The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-08-20
AMBASSADOR
BRYCE'S SPEECH


BRYcE's SPEECH
Ambassador Bryce said in part
First let me thank you In behalf OF the
sovereign and the people whom I am
honored by being deputed TO represent In
the United States for the invitation TO join
In the celebration today of a great event.
II Is fitting that the ancient Motherland
whence came the settlers whom you COM
memorate should be remembered here,
and should send you her greetings. These
colonists we're men OF the right stamp to
settle and develop a new country. Eng
land gave you OF her best, and she gave
them IN a great crisis OF her own fate.
She has ever since watched the fortunes
OF their descendants. marking their grow
ing greatness. and never with more pride.
more sympathy and more affection than
she does today. Many of you may re-
member to have seen somewhere on the
coasts OF Massachusetts, or Maine rain
bow stretching from one land to another
and seeming to make radiant bridge
from land TO land. IL Is a beautiful sight
and still more beautiful when the rain
bow is a double one In this shape of a
double rainbow bridging the ocean from
England to America there presents itself
to me the double settlement OF this con-
tinent by the men who founded Virginia
THE rainbow Is the symbol OF hope
and America the land of hope. over this
bridge OF hope millions have passed from
Europe hitherto and IL Is In the spirit OF
hope for the future of a land so blessed
by Providence as yours that we Of Eng
land send our hearty greetings.
Much has been said-indeed nothing has
been left unsaid-in praise OF tho Pilgrim
Fathers, for this country Is fertile In
celebrations: and i cannot hope to say
anything new about them. But every
man must speak Of thing as II strikes
him. / ask myself when think OF tnesc
exiles coming to make their home on
what vas then a blank and desert shore,
what was IL that brought them hither
Was II love OF civil hberty7 They loved
civil liberty but seyt% thSt hSt t6ey Gamer
Was IL for love OF religious liberty Not
at any rate for a general freedom OF con-
science and freedom TO all TO think and
PROCLAMATION OF that general freedom had
not yet been made by Its noble apostle,
Roger Williams.
What they did desire and what brought
them here was the wish to worship God
in the way they held to be the right way.
1t was loyalty to Truth and TO Duty that
moved them to. quit their English homes
and friends.
building to commemorate those who laid
the foundations OF the commonwealth of
Massachusetts,. an event worthy OF ever
lasting memory. Yet in sense no monu.
ment piled high in stone Is needed. II
was said by a famous statesman Of ac-
tiouity that "the whole earth Is the tomt
of illustrious men"
Congressman Lowering
Congressman william c. Lowering
said in part:
"Mr President--It is far from my
purpose to sound a false or discordant
note to jar upon the ears of this goodly
company, but IL what l have to say
shall strike a minor key, let IL be
remembered that the truest and closest
harmony is written in the minor.
Us there a nation on earth whert
Justice is so slow as In the United
States?
TOO much legislation cheapens the
law.
TOO much legislation attenuates
and impairs the vigor OF the law.
Fewer laws promptly and vigorous
ly enforced would diminish crime.
while we have three times the
population we had so years ago. a
thousand fold more laws and hun
dred times more lawyers, we have no
more courts. few more Judges and but
a few more prosecuting and executive
Officers to enforce the law@MAat- won
der that crime stalks abroad by day
and night. What wonder that there
were more than a hundred thousand
homicides in the last 10 years, and
that. they are increasing each year.
What wonder that gigantic corpora
tions employ their enormous wealth
and the highest legal talent to strain
the laws to their utmost. What Won
der that ill-gotten fortunes menace the
liberties of the people.
What shall be said OF the morals
of a business community when IL prac-
tically demands assurance that crimi-
nails shall not be arraigned. and when
the assurance that a criminal will not
be prosecuted gives confidence In stock
market values?
What shall be said OF men who
exult In the immunity Of a law
breaker?
What shall be said Of men whose greed
for gain has so blunted their consciences
that they have come to look upon the law
as only a restraint upon their libertiesI
'Tf the monument, whose foundation we
are laying today, shall stand for nothing
else, II will certainly remind us and future
generations that respect for the law and
the rights of others Is the corner stone
OF civil government
1T is we'll that we should come here
today and be reminded that there were
times when the minds OF men had no
thought Of the law but to cAserve II, that
there were times when fear OF the law
went hard in hand with respect for the
law, that there were times when success
did not condone crime"