Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-10

] hess. we are the champions Oh pcdCc
and of concord. And we should be
+, very jealous of this distinction which
we have sought to earn. Just now
we should be particularly jealous OF
| it, because it is our dearest hope that
this character and reputation may
presently, in Gods providence, bring
us an opportunity such as has seldom
been vouchsafed any nation, the OPP
portunity to counsel and obtain peace
in the world and reconciliation and
a healing settlement of many matter
that has 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 pre-.
serving our ancient principles of &C.
ton.
From the first we have had a clear
land settled policy with regard to mill.
tary establishments. We never have
had and while we retain our present
principles and ideals we never shall
have, a large standing army. II ask.
ed, Are you ready to defend your
selves? we reply, Most assuredly, to
the utmost; and yet we shall not turn
America into a military camp. We
will not ask our young men to spend
the best years of their lives making
soldiers of themselves There Is an
other sort of energy in us. 1t will
know how to declare itself and make
itself effective should occasion arise.
And especially when half the world
is on fire We shall be careful to make
our moral insurance against the
spread of the conflagration very def
mite and certain and adequate indeed
Let us remind ourselves, therefore,
of the only thing We can do or Will
do. We must depend in every time
of national peril. in the future as IN
the past. not upon a standing army,
not yet upon reserve army, but upon
citizenry trained and accustomed
to arms. 1t will be right enough,
right American policy based upon our
accustomed principles and practice,
to provide system by which every
citizen who will volunteer for the
training may be made familiar with
the use of modern arms, the rudiments
of drill and maneuver, and the main
tenance and sanitation of camps. We
should encourage such training and
make it means Of discipline which
our young men will learn to value
1t is right that we should provide 1T
not only, but that we should make II
as attractive as possible, and so induce
our young men to undergo it at such
time as they can command a little
freedom and can seek the physical de-
velopment they need, for mere
health's sake, if for nothing more
Every means by which such things
can be stimulated is legitimate, and
such method smacks of true Ameri-
can IDEAS 1t is right, too, that the
national guard of the states should
be developed and strengthened by ev-
cry means which is not inconsistent
with our obligations to our own peo-
pie or with the established policy of
our government And this, also, not
because the time or occasion specially
calls for such measures. but because
it should be our constant policy TO
make these provisions for our national
peace and safety.
More than this carries with it a
reversal of the whole history and
character of our polity. More than
this, proposed at this time, permit me
to say, would mean merely that we
had lost our self-possession, that we
had been thrown off our balance by
war, with which we have nothing to
do. whose causes can not touch us,
whose very existence affords us OPP
portunities of friendship and disinter-
ested service which should make us
ashamed of any thought of hostility or
fearful preparation for trouble This
is assuredly the opportunity for which
a people and a government like ours
were raised up, the opportunity not
only to speak but actually to embody
and exemplify the counsels of peace
and amity and the lasting concord
which is based on justice and fair and
generous dealing.
A powerful navy we have always re-
garded as our proper and natural
means of defense; and it has always
been of defense that we have thought,
never of aggression or of conquest.
But who shall tell us now what sort