Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1907-07-13

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their stroke. They we're fighting on
the right side, and they ware fighting
for their homes and for posterity.
Under their efforts depended, under
God, whether liberty, driven out OF
every other country and threatened
even here, should be preserved from
destruction. So the old colonists,
grim determined, not enobled by pat
rician blood, but by true manhood en-
Obled by hatred of oppression and
wrong; enobled with the thought Of
responsibility; fired with the justice
of their cause; stood in the gap pre-
pared to fight and to win. They stood
as trustees for their families aud for
pOsterity, TO preserve and transmit
the sacred and precious treasure Of
freedom. They stood in short the
champions Of liberty, the sworn foes
of tyranny. Was it then l ask. won
derful that they succeeded though
fighting against such. fearful odds?
If they had not succeeded 1t would
have been simply one more abortive
effort to throw off the yoke of tyranny.
But they did succeed to the astonish-
ment OF the world-But then who can
fight against God and win?
What wonderful changes has this
country witnessed since 1776. What
marvellous strides has American civil
ization taken since Peter Minitz pur-
chased Staten Island on which the
city Of New York stands, OF the In
dians for S24.
If like another Rip Van Winkle,
one of the old colonists in steeple hat
and basgy breeches and big top boots
could wake up today and look around
he would not recognize in the U. S.
the land of his adoption. In his Time
there was only thinlY settled strip of
country along the Atlantic coast,
thousands of square miles were prim-
eval swamp or forest. nothing was
known Of the vast western land be-
yond the Mississippi. IIe would see
the East and the West, from the Paci-
fic to the Atlantic, from the Gulf to
the Great Lakes, the home Of mighty
multitude OF toilers who had come In
from every land. He would see that the
enterprise, the grit, the brain Of his
descendants had conquered great nat
ural difficulties, developed rich min
eral resources, turned its mighty in
land waters into feeders for the COM
merclal needs anG quenchlcss activities
of an eyer growing multitude. He would
see the whole country swarming with
populous cities, knit together with
network of iron roads. He would
travel 80 miles an hour he would talk
into hole and get an answer from
hundreds of miles distant. He would
eat ice cream and sauerkraut. He
could go up in q balloon mile high
or down into the earth mile deep.
He would see mighty ocean liners,
compared with which the biggest YES
sci of his time was but a cOckie+hell,
crossing the ocean in a week. He
would be stupified to learn that the
four millions or less of his time had
grown to nearly ninety millions. He
would be told how art, science and lit
erature had been developed, with pro-
gress beyond all calculation in the
various thing that make up clviliza
tion. He would be assured that all
these were the natural growth Of free
institutions.
The United States has grown more
in one century than Great Britain has
In three, than China and India have
In fifty, and 1t Is yet in its infancy.
Am L right in adding that the new
Rip Van Winkle would not know
where he was at.
Now to live In such land is priv
ilege. The multitudes who have
swarmed in from every land to make
their homes with us are abundant
proof Of this, To have a chance to
grow, to call out the best there is in
any man, to provide for those dearest
To him, to have the opportunity OF
placing himself above want, is l re-
peat great privilege. But there is
more than this TO be said.
PRIVILEGES imply DuTIEs. Our
ancestors handed down to us an ines
timable treasure. 1t is ours To guard
with vigilance, what they secured
with blood, and TO hand IL down un-
impaired to our children.
Let US ever bear In mind that lib
erty is not license. Liberty is not
the right TO do what we please, but
the right to do what is right, Liberty
Is not advanced by seltishnes but by
unSelfishness. by remembering the