The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-04-08
The French maid Of Orleans

wrongs and suffering that had befallen
her country, set to work, keeping her
purpose in view, and secured her way
among the French soldiers, and inspired
the dIspirited ones with new courage.
She kinded a flame Of enthusiasm
among them that none could resist.
But all about US the power of this in
visible something we call purpose is
manifest.
The tones of the old school bell in yOn-
der tower that has called many within
her walls t. duty; the glistening dew
drop; the ripping brook IN the lonely
forest; the mobile river in its onward
course. all play important parts in the
law of service. Even the flower that
breathes its fragrance on the desert
air, the echoing notes of little song
ster, the tiny mound of the ant, have
some lesson to teach or purpose to full
fill Then should not we who have been
placed in dominion over the earth, have
at least as much purpose as the hum
blest of these? The pages of history
are also aglOw with examples.
A Huss could taste of the pangs of
persecution and death and yet with
compOsure breathe upon his enemies a
benediction; Luther could stand before
a bowling multitude and say, 'Recant
I cannot, and recant | will not, and
Paul in the darkest hours of his perse-
cution and affection could whisper, Il
have fought a good fight, | have finish
ed my course, | have kept the faith
These are the martyrs whose memories
will glow more brightly as civilization
becomes more enlightened. These are
the men who, though dead, are still be-
ing crowned. The prosecuted hereticS
of yesterday are the glorifed martyrs
of today. The apostle John was de-
spiSed as an exile and a TeDrOachful
Galilean, but long after his enemies had
sunk into oblivion it was the name of
st. John that was found carved deep in
the monuments Of civilization. Then,
ask the names of the great heroes of
the earth and will point to the ones
who amid scorn and persecution stood
alone. The many martyrs of the past
who were scorned and ridiculed, today
the children of that very generation
who mobbed ard reviIed them are gath
ering up their scattered ashes to depOs-
it them in the golden urn of our coun-
try's history.
Purpose in all its power manifests it
self in many strange ways. Scattered
through the pages of protane history
we find records of strange happenings.
We see the Greeks for ten long years
hammering at the great bulWarks of
Troy. We hear grand old Plato in all
his glory resounding through the Seven
Killed City, Carthage must be de
stroyed, while one, in later years, is.
through mist and fog, even an unknown
ocean, seen making his way to a new
land. Could Alexander have conquered
what he thought to be the world had he
not seen far in the distance the great
Egyptian Pyramids; or could Hannibal
have crossed the snow capped Alps had
he not through the difficulties beheld
the sun-kissed plains of Italy? Could
Caesar have ever crossed the Rubicon
or Washington the Delaware, if they
had not fix their stern gazes on the
glorious victories beyond the peris at
their feet? Could our Declaration of
Independence" have been valid if Lin
coin had not signed that great docu-
ment of freedom, The Emancipation
Proclamation" Those who have left
their names imperishable, have been
men of iron will; men our nation values,
but the cOnquerors, liberators and pre-
servers of nations, have all been men
of varIike mettle. Our heroes and
martyrs who stood for right and Justice
are identified with those who live on in
the hearts and minds of future genera
tons The men who illustrate the true
value of our country are those who left
home and occupation, comfort and KIN
bred, and stood in the midst of battle
Loyal to purpose, there are thousands
of uncrOwned heroes whose influence
upon humanity is associated with no
mark of destruction, bat whose noble
purpose and sacrifice will ever have a
place of Importance in this nation S rec,
Ords. In grassy graves they sleep,
when the symbols they loved so well
shall cover and spre ad over them, by
day the flowers of red, white and blue,
by night the consolidated stars, while
out of those graves there grows the
better harvest of the nation and of the
times to come.
What? You ask who is great? Only
he is great who has rendered humanity
the best, the truest and the noblest ser
vice. Is that nation great which has
written its history in innumerable atroc-
tiles, or that has attained the pride of
its bosom with the precious blood of
mortals? Is that nation great within
whose borders the craving greed for
wealth and power has almost eclipsed
the star of purity and justice? All |
fear lest in the great hurlyburly of this
industrial age we may forget our pur-
pose; lest we may forget the principles
that cost the life blood of our fore faith
ers; lest we may forget the teachings
of Him who walked the lonely shores of
Galilee! OH shall our fate be that of a
Tyre or Sidon?
'lf drunk with sight of power we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee IN awe
Such Boosting as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the law
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget-lest we forget
Mr.. Willett's address was as follows
To be called upon to address an aud
fence Of this character, and to speak a
word of advice and encouragement to
the young people, who have this day
achieved the first step in the great
school of life, is to me an event of deep
interest and concern, as | am sure it
must be to all who see the great work
that lies before the American people.
Upon the young people, in whose