Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-07-07
A new INDEPENDENCE
CONTINUED from page one. J

Shall this great kingdom which sur
vived the Danish depredations, am
the Scottish inroads, and the Nor
man conquest, and withstood tn
Spanish armada, now fall prostrat
before our foe? Shall we stoop 81
low as to tell our enemy, Take all w
have, only give us peace?' 1t il
impossible Where is the man wht
will advise it? If we must have peace
or war, and if we cannot have peace
with honor, then let us have war
Let us make one effort, and if we must
fall, let us fall like men!" Being
overcome then by weakness and emo
tion he fell in a swoon, and was
borne out amid the profoundest hush
and deepest sorrow. 1t was his last
plea for his country, Surely this was
an exhibition of patriotism. But it
was not patriotism of the highest
type-for it was loyalty to principle
in itself false. 1t was the defense of
an unjust demand and unrighteous
cause.
The American patriots were moved
by a patriotism of higher type. A
striking illustration of it is seen in the
spirit and words of General Joseph
Reed. He was approached by Brit
ish emissary, who offered him fifty
thousand dollars and the best office in
the colonies, if he would betray the
American armies into the hands of
+lo,,, ,,,oo,, he o1
versary and towering above him in hot
indignation, the patriot replied: 81
am not worth purchasing, but such as
I am, the king of Great Britain is not
rich enough to buy mel!
The blood of the heroes on the grass
of Lexington and the snow at Valley
Forge was the forecast of victory, and
the words of the dying Lawrence,
"Don't give up the ship" voiced a
patriotism which can never die. The
triumphs of the battle field were mo-
mentous, but the rise of the American
navy was startling. A company of
sixty volunteers, few armed with
muskets, but most of them carrying
lumber barge. and prepared to give
battle to British schooner of war
which had come up the river. 1t was
the Margaretta carrying sixteen guns.
Her commander sneeringly watched
the approach of the lumber barge
the American navy-towed by skiffs.
He allowed the barge to be brought
the Margaretta. But that
proved to be his undoing, for no soon
er had the vessels touched, than the
patriots with a sudden rush boarded
the schooner. They attacked the en-
emy with such fury, that the British
were compelled to strike their colors
in twenty minutes. But that lumber
barge, armed with its muskets and
pitchforks and handful of patriotic
men, was prophetic of Manila Bay,
and the world-circling American
armada, which in this twentieth CEN
tury has won the respect and admira-
ton of the nations
The spirit of liberty is stirring the
heart of Russia and Turkey. Spain
and Germany, and will one day sweep
from the throne. World ,
peace and national disarmament have
little hope of realization until thrones
are abolished with their intrigue and
hauteur, and the sovereign people as
sert their sovereign rights through
democratic government We applaud ;
our Presidents efforts in the interest
IF world-peace, but we deprecate his d,
weakness and folly in suffering Amer :
can citizens to be ruthlessly oppress-
I'd and Old Glory humbled in barbaric ;
Mexico. Such weak submission to !
,arbarism is not in the interest of .
but to the perpetuation
Vt barbariSm. The seizure of Vera :,
Jruz was iustifable. The prevention :
IT great shipment of war munitions ;,
eaching the tyrant Huerta was iusti- 7
liable. But the delivery of that ship :,
nent of war munitions to Huerta Y
without resistance by President Viii
on was violation of all good sense; p
was an act of stupidity. worthy of
cOurtmartial; and by it nineteen I.
boys died in vain! p p
Liberty enlightens and blesses the
ace. Read the story of the world s ,,
oor, and remember the poor in Ameri- -
a get better wages, have better food, u,
we IN greater comfort. have more
lXuries, receive greater school privi- al
'ges than anywhere on earth. Here \,
'e are not under the surveillance of
n army of police; we may travel
rom ocean TO ocean without a gov ~,
passport; and are not forced
waste the best years of life in a r.
landing army
Lofty principles have been forged p,
the furnace of aflliction. and noble IN
laracterS have been nodded under the
over of oppression. The struggle r..
1r liberty has produced the highest
'pe of patriotism. The genius and ~;
rtues of Washington are known and i,
'ad of all men. He swung wide the en-
ltes and ushered in the era of ma
onal freedom. The mastery move i,
ents of that great commander on =,
Ie Delaware. were said by Frederic ~.
e Great to be. "the most brilliant ~.
recorded in military an an
lis. y Frederic afterward sent a.