Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-23
PRESIDENT cLEvELAND's
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ADDRESS
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ments; and though it must be conced-
ed that 1t is not given to US to see In
the magnifying mirage Of antiquity.
the exaggerated forms Of American
heroes, yet in the bright and normal
light shed upon our beginning and
growth, are seen grand and heroic
men whoh vac won imperishable
honor and our everlasting remem
brance. We cannot therefore excuse
lack Of commemorative inclination
and languid interest in recalling the
notable incidents Of our Country's
past under the plea of lack of COM
memorative material; nor can we in
this way explain our neglect adequate.
ly to observe days which have actually
been set apart for the especial mani
festation of our loving appreciation Of
the lives and the deeds of Americans,
who in crises Of our birth and develop
ment have sublimely wrought and
nobly endured.
If we are inclined to look for other
excuses, one may occur to us which,
though by no means satisfying, may
appear to gain somewhat fanciful
plausibtlity by reason of Its reference
to the law Of heredity. 1t rests upon
the theory that those who secured
for American nationality its first foot
hold, and watched over its weak in
fancy, were SO engrossed with the
persistent and unacceptable labors that
pressed upon them, and their hopes
and aspirations led them so constantly
to thoughts of the future that retro
spection nearly became with them an
extinct faculty. and that thus it may
have happened that exclusive absorb
ton in things pertaining to the present
and future, became so embedded in
their natures as to constitute trait of
character descendible to their poster
ity even to the present generation.
Lack Of Commemorative Enthusiasm
There is another reason which might
be advanced in mitigation of our lack
Of commemorative enthusiasm which
is so related to our pride of American
ism, that if we could be certain of It's
suff1ciency we would gladly eccept 1t
as conclusive. 1t has to do with the
underlying qualities and motives of
our free institutions. Those institu-
tons had their birth and nurture in
unselfish patriotism and unreserved
conservation; and by drgree Of fate
beyond recall or change their per-
petuity and beneficielence are condition
ed on the constant devotion and
single-hearted loyalty of those to
whom their blessings are vouchsafed
But after all why should we attempt
to delude ourselves? l am confident
that voice your convictions when
say that no play of ingenuity and no
amount of special pleading can frame
an absolutely creditable excuse for
our remissness in appropriate holiday
| observance.
The commemoration of the day on
which American independence was
born, has been allowed to lose much
of it's significance as reminder of
providential favor and the inflexible
patriotism of the fathers of the Re.
public, and has nearly degenerated to
revel of senseless noise aud danger
GUS explosion leaving in it's train far
more of mishap and accident, than
lessons of good citizenship or pride
Of country. The observance of Thanks
giving Day is kept alive through it's
annual designation by Federal and
State authority. But it is worth our
while to inquire whether its original
meaning, as day of united prause
and gratitude to God for the blessings
bestowed upon US as people and as
individuals, is not smothered in feast
ing and social indulgence We in COM
mon with Christian nations every
where, celebrate Christmas-but how
much less as day of commemorat-
| ing the birth of the Redeemer of man.
kind, than as a, day of hilarity and the
interchange of gifts.
Advocates Sane Enjoyment
| will not without decided protest
be accused of antagonizing or depre-
eating light-hearted mirth and jollity.
On the contrary I am an earnest adj
vocate of every kind of sane. decent
social enjoyment, and all sorts of rec
reation. But nevertheless I feel that
the allowance Of an homogeneous
possession by them of our comment
orative days is evidence of a certain
condition, and is symtomatic of a
popular tendency which are by no
means reassuring.
On this day, the Union League Club
of Chicago should especially rejoice
in the consciousness of patriotic &C.
compartment; and on this day of all
others, every one OF its members
should regard his membership as a
| badge of honor. Whatever else the
organization may have done, it has
justified its existence and earned the
applause of those whose love of Coun.
try is still unclouded by the work it
has done for the deliverance of Wash.
ington's Birthday from neglect or in
dolent remembrance
Lauds Washington
In furtherance of the high endeavor
of your organization it would have
been impossible to select for obser
vance any other civic holiday having
as broad and fitting significance as
this. 1t memories the birth of one
whose glorious deeds are transcen
IDENTIFY above all others recorded in oul
/ national annals: and in memorizine