Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-05-05
THE COMING AMERICAN.

lFE COhalNG ANlEhCAN
The dawn of the twentieth century the has
over mountains past upon gori
day than earth has before In the morning OF
this day America youngest the group of world
powers she is strong and full of hope At the beginning OF
the century feeble confederation of sixteen States
possessing little than independence.
Washington was city in the wilderness and the widest
deamers considered the Mississippi River the extreme western
limit of republic How marvellous the changes OF hundred
years The Stars and Stripes float from Manhattan to the
Golden Gate the Great Lakes where the OF the
Gulf of Mexico bahe the shores OF land OF neverendlng sum-
me Washington has become splendid city the capital of
great nation and the rendezvous OF diplomats while America
prominent the drama the hour Amer
cas past glorious Never have the stars OF Od Glory
been dmmed by defeat Well read her past but how
long pierce the mysterious veil which hides her future and
read her fate O Could some Cimaean sby prophecy
public glorious yet than
the mysterious yet fascinating future
and gaze upon the evoabe past the past which has made
nation In the latter part the eighteenth century find
longer the Spanard Frenchman and Engshman Amer
lea, but the American citizen This the Colonial Amer
ican though he exists many guises find all with the
ideals branded in their hearts Thank God that the Amer
lean to-day claim such heritage admiration for nobility
character of individuality and undying love of
liberty Well the Colonial American worthy of admlra
ton We see him calm and dgnfed facing every danger with
forttude daring brave with Of the greatest
earth rather than have the hand of the Oppessor laid
heavily upon him. Whether be the New Englander rugged
his rock bound coast ready to shed his last
drop of blood of right the couy and cliva
the Od Dominion he hastens to the defense OF
his country and the noise and din OF battle repeats to
himself the watchword, liberty"
On all sides pes young republic Dssensions with
in and foes without threatened destruction but she no
born perish early her and despite all obstacst
grew steadily power and dominion But alas! We see bird
of prey lowering her gradually cCng and nearer
until the nation within its grasp This hapy is fratriCida
.t,1o, +Iab
the wound was healed the pain the still remained
Not until the Spanish American War brought to the realz
ing had country to love- to defend and
to die for really stand united From Massachusetts and
Virginia. from Maine Georgia hurried to defend what
was once more our country Sons of who had fought
under the Southern and Of those who had fought
under the Stars and Stripes struggled up the hill at San Juan
fought side by and buried in the The
silent kept watch above those lonely graves the nation
united mourned her heroes.
The American day complex person. He is the
suit of so many different apparently conflicting elements
that we wonder at the glorious whole have
gathered the best componen from all the various peoples that
settled continent and to have combined them to produce
new nationality destined rise superior to its pogenors
Even as the English character absorbed from Saxon and Cet
the clements their glorious has America absorbed
from all lands earth those qualities which make her
nation among nations.
What is the of American greatness What has enabled
us to build with crude material such powerful repubhc'
II surely our most prominent national traits aggressveness
and individuajtv The American is aggressive he
world have dared to fight his independence to forth
and hattie in the wilderness until the continent He Is
NOT bapred b false distinctions the European In
te country where he who had followed the owpah
70 occupv the presidential chair and where mlonares have
risen from the ranks of the poverty every one that
ossesses ambition and determination has chance succeed
The American does not live the glamour of past ascendency
a does the Spaniard All His sun has yet reached the
zenith Of his dreams his glory yet His very
roundngs contribute his greatness he cannot gaze on the
boundess prares and be narowmnded he cannot climb to
towering heights OF the Rockies and not rise IN spirit ABOVE
the sordid things of daily life.
But however bright his prospects appear there dangers OF
which he must beware dangers which If averted will bring
defeat in place of triumph which will cause him to tail IN
his mission and TO mar his destiny Socialism endangers
government and threatens to crush individuality The struggle
between labor and capital alarming proportions In
the distance the danger Of ascendenc Unre
stricted immigration imperi nationasm Monopoly like
an octopus stretches its entaCes all directions and endeavos
to choke trade Unlimited suffrage enlightened
government The struggle for the almighty dollar and the
striving for personal aggrandeent threaten to crush beneath
their feet in the onward rush patriotism honor and atruism
America to escape the fate Of time becoming nation
Of Sbvocs Our people must cease from this Goddess worship at
the altar Of Mamon These dangers imminent but armed
with youth confidence and courage America surely able TO
brave them all her destiny leads on to still more
glorious achievements She the dominant power Of the
future Even as glory Persia fell before Alexander OF
Macedon even as Greece was forced yield Rome
Rome her turn was conquered by the Teuton will the Old
World he compeed to bow in submission the Empire Of the
West.