Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-12-14
The Spirit OF Liberty.

we nave before us a copy OF the 81
tavia, N. Y, Times containing a mag
niticent address on 1.-The Spirit of
Liberty by Prof. John Kennedy, a
brother of our townsman, Judge KEN
needy.
Prof. Kennedy is one of the leading
educators of New York and a thor
ough student OF ancient and modern
history. His address breathes the
spirit Of liberty, it is the voice of a
patriot from beginning to end. We
should like to reprint this masterful
grafton, but its length forbids the at
tempt. We however make the fol-
lowing quotation which is only a sam
pie of the whole:
Rome fell into corruption before
she fell under the sword of Caesar.
We want to read Of the Gracchi who
died in the attempt to withstand the
%rapacity of Roman greed. We want
to know all the lessons that should
not be learned twice. We want to
learn the pitiful lesson of Greek dis
union, and the marvellous instinct for
consolidation that saved the history
of Rome.
Philosophers tell Us that the danger
to modern liberty lies in the attempt
to give an empirical rather than a
historical treatment to passing prob
lens. The blunderS of men who lack
historical vision commit a nation to
principles that are ruinouS. In APP
preaching a current problem it is we'll
to remember that this is not a brand
new world.
1t goes without saying that the
ruins of Greece and Rome are not
the only tinger-pOStS for the modern
patriot and statesman. Nor is it
among pathetic ruins alone that we
may get historic guidance for current
problems. The living nations teach
us the prolonged lessons Of wisdom
and the dire effects of wrong. But
the living nations are only sequels
and supplements to the greater
story of the ruins. The lesson Of the
Roman ruins is that liberty had been
again betrayed; again had liberty
been sold for gold. Five hundred
years of glory were followed by fifteen
hundred years of horror and degrada-
tiOn.
If history teaches us anything, it
teaches us that liberty must 0 only
be won but retained. And that is
the more difficult task Of the two.
EltTIldl VIZ lldllCc dlOllc Il GllC II lSC VI
liberty. To US has descended a fear
full responsibility as well as a priceless
treasure. We have a stewardship for
which prosperity will hold us to a
stern account.
But the greatest and most insid-
ious foe to liberty is dishonesty.
Pyrrhus had not gold enough in his
rich treasury to buy the integrity of
FabriciuS. The imperial treasury OF
George the Third was not large
enough to purchase Joseph Reed.
Those two attempted transactions
were slightly premature. May the day
be far distant when men IN America
will covet money in preference to hon
or, and will dare to use that money in
the attempt tc corrupt honest men,
or to foist dishonest men into power.
l would not be thought an alarmiSt.
l do not think that the country is go
ing to the dogs. l think that the
country is entirely safe. The disclo-
sures of the past year have been stag
gering. But the most important dis
closure Of all is the consoling n
that the American people are still
honest and sound at the core, and
that the breath Of American public
opinion is still sufficient to blast evil
doors be they high or low. Such a
VIII cAC1ttiiiCllt. ouSI Nihii w
cover, such a pleading with the
hands, such a praying that the noun
tains may fall, all betOken that Amer
lea is not yet a healthy place for raS-
cality. America can yet seize its
undertakes, if necessary, probe it's
dung heaps, clean it's house, and go
on it's way rejoicing. We are proving,
not what danger our country is in,
but how safe it is. Happy the man
who can see a mission, and rise to it.
That is assured fame. Washington
saw his and rose to the full measure
of it. Lincoln saw his and rose to
heights sublime. And the vigorous
young man who now fills the Presi-
dents chair has obliterated party
lines in his w country n COM
manded the plauditS of an entire
world. He who was deemed an i'm
pulsive trouble-maker waS the very
one to call off the dogs of war and re-
store peace to a convulSed world; the
one to push through to a conclusion
the necessary guarantees OF future
peace, and with his cry OF publicity to
rOut all the organized hosts OF lniQui-
ty. A fighter he has proved himself
indeed, but it has been as fighter
against deadening inertia en- the one
hand and against active unrighteOus-
ness on the other. While others are
incoming over a problem he is solving
it. He is getting things done. And
, that is what the American people
like. He is neither omniscient nor
omnipotent; and he may not be CIV
ing us an instant millennium; but he
is proving himself a pretty good man
for the hour. He has given his peo-
pie some very wholesome precepts,
but he has backed those precepts up
with an extraordinary record Of ac-
ton. 1t has been the good fortune Of
America up to the present time that
it has always found men equal to the
occasion. Free republics breed men:
there was a time when Athens could
dare to select her public servants by
lot. 1t only requires an emergency
to reveal to a noble people that they
have various Washingtons, Lincolns
and RoOSevelts in reserve"
THE COLLEGE DEBATE.
M A-.- - ,n 49,,