The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-08-12

trv. to The wisdom OF our fathers
manifested in the ;ornl OF govern
,,ent established By them, 70 The
energy. industry. moral character and
!;:w-abiding spirit 81 the people them
selves.
We are not a military people. bent
OH conquest, or engaged III extending
our domains in foreign lands, or de-
SirouS OF securing natural advantage:
however great. by force; but peo-
pie loving peace. not only for our
selves, but for al the nations OF the
earth.
The display Of great military arma-
mcnts may please the eye and. for
the moment, excite the pride of the
citizen. but it cannot bring to the
country the brains, Drawn and mus
Gle OF single immigrant, nor induce
the investment here of dollar OF
capital. Oh course such armament
as may be necessary for the security
Of the country and the protection Of
the rights Of its citizens, at home or
abroad. must be maintained. Any
other course would be not only false
economy, but pusilanimous. I pro-
test, however, against the feeling,
now far too prevalent, that by rea:
son of the commanding position we
have assumed in the world, we must
take part in the disputes and broils
of foreign countries; and that because
we have grown great we should in
1ervene in every important question
that arises in other parts of the world.
I also protest against the erection O.
any such military establishment as
would be required to maintain the
country in that attitude. We should
conhne our international activities
solely to matters in which the rights
of the country or OF our citizens are
directly involved. That is not a
situation of isolation, but Of indepen-
dence.
The government of the United
States was organized solely for the
people of the United States. While
it was contemplated that this country
should become a refuge for the op-
pressed Of every land, who might be
fiji to discharge duties Of our citizen
ship, and while we have always SYM
pathized with the people of every ma
tion in their struggles for self-gov-
ern,nent, the government was not
created for a career of political or
civilizing evangelization in foreign
countries or among alien races. The
efficient work we can do in uplifting
the people Of other countries is by ths
presentation of happy, prosperous,
self-governed nation as an ideal to
be enIiated, model to be followed,
The general occupation of our citi'
zens in the arts of peace, or the ab-
sence of large military armaments,
tends to impair neither patriotism nor
physical courage, and for the truth
of this I refer the young men of
today to the history of the Civil war.
For fifty years, with the exception of
the war with Mexico, this country
had been at peace. with a standing
army most OF the time of less than
ten thousand men, He who thinks
that the nation had grown efeminate
during that period should read the
casualty rolls of the armies on either
side at Shiloh, Antietam, Fredericks-
burg and Gettysburg, at Stone river
and Chickamauga. I would be the
last man to pluck a single laurel from
the crown of any one of the military
heroes to whom this country owes so
much. but l insist that their most
heroic deeds, proceeded indefinitely
more from devotion to the country,
than from martial spirit,
| AS have already proceeded at too
great length, other questions suggest
ed in the platform, must await my let,
ter Of acceptance.
Mr. Chairman. In most graceful