Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-09-30
IMPERIAL EXPANSION FOLLY
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From the day when the Siavs and
kindred tribes accepted as their Gar
the brigand prince of the Varangiaus
"a wondering horde of land pirates)
to this eventful hour Russia has
persistently pursued the policy of
Imperial Expansion.
What has it done for her? After all
these years of seeming success it has
brought the imperial government to
the verge of destruction.
There has not been one day in all
these centuries that Russia's hands
were not stained with innocent blood.
Practiciug oppression abroad, she
established and maintained a des-
potism at home as devilish and dam
nable as ever cursed a race, or nation.
BY fire and sword she has won to
her standard the broadest expanse of
territory ever brought under the
dominion of a flag. The "glory" of
expansion is hers. The governmental
policy of Russia is black with infamy,
red with cruelty, and saturated with
blood. Her throne rests not upon
justice but brute force. The Gar
governs not by law, but by prison
bar and bayonet.
The ruling classes, the lineal de.
scendants of the Varangiau pirate
princes are we'll pleased with them
selves and their Gar. But the peo-
ple-their victims-hate and abhor,
while they wait, work and pray for
the hour when destiny shall bid them
strike the shackles from bowed necks
and bleeding limbs, and become free
men. Standing erect in Gods sun
light, armed with righteous might
they will smash to smithereens Rus.
sis's reeking throne and maugle to
junk both scepter and crown.
That fateful hour will come at no
distant day. Who knows but what,
driven from America by the sword
of Imperialism, Freedom may find a
refuge in Russia? Surely she must
visit all lands ere she is, banished
from the world. AS yet her smiles
have never beamed on the land of the
Cars. Possibly some country where
she has hitherto been unknown may
receive and make her queen for ever.
Washington and Jefferson died in
the belief that they had established
her throne In America. They little
dreamed that she would be driven
into exile, and the god of CONNER
cialism enthroned in her stead. They
could not believe that the American
Eagle would ever be transformed in
to buzzard and feast upOn the dead
bodies of men who died for the belief
that government derive their lust
powers from the consent of the
governed"
Lincoln's words are true: "They
who deny freedom to others, deserve
it not for themselves and under a
just God cannot long retain it." Lin
coin might have added: "And when
once lost, it can never be recovered" !"
When exiled by any people, freedom
never returns to ''cast her pearls
before swine" For this reason, if
for no other, American patriots
should be careful lest they be de,
ceived by the glamor of imperial ex-
pansion, and endorse policy which
denies to Filipinos the rights they
claim for themselves.
Rousseau's warning should blaze
from every editorial page. and flash
from every pulpit in the land. 1t
should be printed in every school
book, and committed to memory by
all who love the flag of stars. Here
is it:
ooh ye people who are free, re.
member the maxim that liberty may
be acquired, but never recovered"
The worlds history confirms the
truth of these burning words, Glib
erty may be acquired, but never re
covered"
The Israelites acquired liberty
we're led by pillar of cloud by day
and pillar of fire by night" but
when through lust of power anG
love of gold they lost liberty, it coulG
not be recovered.
Greece acquired liberty, and while
free filed the whole world will
light. When she lost it, recovery wa
absolutely impossible, and today he
greatness and glory are fading
memories.
The Roman Republic acquired
liberty, but who believes that tn,
descendants of her Ciceros anG
Caesars could recover it in ten mil
lion years?
We might continue the march
backward over the path of human
progress and point out the crumblinf
ruins of republics, empires, thrones
and systems of government and find
no exception to this rule.
| In all lands where freedom ha,
never reigned, there is hope. Having
acquired liberty, if America should
lose it, her fate will be that of Others.
The folly of Imperial Expansion
was never more forcibly illustrated
than in the case of Russia and Japan
Russia, by criminal aggression y
has grown territorially until she il
more than twice as large as all Eu.
rope, while Japan is about the size Of
| California. When war waa fret