The Republican., 1910-06-09

VIC 4SAlSulDGI lHe heroes OF the
second war with England-in
which our fathers fought for the
freedom of the seas, for the rights
of the American sailor.
We remember with pride the
splendid victory which bore our
flag i'll triumph from the Rio
Grande to the heights of Chapul-
tepec. Leaving out of question
the justice OF our cause.-the neces-
sity for war-we are yet COM
PEELED to applaud the marvellous
courage of our troops. A handful
of men-brave, impetuous, deter
mined, irresistible-conquered a
nation. Our history has no record
Of more daring deeds. Again
peace came, and the nation hoped
and thought that strife was at an
end. We had grown too power
full to be attacked. Our resources
were boundless, and the future
seemed secure.
The hardy pioneers moved to
the great west. Beneath their
ringing strokes the forests disap-
peared, and on the prairies waved
the billowed seas Of wheat and
corn The great plains were
crossed, the mountains were con-
quered and the foot of the victor
ious adventurer pressed the shore
of the Pacific, In the great north
all the streams went singing TO the
sea, turning wheels and spindles
and casting shuttles back and
forth. Inventions were springing
like magic from thousand brains.
From labor's holy altar rose and
leaped the smoke and flame, and
from the countless forges rang the
chant of rhymthiC stroke.
But in the south the negro toiled
unpaid, and the mothers wept
while babes were sold, and at the
auction block husbands and wives
speechlessly looked the last good
bye. Fugitives, lighted by the
northern star, sought liberty on
English soil, and were by nothern
men thrust back to whip and
chain. The great statesmen, the
successful politicians, announced
that law had compromised with
crime, that justice mad been bribed
and that time had barred appeal.
a race was left without a right,
without hope. The future had
no dawn, no star-nothing but
ignorance and fear, nothing but
work and want.
This was the conclusion of the
statesmen, the philosophy Of the
politicians, of constitutional ex-
Founders. This was decided by
courts and ratified by the nation.
We had been successful in three
wars. We had wrenched thirteen
colonies from Great Britain. We
had conquered our place upon the
high seas. We had added more
than two millions of square miles
to the national domain. We had
increased in population from three
to thirty-one millions. We were
in the midst of plenty. We were
rich and free. Ours appeared to
the most prosperous of nations.
But it was the only appearance.
The statesmen and the politicians
were deceived. Real victories can
be won only for the right. The
triumph ofjustice is the only peace.
Such is the nature of things. He
who enslaves another cannot be
free. He who attacks the right
assaults himself. The mistake of
our fathers made had not been cor
rected. The foundations of the re-
public were insecure. The great
dome of the temple was clad in the
light of prosperity, but the corner
stones were crumbling. -Four mill
lions of human beings were en-
slaved. Party cries had been mis-
taken for principles, partisanship
for patriotism, success for justice.
But pity pointed to the scared and
bleeding backs of slaves; mercy
heard the sobs of mother 'reft of
babes, and justice held aloft the
scales in which one drop of blood