Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-19

ltIN great uttu dplIC, vi 'ii'
. lities shown. by one group of Amerl-
: cans. of necessity reflects credit upon
Ian Americans. only a heroic people
could have battled successfully against
the conditions with which the peo-
pIe of the South found themselves race
Ito face at the end of the civil war.
There had been utter destruction ana
IGtsaster and wholly new business
land social problems had to De taceu
with the scantiest means. The eco
lnomic and political fabric had 10 De
lreadiusted in the midst of dire want,
lof grinding poverty The future OF the
lbroken. War-sWtpt South seemed be
lyond hope. anG if her sons and daugh-
Hers had been of weaker fiber there
would in very truth have been 10 hope.
Rut the men and the sons of the men
vino had faced with unfdltering front
Ieyery alteration Of good and evil
fortune from Manassas to ApPomat-
ltCx and the women, their wives and
mothers whose courage and endurance
had reached an even higher heroic
Ilcvel-these men and these women set
themselves undauntedly to the great
task before them. For twenty years
| the struggle was hard and at times
doubtful. Then the splendid qualities
| OF your manhood and WOmanhoOd told.
las they We're bound to tell. and the
wealth OF your extraordinary natural
| resources began to be shown. Now
| tie teemng riches of mine and field
and factory attest the prosperity of
those who are all the stronger because
Of the trials and struggles through
which this prosperity has come. You
stand Loyalty to your traditions ana
memories you also stand Loyalty for
ctr great common country of today
land for our common flag, which SYM
IboliZps all that is brightest and most
hopeful for the future Of mankind;
you face the new age III the spirit of
the age. Alike in your material and
in your spiritual and Intellectual de-
velnpment YOU stand abreast of the
foremost in the worlds progrt S.
And now my fellow citizens, my
fellowAmericans. exactly as all Of us
whether We live in the East or the
West, in the North or the South. have
the right merely as Americans to feel
I'ride in every great deed done by any
American in the past and exactly as
We are knit together by this common
heritage Of memories, so we are knit
together by the bond of our common
duties i'll the present, our common in
terests in the future. Many ana great
p"oblemS lie before us. If we treat
the mighty memories of the past mere
ly as excuses for sitting lazily down in
the present or for standing aside from
the rough work of the world, then
these memories will prove a curse in
stead of a blessing. But if We treat
them as | believe we shall treat them,
not as excuses for inaction, but as In
worthy of our fathers and of our ia
tiers fathers, then in truth the deeds
of the past will not have been wasted,
for they shall bring forth fruit a hum
dred fold in the present generation.
We Of this nation, We the citizens of
this mighty and wonderful Republic,
stretching across a continent between
the two greatest oceans, enjoy extra
ordinary privileges. and as our oppor-
tunity is great therefore our response
biity is great. We have duties to per
form both abroad and at home. and we
can not shirk either set of duties and
fully retain our self respect.
In foreign affairs We must make up
our minds that whether we wish it or
not. we are a great people and must
play a great part in the world. 1t
Is not open to us to choose whether
we will play that great part or not.
We have to play 1t: all we can decide
is whether we shall play it well or i'll.
And | have too much confidence in my
countrymen to doubt what the decision
will be- Our mission in the world
should be one of peace, but not the
peace of cravens the peace granted
COntemptuously to those who purchase
ii by surrendering the right. No! Ojth
voice must be effective for peace II,
cause it is raised for righteousr ln
first and for peace only as a HE tn
maiden of righteousness. We mo Of cd
scrupulous in respecting the rig.ke III
the weak, and no less careful tougb "a
il evident that we do not act ,orur- Ih,
fear of the strong. We must t. and if
ulous in doing justice to Of, orr t,
IscrupulOus in cXacting justic,,T,, of OF
selves. We must beware iah;r,, q,
ltrat sinister and cynic ,.t.,.aa,rJ n
y hich would persuade us ,;a,,,I ~ II
ethical standards in lntt n.f,,, folly Z
l&tions. and of the no LEI IT, ,,,orl of {
which would stop the n ,,,,t silly c
civilization by well. 20 nao- '
rersistency in trying ,pP' thaarias t
pies untitled for tn actio,. II
of government andh hs ~, ,,,oat al
which an only sui'u io' t, mo must
vanced races. IrF"i ,.i, IN
remember that III undertaking 10
lbuild tie Palma Canal we nav ,he
necessarily uIAertaken to ponce ,ne
seas at eithe end of it, anu M
means tat ne have Il peculiar inter
oct in flo reservation Of order IN the
ooosts M islands OF the Caribbean
frmIv hleve that by little wise anu
iye neros aid we can help even ~
most btkward of the peoples III 'he
coasts md islands forward along 'ne
NTH 4 orderly liberty so that theE
cop Sind alone. If we decline 10 give
them such help the result will be pau
hoth or them and for us; and Will III
The eld in all probability cause US u
foca humiliation or bloodshed.
Tie problems that face us abroad
.ra important, but the problems that
loo rs at home are even more impor-
E.E ~