Evening journal., 1915-11-10


Miss Carlisle, Young Ladies and
Gentlemen, and Guests Of the Ciyics
Glass:
u have been much Interested in
what have learned from you, Miss
Carlisle, as to the scope and object of
the teaching you have in charge. II Is
a comparatively new subject I'm the
curriculum of high schools and uni
versities. but teaching has broadened
since | was young, and the complexity
of modern, social and municipal life has
made almost necessary am examina.
ton and better understanding OF the
foundations upon which our hopes
are built for the future of institutions
al government. We are beginning none
too soon TO realize the responsible.
ties of citizenship in a free democracy,
and to appreciate the value of that
Individual liberty that an intelligent
citizenship can alone maintain.
much that / will have to say
to you has been impaired to you
In a more instructive way by your
teacher and the text books. but one
cannot avoid. in discussing citizen
ship-what It is and what are it's
housekeeping in mind the general
nature and development OF free gov
ernment, of which we talk so much
and with such pride. and of that in
dividual liberty which free govern
ment comprehends and cecures.
Individual liberty has been the as
piration of mankind from the earliest
historic periods. and it's greater or
less achievement by any people has
been the measure OF that peoples
civilization. OF course. I mean that
ordered liberty Of each individual
which is consistent with the like lib
erty in every other individual mem
ber of the society that protects it.
cannot detain you by even a glance
at the vicissitudes that have attended
the struggle for this great boon. nor
the obstacles which oppose themselves
to its achievement. It was long af
ter men emerged from their primi
tive state Of barbarism and had de
veioped through tribal governments
into so what larger social and politi
ca. organizations. that the ideals o
Z political freedom and individual lib
erty came into conscious recognition
The natural instincts OF human ma
ture produced from time TO time. anC
here and there. resistance TO tyranny
and oppression and the craelty of des
potic power. but the uninstructed and
unintelligent masses were generally
unable TO cope with the strength OF
rulers who had become war lords and
whose military resources rendered
them superior to the unorganized sub
jects whom they oppressed.
Through Ozark Ages
your accomplished teacher has
doubtless taken you over that dreary
uIIH Of d t.I. l..
t, confused and depressing tine. gener-
ally designated as The Dark Ages
and shown YOU how the ameliarating
influences Of the Christian Church.
alone has caused some lieht to shine
In those dark places. The nation-form.
ing epoch which succeeded the Dark
Ages on the continent of Europe. is
an interesting but complex subject.
and ! only refer TO Il now to remark
mat there was little I'm that process
OF nationforming to promote individ.
ual liberty. II is TO England that we
must turn for the inspiring story Of
its development among the English
speaking peoples of the world. and to
the undoubted influence OF that Teu.
tonic invasion of England during the
ntth century OF our Christian era. inst
after th departure of the Roman lie.
gions. which for four hundred years
had garrisoned and controlled the
country. Those hardy mariners from
Sleswick and Friesland seem 10 ha-
found there a congenial s1ii in which
10 plant the seeds of that individua
liberty which they had cherished anl
maintained in those bleak northern
regions from which they had come
II seems strange that those early Teu
tonic traits bore so little fruitage OF
the continent. and we must conClud
that the conditions of the nation-forn
Ing epoch to which ] have referred
were unfriendly TO their propagation
Il cannot forbear quoting an elt
uuent passage from John Richar
Green's History of the Making O
England. He says
IL is with a reverence such as
stirred by the sight of the headwater
of some mighty river, that one look
back TO those village moots OF Fries
land and Sleswick. Il was here tha
England learned to be Mother or Par
liaments.' Il was in these tiny knots
Of husbandmen, that the men from
whom Englishmen were to spring
learned the worth of public opinion
Of public discussion. the worth of the
80 NN'-NAtf AiA1 A0lIinOM ctHr0t tine
general conviction TO which discussion
leads. as of the laws which derive
their force from being expressions of
q at general conviction
So We may trace back to its source
the mighty stream of democracy
which in this country bears us TODAY
so safely and happily on its bosom
Love Of Liberty.
IN general way. the love of lin.
cry and the recognition Of common
va were instinct in the minds and
realls OF thoce sturdy. half-savage
Ieotonic races that entered into The
making OF England during the centnr.
,eh before the Conquest We lirs a.
indulge the fond imagination thai 4,
was the traits OF those sturdy ancos
tors that found expression in tbs
treat Charter, wrung from Englan5,.
tyrant King at Runnymede seven INN
uIeo years ago. The time and nIac,
OF that great drama were 80, a.
py the Mu-e Of History herself I
Has as though the shadow forms =
unborn generations of English fre.
men had been summoned to witnes,
on that sunlit plain. the sealing I
the Great Covenant that was to !,
cure their liberties. II was a GOV,
nant by which the soveirign wa
forced by his rebellious subjects TO d