Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-01

Armageddon, battlefield of three con
tinents; Marathon, where the Persian
hosts fell before Grecian valor; SYRIA
cuse, Chalons, Tours, Hastings,
Orleans, Blenheim, Valmy, Waterloo
and Sedan How many of these had
any bearing on the life Of the race!
The most of them offer us little but
sadness and regret. Men died in the
excitement of the charge without
knowing why they died. Swept along
by blind passion they found no logic
for a dying pillow. But the battles
our fathers fought were not such nor
were their victories barren victories
Their camp fires lighted up the hori
zon with the greater future of the
race. They trod the fields of battle
with patriotic feet and waved their
colors in the name of universal liberty.
In calling attention to battles fought
and victories won upon this stage OF
liberty, we are not to stop to consider
mere numbers nor mere physical big
ness. Our victories have been moral
victories. Our fathers fought for prin-
ciple and America is their arotheosis.
Let us turn to take view of their
work.
! America the Stage.
It would seem to the discerning
! student of history that the almighty
opens the doors of his temples when
they are ready for occupancy. We are
not wise enough to know his times and
seasons. 1t now seems that he had pre-
pared this continent as the stage for
the evolution Of human liberty. When
men are ready to escape the thralldom
of the past and nourish their souls
with the pure and exquisite freedom
offered beyond seas, God opened wide
| the doors and the worthy from the
worlds ends passed through. These
preferred graves in the SHOWS Of New
England to the political and moral
graves of Old England. The idea which
| led them to seek refuge and plant
| their homes in wilderness swathed
| with snow and hung with icy blasts is
| today the dominant idea of the world.
About it centers the best hopes OF
mankind. To them it was but naked
spirit not far removed from the realms
of superstition, but they clothed it
with a body and subsequent ages gave
it the breath of immortality. 1t was
the idea of civil and religious liberty.
This idea could not go unchal-
lenged. 1t was in direct opposition to
the prevalent idea of the world. 1t
held up the divine rights of man
against the divine rights of kings. One
had to fall to make room for the other.
The struggle was imminent from the
conception, but was Withheld through
the centuries by the selfishness of the
old order. The old world thought the
new was a field for plumber. Old world
claims had to be settled before the.
new could start for itself. It were need
full that the strongest and bravest from
across the seas should meet and clash
here In the sequel England was vic !
torious and proved her right to be the
nucleus of the race of the future.
Finally it was to be her fate to fight
this race and be defeated by It and
make room for q larger and better
civilization.
Tyranny Has No Place.
And what civilization it is! There
is nowhere a lacing of chains. The
breath of despotism has never polluted
it. Tyranny has never thrown about 1t
it's fostering arms 1t is suited to what
man is and what it is in the power
Of good laws to make him. It's power
is the power of the nation; it's will Is
the will of the people. 1t came as the
result Of eight years of triumphant
battle. When our fathers destroyed
one despotism they did not try to
build another, and when they had re-
iected one tyrant they did not attempt
to enthrone another. England pushed
her Charles through the iron gates OF
death and gave her Cromwell a crown.
France gloated over the death of her
Louis and assisted her Napoleon to
the throne. Alike they lost in time all
they had gained. The colonies
struggled for freedom and when they
won It they we're wise enough to make
provision for keeping it forever, Out
of their heroic desire and out of their
self sacrifice arose this marvellous
republic which has never broken
faith with any people, great or small.
Danger Was Within.
All the dangers of the republic have
been from within. War clouds have
hung low and thunders have rolled
along the mountains of the sky, but !
the republic has never been in danger
from them. The danger came from
within. We are far enough removed
from the scene to Judge of it impair
TALLY. And now that the chasm Is SO
olleCIudlly NllSu VIII SCou " IL 1liSh
was once red and slippery with
slaughter we should not seek to I'M
cover 1t by undue criticism or harsh |
accusation. Let us believe that our
nation is one, and that our flag Is one,
and that our hope is one, and that our
hearts are one, and that our swords
are ten millions in defense of liberty
and honor
But there was war. call it by what
every name you will. There was some
cause for that war. Half million
graves in the south land attest the
fact of war Monuments lifted upon
scores of battlefields tell of battles
and victories. The thinning ranks Of
the blue and the gray speak of other
years when men marched away to
the wild. grand music of war to dare
and do. What are we to tell those who
come after us was the cause of this
war? Are we to sit dumb when all the
blame is thrown back upon those VINO
fought for the Union? Are we to re.
main quiet when the tallest man and
~, - -,l,s+oef eo,,1 ne Anr1N SayOn |