The Republican journal., 1915-01-28

4 Tor the listening ages that the small
nations as units in the great family Of
nations have rights inviolate. Sturdy
John Bright, in his brave parliamentary
struggles for human rights, was heard
to cry out, ''To the upright there arises
light in the darkness" In the crypts of
Westminster lie the enshrined ashes OF
the genius of this British blood. In the
Tower of London and the Castle of Ed
inburgh are treasured the crystals of its
brave and noble chivalry. On the goodly
areas of England towards the sunrise be-
hold the wonderful humanization of the
soil, and towards the sunset, the grazing
lands f1ecked with sleek mixed breeds of
cattle, of sheep and of swine. Over all
behold thehedged and EMPOWERED homes
of yoemen, intelligent, brave, free.
In the vast forests of smokestacks in
the great teeming cities behold the monu-
ments of deathless industry; and. on the
wide, blue sea behold Britain 8 power with
the world, three hundred years and more in
the making. When first saw England e
lowlands it was in mellow August; they
were half under water, deluged with
rain. My eyes were suffused with an
other deluge as more than once through
the long day of leaden sky, so different
from the bright skies of the continent,
the thought came upon me, This is indeed
the land of my poor forefathers. From
Oxford to Warwick, Stratford on Avon,
Birmingham and Chester-what day
and what scenes to one who finds himself
stranger in the home of his ancestors!
No less striking is the rise and expan-
sion of the religious than of the political
life of the British nation The ancient
Brltons seem to have been governed and
led in war by Druid priests. The Ro-
mans slaughtered these priests. With
out definite data, it is believed that the
Romans planted small Christian centres
in Britain, and that they were swept away
by the barbarian Saxons, who worship.
ped pagan gods. After a hundred and
fifty years of Teutonic rule Roman mis-.
sionaries came among them, bearing
silver crosses, chanting litanies. "A
Northumbrian priest at once declared
that he knew nothing of the gods he
worshipped, and, axe in hand, took the
lead in demolishing the idols. This
speech is attributed to him, addressing
his chief: 'You remember, 0 King, what
sometimes happens in winter, when YOU
are seated at table with your earls and
your thames. Your fire is lighted, your
hall is warmed. A swallow comes flying
across the hall. 1t enters by one Win
dow, it leaves by another. For a mo-
ment all is light and cheer within: but
the bird flies away in the twinkling of
an eye, and passes from winter to win
ter. Such, methinks, is the life of man
on earth. He appears but for a brief
time: but what is the time before and
the time after? We know not. If then
this new doctrine may teach US some
what of greater certainty, it were we'll
that we should regard it, The Chris
tlanity OF Rome then developed and held
sway till Henry VIII broke with Rome,
and made the English Episcopal church
the church of the state, with brief inter-
ruption. 1t has so remained for Eng
land, the Presbyterian church being the |
state church of Scotland, all other sects
being, tolerated, there being now on the
island of Britain not less than one hun
dred and twenty-five of them, and prac-
tcally all the religions of the world have
rights IN this world empire.
Had George III been as sagacious, as
diplomatic, as wide in bis observation
and world training in his day as is George
V in his, the part of the United States
that won its independence in the Revo-
luton would doubtless be today part of
the British Empire, the first power in
the world. Conclusions based on such
conditions are, however, not final, for
they involve others. The British EN-
pire without the lesson of George Wash
ington could not have come down in his
tory as broad guaged. The freedom of
slaves and the ban on the slave trade
were Britain's legacies before the i'm
mortal Abraham Lincoln came on the
stage of public veal; but the imcom-
parable soul and genius of Lincoln in
his mighty labor and achievement have
made an impress on all the nations, both
the rulers and the people. The hard les
sons of human history seem necessary
for the uplift on the historic way. George
V, when young prince, destined for the
by the death of his older
brother, received his training under his
right arm, her navy, that has
made her the first of world powers.
Therein he saw India. Behold him but
few months ago on a royal visit to India
with his queen. Waving back his body
guard, the two rode on horse far out
among the dusky millions, who fell on
their faces in doing him honor. Danger?
His friends trembled for his life. That
night the news flashed over India that
the White Emperor had met his dusky
people, the wise, the gifted, the plain,
the superstitious. 1t was master stroke