The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-21

Madison says: You are not mistaken in
| viewing the conduct Of the eastern states
as the source of our greatest difficulties
in carrying on the war; as it certainly
is the greatest, if not the sole inducement
to the enemy to persevere in it.
This was the truth--the simple. ruinous
truth. New England not only weakened
the republic in the hour of distress. but
strengthened the enemy. Stephen Decatur
blockaded in New England Connecticut
by superior fleet of British, and attempt
ing to steal out to sea on dark night,
was betrayed by his own New England
countrymen who displayed blue lights to
warn the English ships
11eartbroken by the treason of his peo-
pie and fearful of a disruption of the
union Mr.. Madison was forced to con-
sent to Il peace which left unsettled The
issues in dispute. But for Jacksons vic
tory at New Orleans. the war of 1912 would
have been remembrance to excite shame
rather than pride.
Due to Jefferson's criminal folly" In
not preparing the country says Mr..
Roosevelt. Criminal folly is a term
which might better be applied to the
congress which would not supply the
sinews of war and to the course of tina t
.DTCtAcit AAOS'S
against itself. The one bright spot on
our war record from the first was our
navy. Whose criminal folly" made that
navy efficient, gave it Il taste of service
and of victory. Thomas Jefferson did 1t
by declaring war upon Washington S
great and magnanimouS friend. the
"Barbary pirate"
Instead OF sending tribute and letters
OF hattery, jefferson sent warships. Dale
Bainbrdge, Decatur. made the Mediter
ranean training ground for the young
American navy, exercised it in actual
battle strengthened it on the strong wine
of victory and thus made it ready for
the war Of 1872. That this was done, that
We fought the Mohammedans rather than
continue to pay them, that we had a
navy which had learned how to fight
and how to win, was due to the timid. in
capable executive. Thomas Jefferson
The arm which cannot be improvised is
the navy. and the glory of the war of
1872 was won on the sea. Perry, Nc
Donough, Decatur Hun, Lawrence, are
names Americans will ever honor.
So it would seem that somebody had
been making naval prepare tons for war
TO the impartial student it will also APP
pear that what the army most needed
was generals who We're willing to fight
and knew how, and a spirit of determine
ton in the troops.
The city of Baltimore was in no very
good condition to resist the British and
there was talk in the council of capltu-
lation The venerable John Eager How
ard rose with all his revolutionary nero
ism aname, and cried:
Il have as much property in this city
as any one man, and have five sons
In the armY--but sooner than surrender
to the British | will sacrifice my prop
erty and see my sons in their graves.
One man like this inspires a whole com
munity, becomes a tower of strength to
the weak, a beacon light to the doubtful,
a bugle-blast to the WaVering.
To make the salvation OF a nation de
pend upon drill sergeants ana West Point
regulations is the veriest nonsense that
was ever put in u book-the mental soap
bubble of rampant mlitarism.
CHAPTER LIZ
One day a grandchild of Mr.. jefferson
asked MIN why he would not state his
religious creed; he replied:
'If [ inform you Of mine, they will in
nuence yours-I will not take the re-
sponsibility Of directing any ones views
on the subject"
In his letters. he enters so frankly into
his beliefs that nothing is left to conjec-
ture. He believed in God-one, not three
He believed in a future life i'll which
1-,,ou- taoco xcbn,,, wa ha d