The Washington times., 1908-05-31
SENATOR P. c. KNOX
TALKS To VETERANS
Large Crowd Gathers on
Gettysburg Field to Pay
Tribute to Dead.

GETTYSBURG. Pa. May sO-Eefors
a large audience gathered on The BAT
tleaeld Of Gettysburg today Senator
Philander Chase Knox warned his hear
ers against the dangers Of peace as be.
ing greater than those Of war He
pleaded for a return u the prineiLlgs
OF the Constitution, saying that ths
rights and functions o. the States
should be preserved intact and the 70
lat.0ns between the Stat, and Federal
governments remain undIstu.bed.
Sometimes a portion Of TIE peopls.
strong by reason Of their number or
by reason Of their yea and activity
he said, and interested In the accom-
plishment OF laUoabIe aims become i'm
patient and FESTIVE under the checks
and balances and boundaries which con
troll and harmonic our system and NAV
therefore oppose what they want
through the methods they propose.
Relations Threatened.
Recently this tendency. seems To ma
To have threatened seriously 20 disturb
the just relations between the state
and Federal governments. inpatient
Of the difficulties and delays which
must attend the action Of separate
States in the accomplishment Of their
OBJECTS, some Of the people have seemed
10 feel that b. a. assumption Of Fed
eral power, or by ignoring state power,
their aims could b. speedily and fully
obtained.
But the genius Of our Constitution,
the supreme equity OF or form Of gov
eminent, the balance wheel OF our sys-
tenn fgarn1r zach of 81 .Fr-a1
ments shall keep within its own sphere,
untrammeled and uD 0utroIled by ths
other.
Lit Us guard against dangerous en-
croat 'ments upon this system: lei Us
stand courageousIy. persisteutIy, ana
eternally by our ancient rights.
In this way shall We show our grati-
tude TO those who persisted here and
preserve che principles for which they
died
If this Union is TO survive il must
be maintained as constituted or as mod
ifed in the way provided by those who
constituted IT,
IF it IS 10 survive il is Just as neces-
sary, now and always, that wisdom,
vigilance and courage should abide ia
the halls Of legislation, the chambers
OF judicial decision, the ceuters Of exc
cutIve power and with the dominating
mass OF the people as that the sons OF
the Union should nave bathed with
their blood these fertile fields.
Where Power Rests.
The strength and power Of this IA.
ton does not rest upon the fact that
iL is a federation Of States, but that IL
IS Union OF States, based upon q
Constitution formulated by the people,
adopted by the people, defended and
preserved here by the people. No object
3 so important that We should sacrl-
fice the very nature and glory CT our
system 70 accomplish il.
1T cost US nearly 1000 GO lives, IN
told millions Of treasure and unspeak-
able anguish. TO prevent the States from
destroying the Union created by the
Constitution
IF unfortunately it should ever be
necessary, IL IS not 10 be presumed that
the people would not, at equal cost. pre-
vent the Union from destroying the
states such crisis can only be avoid
ed by the people themselves and by
them only by sJern.y Teluking and dis
missing public servants who through
motives OF cOWardly eXpediency weak
ness OF moral or nenJGs fiber or other
cause fail to stand cOurageousIy for
the maintenance in their integrity OF
our essential rights Wise men establish
governments; brave men defend and
die for them; weak, corrupt and am
1 bilious men destroy them.
This Government is not seriously
threatened by anarchy, which Is tho
cause espOused by the wicked malicious
and envious and by ignorance and per-
verted degeneracy.
"C'u peril Is to be found in weak or
lnsld-ouS acquiesence by our public ser
wants IN specious demands for inrOads
upon the established and tried institu-
lions OF our country sometimes made in
the name of reform, sometimes mas
querading as Justice