Fergus County Democrat., 1916-06-22

and patriotism OF American arms tC
the greed and avarice of concession
! aries. 1t would have robbed the Uni
ted states of the grandeur of her mis-
sion amongst the nations of the earth
1t would have made might right ant
repudiated the doctrines Of Christian
ity 1t would have ignored the funda
mental conceptions of moral prog
ress and denied the right of nfteel
millions of people to govern them
selves. Ambition and greed We're pre-
pared to sacrifice America and all that
Fmerica stands for, in order tc acquire
the wealth of Mexico. The DIPLOMACY
OF 'watchful waiting" averted these
calamit1es and preserved in their
original purity the principles of Ameri
! can freedom and Justice "Watcnful
| waiting repudiated the brutal dictum
Of science that the weak must go down
before the strong. Help Mexico lest
over her bloody grave are sown the
dragons teeth of our own destruction
+! War with any European nation
would have set the world aflame and
| stopped the march of progress for q
century. Would anyone have had it
! so in order to affirm "virile Am Fri,
tanism?' Is "virjle Ameriednism
I hlOodshed, destruction, the horn Tors OF
war and it's uncertainties? The sub
stance of civilization is the arts, the
sciences, literature, philosophy, indus
try, the domestic virtues, freedom, re,
! ligion and peace But this is the sub.
stance Of American nationalism. This
is the virilty Of Americanism 1t
I lfpn pati hnnnHar;ns ppt
! lives in the trenches and broken
homes Of Europe and pervades its very
thrones. Therefore America lives in
the trenches and broken homes Of Eu.
rope and its thrones. The stupend0us
\ conflagration is consuming the ,rrors
Of statesmen and dynasties; it Is not
consuming the substance Of civilza.
tion. Civilization is unity. War
I with Europe would have cut asunder
the moral forces that bind the nations
ana left an age Of darkness. anarchy
and despair. Standing on the i'lmut,
able foundations of such Americanism,
the schoolmaster and statesman. with
consummate skill a skill that com
mands the admiration of the world, di
rect the forces of civilization, not with
arms, but with reason and moral pres
sure against the eXcesses of bCiliger-
ent world. With Dreternatural poise
and clearness OF vision. he is plotting
America through the rushing storm.
Who can deny the existence of a moral
design in the universe? Who now
can question its fuliillment? Who
now can close his eyes to the destiny
NJ I mocracy to make the principles
of civilization dominant, to bring the
warning nations of the earth togethe.
i'll lasting peace? The passions Of men
die. The truth lives. America has
called to Europe; Europe is respond
ing in terms of a revitalized civiliza-
ton. The sublimest picture in ,ivil
history is that of plain American
citizen maneuvering with the weapons
of reason and humanity against the
navies and armies OF the contcndinG
nations, and bringing them in accord
with the principles Of international
law. The American standard of peace
and justice now floats on the sea. 1t
is unfurling over the trenches oi the
struggling nations From the vantage
ground of imperishable Americanism
the matchless craft OF a real pacifist
has not only avoided all war, but is
leading the world into the ways Of
peace. What is peace but the asser
tion of moral progress? What is the
assertion of moral progress but the
indestructible civilization OF Europe
nd America? From. the smoulderina
ruins of a thousand cities, over the
graves of millions of brave men oue
of the blackness of the battle smoke,
arising from the obscurities of nation
al passions, already the peoples Of tho
earth recognize the dim outlines, grow
ing ever more distinct, of the COM
posite soul of America in the patient
and humane wisdom of the world s
real paciticator. Or what avail all the
wealth of our beloved land if it had
been consumed i'll the destructiveness
of war? What avail the travail OF
human progress for the thousand years
had not the schoolmaster and states,
man been pacificator? His achieve
ment is so vast that ambitious men
are blind to its reality. But the plain
millions, of all creeds and naiionali.
ties, recognize in it the impershable
glories of a Christian civilization. II
glorities the peasant and king alike
The schoolmaster is statesman, tht
statesman is tinancier, the fnaneier i
emancipator the emancipation is the
pacifcator Of the world.
Thus is the nation accomplishing
the destiny Of democracy. The com
manding fact of the modern age is
the spread of intelligence. The school
house has conquered ignorance. Tht
printing press has transformed tht
purposes and capacities of man. Edu
cation has qualified him for a bette'
existence The Bible has made him
moralist. Men know that the Worlt
is big enough to support the human
family in peace and comfort Mel
know that the great problem of peac'
and comfort is not yet solved. The,
know that it cannot be solved by tn,
sayagery of war. They know that it
solution is obtainable only in condi
tions of peace, reason and a practica
morality. This state of knowledge i
the crowning achievement of progres.
! The American experiment of sell
government has stood the test 'rh
achievements of the American system
are known of all men and felt througl
, out the world The United States i
the worlds asylum. Here all races al
J conditions, all creeds are assiniilatee
| helped, elevated and men are mad
its greatest progress, because it i
progress in which all men have
no nj s1,nt Y., ..