t did not come
from an American mind; it did not
come so much from any mind as it was
An emanation Of the human heart. 1t
had been In the hearts of men for ages
before Columbus turned the PROV Of
his vessel westward, before the barons
wrested the Magma Charta from King
John Before Homer sang that senti-
ment had nestled in the heart Of man
and nerved him to resist the oppressor.
That sentiment was not even OF human
origin.
"Our own great Lincoln declared it In
the toast, God himself. who implanted
In every human heart the love of lib
erty.' When God created man. when
he gave him life, he linked with life
the love Of liberty. We have received
great blessings from God and from all
the world, and we cannot make ade-
uuate return to those from whom we
have received those gifts. 1t is not In
| Ent ahnvl
the debt we owe him nor can we make
return TO those who have sacrificed so
much In the past.
1--WE cannot make return to the gen.
erations past; we must endeavor to pay
our debt to the generation living ana
that to come. We must discharge our
debt not to the dead, but to the living
"How can we discharge this DEBT we
eve? In but one way. and that ls by
giving the world something equal IN
behalf of that we have received from
the world. What is the greatest gift
man can bestow upon man? Food'
clothing wealth? No; they are evanes-
cent. We must give him an ideal that
shall be with him always lifting MIN
to a higher plane Of life, giving MN a
better conception of his relations to
his fellow men.
81 know of no greater service that
my country can furnish the world than
to give 1t the highest ideal the world
has known, and that ideal must be SO
far above us that it will keep us LOOK
Ing up all our lives and so far In ad'
vance of us that we shall never over
| a. .... a. %bo bour of oiIr death.