Norwich bulletin., 1914-12-09

These are Inrra ana general etandnrds, but they are not very didieuit of ap-
 piicatiop to particular cases.
 National Dstsnss.
 1 Tho other topic shall take leave to
 mention goes deeper into the princt-1 ples of our national life and policy. It Is the subject of national defense. It can not be discussed without first tiens. It is said in some quarters that we are not prepared for war. What 1 is meant by being prepRred2 Is it | meant that we are not ready upon I brief notice to put a aHation in the iof course we are not ready 10 do that: I and we shall never be in time of I peace so long as we retain our present l political principles and institutions. bAnd what Is 1t that It IS suggestea we fshould be prepared to do? To defend yourselves against attack We have
 always found means to do that, and Esl1all find them whenever it is neces- l,sary without calling our people away l from their necessary tasks to render | compulsory military service tp times
 AiioW me to speak ,a4tet great plain I ness and, direotness upon this great matter and to avoW my coDTictions l to know what Ansrica is, what her 1 people think, what they are, what they l most cherish ana hold dear. I hope l that some of their finer passions are In my heaTt.-sone of the great con- | captions and deSires which gave birth | made the voice of this people a voice | Of peace and hope and liberty among the peoples of the world, and that.
 speaking my own thoughts, I shah, at least in part. speak theirs also, how
 ever faintly and inadequately, upon this vital matter.
 l At Peace With, World.
 We are at peace with all the world. | No one who speaks counsel based on I fat or drawn from a just and candid 1 interpretation of realities can say that there Is reason to fear that from any I quarter OUT Independence or the ins 1 tegrity of our territory is threatened Dread Of the power Of any nation we are incapable oE We are not jealous
 of rivalry in the fields of commerce | or of any other peaceful achievement. I We mean to live our own lives as we \ will; but we mean also to let live. We
 are. indeed, a true friend to all the ! nations of the world, because we
 threaten none. cOyet the possessions of l none, desire the overthrow of none I Our friendship can be accepted and is | accepted without reservation, because it is offered in spirit and for a pur- pose which no one need ever question
 
 | We are the champions of peace and of l concord. And we should be very jeal- ous of this distinction which we have sought to earn. Just now we should be. particularly jealous of 1t, because ! it is our dearest present hope that this | character and reputation may,present- ly. in Gods providence, bring us an opportunity such as has seldom been tvouchSafed any nation, the opportuni- = I ty to counsel and obtain peace in the f N-l6 ,rz6 settlement of many a matter that has 1 cooled and interrupted the friendship of nations. This is the time above all others when we should wish and resolve to keep our strength by self possession, our influence by preserving our ancient principles of action.
 Never Large Standing Army. I From the first we have had a clear | and settled policy with regard to mil Il itary establishments. We never have II had, and whiic we retain our present Il principles and ideals we never shall | have a large standing army. If asked
 Are you ready to defend yourselves ? | we reply, Most assuredly, to the ut
 most; and yet we shall not turn Amer T fca. into military camp. We will not ask our young men to spend the best Il of their lives making soldiers of them | selves. There Is another sort of en- ergy in us. It will know how to de- CidTe lISeII and make 1USeI eHectlVe
 should occasion arise. And especially ,l when half the world is on fire we shah Il be careful t" make our moral Insur-
 ance against the spread of the con- hagration very definite and certain
 and adequate indeed
 Citizenry Trained and Accustomed Il to Arms.
 Let us remind ourselves, therefore, l thing wi do. We must depend in every time of national peril, in the future as in I the past, not upon a standing army, nor yet upon a reserve army, but upon a citizenry trained and accustomed to
 arms. It will be right enough, right American policy, based upon our ac- customed principles and practices, to provide system by which every citi- Il zen who will volunteer for the train ing may be made familiar with the use and n1aneuver. and the maintenance .I and sanitation of camps. We should encourage such training and make 1t
 a means of discipline which our young
 that we should provide it not only,
 but that we should make it as at tFactive as possible, and so induce our young men to undergo it at such times .i as they can command a little freedom I and can seek the physical development |
 for nothing more. Every means by which such things can be stimulated
 is legitimate, and such a method
 smaclSs of true American ideas. It is , right, too, that the National Guard of
 the States should be deVeloped and strengthened by every means which is not inconsistent with our obligations . to our own people or with the estab. lished policy of our Government. And , this, also, not because the time or oc- easion calls for such measures, but
 because it should be our constant poli- cy to make these provisions for ouI Irrational peace and safety.
 5i Ee~ersaI of Poiity.
 More than this carries with 1t a B reversal of the whole history and char. ? aeter of our polity. More than this : proposed at this time, permit me tc v say, would mean merely that We had , lost our seh-poSsession, that we haI been thrown off our balance by a wal @ with which We have nothing to do n whose causes can not touch us. who's, very existence affords us opportunltiea el of friendship and disinterested servic, V which should make us ashamed of anI r thought Of hostility of fearful prepara, . fiOa fer f5.m4aHnJn SyR13@ ia ft,.