Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-03-23
Theirs not to make reply:
- Theirs.but.to do and die,
or.Liberty."

1
YOU had loitered and fingered TO,
defenders. The millions had
sought thee and longed for thee,
and died for thee; but it remained
for Paul Revere and the old bell
ringer, remained for those whom
these two typify, to save thee to
the world, to inca1nate thee in
majesty and make thee sovereign
and supreme in one great land.
The figure of the old bell-man
still stands athwart the sky al
Philadelphia and is seen of all
men. 1t is sight that the
heads of autocratic governments
in all foreign states have sought,
in vain, to hide from the eyes Of
their restless subjects, subjects
which continually see in the cid
bell-man an Inspiration to fight
on and on for freedom. The tall
form of Patrlck Henry still looms
aloft with the dazzling sheen of a
meteor. From mountain tc
mountain and from continent tc
continent they still hear him say
"Gentlemen may cry peace,
but there is no peace; the war is
actually begun. What is it the
gentlemen wish? Is life SO dear
or peace so sweet as to be pur-
chased at the price of chains and
slavery? Forbid it, Almighty
God; I know not what course
others may take, but as for me,
give me liberty or give me
death.' Why should not the
nations have heard and needed
voices like these? The roar OF
the ocean dashing on the reefs;
the peal of the thunder as it leap
ed from peak to peak or rolls
through the valley; the detona-
ton of Niagara as it makes a
mighty plunge-what are these
when above them sweep the i'm
passioned notes of Patrick Henry,
or rolls The torrent tones of the
old liberty bell.
The forces set in motion by the
voice of seventy-six were OF i'm.
mense import to the human race.
They established a new state up
on a new model and then and
there achieved human liberty.
They affected the mightiest con-
sequences in that all the govern
meuts of the world are fashioned
more and more after this new
model, with a constantly grow.
ing share of rights for the com.
mon people. Measured by the
veal they have wrought for the
world, these forces constitute the
largest transaction that ever took
place in human affairs. Thus in
our own beloved country, the
voice of seventy-six taught u:
how to build mammoth nation
1t is taught US how to roll back
the Englishmen of 1912. 1t in
cited us when the heel of the
Spaniard was on the throat O
Cuba, to drive the oppressor from
the hemisphere. 1t is teaching
US now in the awakening public
conscience to drive out corrupt
ion and infamy from our corpora
tions and save the increment o
our effort in part tor our poor.
In France the voice of seventy
six was heard and beeded ant
on the ashes of tyranny has riser
mighty republic and free peo
pie. The people along the Rhin
heard and needed, and through
blood and carnage they wrun!
from unwilling princes a writer
constitution. Hungary, poo
Hungary, heard and her peopl
rallied under the flag of freedom
They caught the fire of inspira
tion and IN awful battle won for
time the precious heritage fo
which they fought.
Hark! what is the sound upol
the night? 'Tis a shrek. Agai
! and again it rends the air. Hist
miugling with it is the deep de
tonation of shotted cannon. An
the frenzied scream, and the hio
eous groan, they too come out c
,, the darkness. The rattle, ali
the rattle of musketry, the clac
of swords, the thunder of hoo
! beats, they are hideous throug
the night. Murder death blood