Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-07-10

another way but not in another spirit
Our day is not Owe it is upon us IN
full tide.
Have affairs paused? Does the Ma
ton stand still? Is what the 30 years
have wrought since those days Of bat
tie finished, rounded out, and cOmplet-
ed7 Here is a great people. great
with every force that has yer beaten
in the LIKELIHOOD of mankind. And it is
secure. There is no one within it's
borders, there is no power among the
nations of the earth, to make 1t afraid.
But has it yet squared itself with its
own great standards set UP at its
birth, when it made that first noble,
naive appeal to the moral Judgment of
mankind to take notice that a govern
ment had now at last been established
which was to serve men, not masters?
1t is secure in everything except the
satisfaction that its life is right, adj
justed to the uttermost to the stand
ards of righteousness and humanity.
The days of sacrifice and cleansing
are hot closed. We have harder things
to do than were done in the heroic days
Of war, because harder to see clearly,
recurring more vision, TO- calm
UdldAC0 III FJAu6AOAI, hOA
searching of the very springs of right.
Look around you upon the field of
Gettysburg! Picture the array, the
fierce heats and agony of battle, coll
umn hurled against column, battery
believing to batteryi& ValOur? Yes!
| Greater no man shall see in war; and
seIf-sacriice, and loss to the utter
most; the high r~ecklessness of exalted
- -0+# ~ &hn nocf
We are made of these tragic. epic
things to know what it costs to make
a nation-the blood and sacrifice of
multitudes of unknown men lifted to
a great stature in the view of all gem
erations by knowing no limit to their
manly willingness to serve In armies
thus marshaled from the ranks of free,
men you will see, as it were, a nation
embattled, the leaders. and the led, and
may know, if you will, how little ex-
cept in form.its action differs in days
of peace from its action in days OF
war.
May we break camp now and be at
ease? Are the forces that fight for Ma
ton dispersed, disbanded, gone to their
homes forgetful of the common cause?
Are our forces disorganized, without
constituted leaders and the might of
men consciously united because we
contend, not with armies, but with
municipalities and powers and wicked
ness in high places? Are we content
to lie still? Does our Union mean
sympathy, our peace c-ontentment, our
vigour right action, our maturity self
comprehension and a clear confidence
in choosing what We shall do? War
fitted us for action. and action never
ceases.
I have been chosen the leader of the
Nation. 1 a not justify the choice
by any qualities of my own, but so it
has come about, and here I stand.
Whom do / command? The ghostly
hosts who fought upon these battle
fields long ago and are gone? These
gallant gentlemen stricken in years
whose fighting days are over. their
glory won? What are the orders for
them, and who rallies them? 1 have
in my mind another host, whom these
set free of civil strife in order that
they might work out in days of peace
and settled order the life of a great
Nation. That host is the people them
selves, the great and the small, with
class or difference of kind or race or
origin; and undivided in interest, If
we have but the vision to guide and
direct them and order their lives
Alright in what we do. Our consfitu-
tions are their articles of enlistment.
The orders of the day are the laws
upon statute books. What we strive
for is their freedom, their right to life
themselves from day to day and De-
hold the things they have hoped for.
and so make way for still better days
for those whom they love who are to
come after them. The recruits are the
little children crowding in. The quar-
termaster's stores are in the mines and
forests and fields, in the shops and fac
tories. Every day something must be
done to push the campaign forward;
and it must be done by plan and with
IN eye to some great destiny.
How shall we hold such thoughts in
our hearts and not be moved? / would
rot have you live even today wholly in
the past but would wish to stand with
you in the light that streams upon us
now out of the great day gone by. Here
is the nation God has builded by our
hands. What shall we do with it,
Who stands ready to act again and al
ways III SuG Sp1I1I Vi LIS udy vi 16uuIOA
and hope and patriotic ferver? The
day of our country's life has but broad
ened into morning. Do not put uni
forms by. Put the harness of the pres
ent on. Lift your eyes to the great
tracts of life yet to be conquered in
the interest of righteous peace, of that
prosperity which lies in a peoples
hearts and outlasts all wars and err
49, 49, -
rades and soldiers yet to serve our fell
low men in uiet counsel, where the
blare of trumpets is neither heard nor
needed and where the things are done
which make blessed the nations of the
world in peace and righteousness and
love-
Watts Takes Charge Monday.
t