El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-11-25
ViUe la Francei

Editor FL PasO Herald
There is unfolding before our eyes
an international drama SO colossal that
many American observers seem TO nave
lost sight OF the eternal values our
imagination is paralyzed by the shock
OF physical horror and moral disaster
Protests against the German atrocities
complaints Of British interference with
our trade. sOrdid reckonings Of loss
and gain in our exports. and our for
eign Ioans-these fill the mind
Is II not well at the national Thanks
giving that we should consider To-
what our thanks are due Shall we
! thank God only for our harvesrc. our
favorable balance Of trade our escape
thus far from the curse Of war should
we not rather, living in a spiritual
world, search now as never before Tor
those spiritual values which can sur
viVe. not only war, but even the ig-
noble prosperity that fattens upon
war
When the Imagination turns, then, to
find a resting place for hope. u VIII
pause perhaps upon the spectacle OF
hapiess Belgium. We think OF that
pathetic and heroic pair, Albert and
Elizabeth, holding their lonely court
in exile at Havre; and when We remem-
Der the last king OF the Beigians, the
wretched Leopold, with his scandalous
amours and his cruel misrUle OF the
Congo, We thank God COR the regener-
alton OF nations and g royal houses.
We think OF those brave liz AA Is A4A
Brussels and Antwerp and Client those
burgOrnasters and advocates and scol-
ars. those humble men and women
everywhere. who have dared to speak
and act as If Belgium were still ma
ton
Among the English. amid the quar-
rels and delays OF those in authority
and all the appalling Incompetence OF
democracy. we see the young men by
thousands laying down their lives IN
81 Ia. #HmM
it is also sublime, because II shows the
spirit Of man transcending MS NOR
Lality-
Yet of all the countries that are now
fighting civilizations battle against
the common enemy Of mankind, the
true American turns most gratefully.
most sympathetically to France War
has not transformed the French PEG
pie; il has revealed them Besides thaI
courage which was always theirs they
have disclosed a patience and resource
fulness superior to that Of the English
There are strange stories abroad OF
visions and voices IN the SKY AT the
battle of the Marine. and since The
English soldiers-so the Iegend runs
saw. st George leading them on to vic
tory. and the French-what did they
seq Was il st. Michael Did the
martyr guardians Of the city OF Paris
st Denis and ste. GeneVieVe, walk
once more upon the clouds when their
=
has the spirit Of Jeanne dare herself
risen from ROuen to march tnvisibly
above the united hosts OF the French.
who loved her soul, and the English
who burned her body, five hundred
years ago2
one smiles indulgently at these hal
fluctuations Of the supersuiOus warrior
who fancies that heaven shares his
strife But II there are not visions
and voices above the laundering 1lelds
OF this war, there ought to be Man
has sunk lower, and risen higher with
in this year OF grace than ever Detofe
in history. II there be ANGELS they
must be watching above all those arm
les the falling bodies and the rising
souls. with the light Of an infinite com
passion and the CLEAN OF terrible
Justice in their immortal eyes Heaven
NAV be dumb. but il is not blind
Our privilege is this; That TO france
our ancient friends, 10 the France OF
LAFAYETTE and Victor Hugo, Of Pasteur /
a-d Barrholdi and Jusserand. France !
the gallant and generous, the cheva- [
1fer of nations: the France OF beauty, /
where our artists learned to paint and 4
o1ir architects to build; France IN her
hour of trial. striving already to teach /
tbe blind and mair1ed Of her armies /
how to till her ruined fields ana re- 7
briid her shattered fortunes. France !
bending above her graves. and France D
rising to salute the resuTrecttoTi-to /
this France we may send the Christ /
mas greeting of the new republic which .
has been and is to be her nearest {
friend John Il safer
Rochester. New York