The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-06-01

thousand years of victories and defeat,
did not teach 4 the Roman sgoYernmen
gratitude 10 her private soidierb.
The soldiers who fed before the count
less hordes of Atilla were just as brav,
as the victorious hosts that, with Julius
Caesar crossed the Rubicon.
SCRAPS OF HISTORY.
Rome had extended her territory be
yond her power to Romanize her sub
tectf; the private soldier had, at last
learned and realized that he was serving
an ungrateful government, and his sworc
dropped from his grasp, and fated ruiz
laid her whitening hand upon the Mis-
tress of the World.
We have referred to these scraps ol
history in order to more thoroughly EN-.
phasize the comparison we shall here
after make. In order to insure perpet-
uity, government muft be true to IT.
secure dominion" says Camilus, lis that
which is acceptable to those over whom
IL is exercised"
| 1t is true that tyranny, with the aid
| of its handmaidens, ignorance and SUI
! petition, can rule and ensave a people
for centuries, yet natural and civil rights
will ultimately triumph, the cause of hui
manfty will finally prevail.
| The history of the world shows that
| contendinE factions, and opposing prin-
ciples have been the mighty forces that,
not only have, in turn, destroyed each
other, but have resurrected humanity
and human rights from the grave of cen
turies. Two great principles, irreconcil-
able and antagonistfc in their nature,
our civil polity, and while one, at fiIf;t,
was merely tolerated, i'm turn, both be-
came. part of the organic law: One
principle developed a Calhoun, Taney.
| and Davis; the other Giddings, a
sumner. and n Lincoln.
| SLAVE POWER RULED.
While some of the, founders q our gov
ernment foresaw the inevitable conse-
quences that would follow, they were
| powerless; and from the moment 1t re-
ceived legislative sanction, the slave
| power began to rule the United States.
But with its increasing power, it's evils
| became more apparent, its purposes
more fragrant, and its ambition more
graspng, until slumbering freedom. was
aroused and began to marshal her hosts
| for the coming conflict.
Although the death knell of slavery
was sounded when the Declaration of
Independence was proclaimed to the
world, yet its death struggle lasted for
nearly a century. The Goddess of LIB
erty, for time, closed the doors of her
temple and seemed to desert her follow
ers; the voice of her worshippers was
hushed, and freedom trembled before
the onward march of slavery But the
finger of destiny points with unerrinR
precision to the ultimate triumph or
right.
The best governments are of a neces-
sity progressive, ana out of civil and re-
ligiouS controversies, Instructions wars,
and revolutions, are frequently evolved
new arts, a higher literature, greater
liberty and protection to the citizen, as
well as greater power and permanency
to the nafion.
Self-government is heaven-born; iti a
corollary of immortal truth ana right:
IL appeared in q dim vision to Plato, and
was family echoed by the Democracies
of Greece, but il never appeared in all its
grandeur and putty until it was sprink-
led with blood at Yorktown, and bap-
tized in fire at Appomattox.
The early controversies had developed
great men, and had marked the begin
ming of most marvellous history.
GIANT AMONG NATIONS.
a giant among nations of the earth
had arisen in the Western Hemisphere
which had earned the envy and hatred
as well a4s the admiration and love of
reached ont and gathered home the OPP
pressed and struggling lovers of liberty
of the earth, Notwithstanding Kanker-
GUS shaekels' fettered his mighty arms,
and ulcerous sores that the surgery of
Washington, Jefferson and Hamilton
could not remove were gnawiDg at his
vitals.. With one foot on the Declaration
of Independence and the other, on pow
erful oIigarehy. and one hand grasping
civil and religious liberty, the other.
clinging to human slavery, he stood a
Janus-faced monster, half free and half
slave
Delirious from conflicting passions,
with visions of Independence Hall and
Valley Forge before his eyes. and the
skeleton clutch of the slave power upon
his throat, this mighty giant attempt
ed self-destruction.
The wars that have been carried on h,
the United States, have been to estab-
Iish and perpetuate the principle of self
government, to unfetter thought and
tongue, to release conscience from the
prison house OF error, to afford an asy-
lum for the oppressed, in short, to es-
tablish a government founded on the
inalienable rights of man.
How well our forefathers succeeded in
establishing there principles by the first
revolution is known to every student
of American history; how well our faith
ers, our brothers, our sons, and all par
Elephants in the lelst great struggle sue
the whole civilized world And in our Gag
erness TO pay homage to the honorei
dead of the second revolution, We should
not forget the heroes of 1776.
SPRINKLED WITH BLOOD.
The infant republic was sprinkled with
blood at yorktown, and after almost a
century of miraculous growth and de-
velopment, it was baptized in fire at
Appomattox. The heroes of the last war
sanctifed and preserved what was pur-
chased with blood in the first, and It Is
a government that has been purified IN
the crucible of two mighty wars.
Washington! Lincoln Grant! Consti-
tutional liberty's immortal triumvirs;
American hearts, names that will grow
brighter and dearer as ages roll on; yet
the halo of glory that will always sur
round their names will extend with equal
radiance throughput all time to every
hero that suffered or died in either war
And while we offer these tributes to-
the memory of those who have passed
over the Dark River, let us nope and
pray that the American people will never
forget or prove ungrateful to those who
still linger on the other shore.
Some, tbs true, are in the vigor of
manhood, others, bent and MANNED and
diseased, are tottering toward the grave;
while others, with pale and furrowed
cheeks, palsied hands and trembling
ing the bugle call that shall bid them
march to meet their comrades on the
other shore.
II is pleasant to contemplate the gran
deur, the glory, and the power of this
republic; yet this greatness was not at
tained without a struggle, and cannot
ssl.