The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-07-03

thu declaration of our independence
We're The serious ones for the struy-
Cling people.
But have We kept the stars and
stripes unsullicd throughout the wears
since the document which made them
possible has been the worlds high
mark of consecrated libertyo
The answer must lie in the record
OF the nation in extending the very
principles which were embodied in the
Declaration of independence. 1t is
HE greatest tribute 10 the nation that
il has never been the a2gressor in nny
national conflict, and has ever been
the champion of the weak and The op-
pressed. With Il military power cap
able of measuring swords with the
greatest nation of the earth we have
never used that power for the oppres-
sion Of any. No struggling people bave
fel, the power of the oppressor's rod
in the hands of the American nation
Early in our national history the nm
written law WAS promulgated that the
American continent was no longer to
be colOnized by the nations of EurOpe
And while that law was merely the
recommendation of the chief execu-
tive and in no sense binding upon the
nation. il has been as sacredlv guarded
as though it were a part of the nations
statutes.
Had the strong arm of the Amerj-
can nation not been extended to pro-
tect the weak and turbulent Latin
American nations they would today be
under the control of the European
powers and with their restless inhab-
itants they would have been ma
tional chaos. In the faithful preser.
vation of the Monroe doctrine we have
not proven unworthy of the trust re-
posed in the people OF our nation by
''f
those who gave lis our first decla,a-
ton of liberty
When the struggling patriots OF
| Cuba were selling their lives for the
liberty which we were enjoying. the
American people arose and with one
mighty stroke, drove the brutal des-
| pot from the western world. Nor did
we do it because we hoped TO gain
III national advantages, for we en-
| pressly declared that we were inter-
vening in the name of humanity. Dem
aSogues attempted to show that we
were taking The liberty away from
those people, but so soon as the pas
sions of war had subsidized and the i'm
pulsiVe inhabitants proved that they
could administer the government with
fairness and federation they were
placed in possession of the government
we had given them, and We asked not
ohe SohslueidtloH Ill return. 1t was
the magnanimity OF this government
which made free government in
Cuba possible and We did it because
the nation was founded upon the prin-
ciples of liberty.
In our own borders we have eradi-
Gated the curse which could not be
stricken from our national escutcheon
when we became nation. And though
it took the blood of thousands of our
best men and millions OF our treas
nry to eradicate the curse of slavery
from the nation, we did it and in the
last three amendments to our consti-
tuition we re-wrote the declaration of
Independence in it's perfect form.
In our domestic conditions we have
ever looked upward, and today the
people enjoy more freedom, more lib
erty and more personal rights than
ever before, the carping of pessimists
to the contrary notwithstanding.
From the lowest walks of life we
have called men to become the ma
tons chief executive. The man who
tolls in the ditch has as much powe,
in determining who shall make and
administer ulr laws as the man who
rides in his velvet seated carriage.
We have proved not in words but in
deeds. that all men are created equal.
We have given them equal power in
the preservation of the nation, and
all are equally amenible to the law
for its violation.
When the stars and stripes are I'M
furled to the breeze on tomorrow the
American, proud of his country,
whether by birth or adoption, can
stand with uncovered head in the pres
ence of that glorious emblem OF lib
erty and feel that it floats today over
nation as devoted to liberty and
freedom as were those illustrious fifty
six whose acts in creating the docu-
ment whose birth we will tomorrow
celebrate, were pealed forth by the
changing liberty bell in the tower of
Liberty hall.
lREYEuS THEN Ayn Nn1U