Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-31

FOR the primary causes of the nations
woes makes her whole people partners IN
the resultant griefs and giories. NO loyai
heart discriminates today between the
graves OF those who died that the su.
preme equity Of freedom should prevail
and no geographical lines circumscrloe
the gratitude of nation cleansed or lis
original sin by the blood of its devoted
sons.
Splendid and terrible were the concom-
itants OF the mighty struggle Ihey
were fit accessories to the stupendous
ISSUES involved.
FESTIVE Under Checks.
Sometimes a portion of the people.
strong by reason of their number or by
reason of their zeal and activity. and in
interested in the accomplishment or
laudable aims. become impatient and res
tive under the checks and balances and
boundaries which control and harmonize
our system apd may therefore oppose
| what they want through the methods they
propose.
Recently this tendency seems to me to
have threatened seriously to disturb the
JUS. relations between the state and fed
| eral governments. Impatient Of the dit
ficulties and delays which must attend the
| action of separate states In the accom-
plishment of their objects. some of the
people have seemed to feel that by an
assumption of federal power, or by ignor-
| ing state power tHelT AIMS toulu NC
speedily and fully obtained.
But the genius of our Constitution. the
supreme equity of our form Of govern
ment. the balance wheel of our syste IN
is that each of the dual governments
shall keep within its own sphere. un-
ira mmeled and uncontrolled by the
other.
The strength and power of this nation
does not rest upon the fact that 1t is a
| federation of st ates. but that it Is a union
l<,e tofn haS sod q
| rf4ulated by the people. adopted by the
people. defended and preserved here by
| the people. No object Is SO important that
we should sacrifice the very nature and
! glory of our system to accomplish it.
II cost us nearly a million lives. untold
millions Of treasure and unspeakable an
guish to prevent the states from Destroy
| ing the Union created by the Constitution.
The Perils of the Nation.
If unfortunately it should ever be neces-
sary. 1t Is not to be presumed that the
people would not. at equal cost. prevent
the Union from destroying the states.
Such a crisis can only be avoided by the
people themselves, and by them only by
sternly rebuking and dismissing public
servants who through motives of coward
ly expedency. weakness of moral or men
tai fiber or other cause fail to stand
courageously for the maintenance in their
integrity of our essential rights. Wise
men establish governments; brave men
defend and die for them: weak. corrupt
and ambitious men destroy them
This government is not seriously threat
ened by anarchy which is the cause
poused by the wicked malicious and en-
vious and by ignorance and perverted de
generacy.
Our peril Is to be found In weak or in
sidious acouiescence by our public serv-
ants in specious demands for inroads upon
the established and tried institutions of
our country sometimes made in the name
of reform, sometimes masquerading as
| justice.
The highest and most patriotic ambition
| YOU and I can entertain is to seek TO UNI
derstand the fundamental principles in
American national life. and understanding
them to defend and protect them. Defend
them alike against those, who would mar
| rowly restrict them and those who would
destructively expand them.