Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-07-06

lives. their fortunes and their sacred
honor. Such a generation of men i:
no accident; but the manifestation o.
divine plan, timed to meet an inev
table occurrence; they were made
for the occasion. They were grea
men and noble women who fough
with indomitable courage and perse
verance the war of the revolution
which followed. Surely the patriots
of that day were tested to the last
degree. The fortunes OF the war the,
waged, the issues at stake perhaps
reached their lowest ebb tide at Val
ley Forge. Yet even there at that
critical time, when the strongest were
being tested to the uttermost, God
while seemingly to hide His face,
4 was still watching over the destinies
of this people. AS a beautiful illus.
tration the story goes of a mother
whose husband was in the continen.
tai army. Only short distance away
she was spending the last night before
Christmas with her little daughter
cooking such victuals as her slender
larder afforded. All the loyal women
OF the neighborhood were doing the
same thing, that theproduct of their
kitchens might be distributed on the
morrow to encourage and alleviate
as far as possible the distress of our
poor disheartened army. But the
British troops had learned of the prep
aratlons and planned a night raid up.
on the farm houses. They reached
this house, took pies. cakes and dough-
nuts: robbed the hen roost, and even
threw into wagon the pet lamb of the
little girl. When the child saw her
pet loaded up to be carried off, it
seemed that she could endure no more.
In the confusion she hurriedly put
on some wraps and stole out. Wash
lngton's camp was little more than
two miles away. He was her hero
and knight Grant. Bravely she trlrdg-
ed over the snow and frosty winter
was taken into the generals presence,
and there told her simple story. There
were hurried orders, and the quick
moving OF armed men; which resulted
in the capture of the raiding British;
all the supplies, which could i'll have
been spared, and the return of the
child's pet lamb. Then taking that
little one in his great, strong arms,
Washington blessed her, saying: my
child. my child; you know not what
you have done, but you have been
an instrument this night in the hands
of God for humbling our enemies"
Surely the God of nations watched
over us in those trying times. Nor
should We forget that in those trying
times, out of which came the liberties
We today enjoy, there was mingled
the blood of many nationalities. Eng
lish, Irish, Scotch, German. French
blood were all mingled in the fight
against oppression. Nothing shows
more clearly that the movement was
not local, or individual, but was the
spontaneous outburst of humanity
seeking liberty of civil government in
the promised land" On a small is
land in New York harbor stands to-
day the greatest statue that the world
has ever seen. 1t is made of bronze
in form of woman with her drapery
flowing about her and holding aloft a
torch. 1t was given to America by
the free republican people of France,
and represents not only token of
friendship, but the grand idea of Glib
erty enlightening the world" Surely
it is placed upon a fitting site.
Growth Of the Country.
Freedom once attained, there came
the period of spreading out from the
narrow confines of the colonial limits,
to the conquest of an empire to prop
erly develop it as fitting place for
great, Independent people to occupy
In this great task of development,
crude physical ability to labor became
an important factor. Finally the black
man was imported from Africa to help
on the work. And he was urged on
by the lash, as were the children of
Israel by the taskmasters of Pharaoh.
But God would have none of it. A
condition of servitude had no place
in the divine scheme for human lib
erty on this continent, dedicated as
an asylum to freedom for the race.
The dignity of labor was lowered.
! Washington, the father of this country.
had titled the soil at Mount Vernon.
jefferson had been farmer at Month
cello. Marshall and Franklin had dig
nified labor by their illustrious names.
His own son has been carpenter in
| Nazareth. This evil must be rooted
out. He raised up his champions in
the persons of Wendell Phillips, of
Garrison, the immortal Lincoln and
John BrOwn-may his soul go march
ing on" Then was fought the bat
tie of the ages. Not so much that six
million black men should not be
slaves, as that this country should be
one undivided whole, dedicated to the
freedom of uncounted millions of free
men, all equal before the majesty of