The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-10

and bitter. Valley Forge and York
town were forgotten and the ef1gY OF
Washington was burned in the public
streets of our cities. Our neutrality.
was violated at home and abroad, POI
litical criticism degenerated into Sc
dition and Washington said he would
rather be in his grave than be Presi-
dent of the United States. But he adj
hered to his purpose and that sorry
page in American history teaches us
that Washington was right.
+ I'm the period of the Civil War,
Lincoln was similarly attacked. Scarce
ly a week passed that a delegation did
not go to Washington to tell him how
to run the Government He was ac-
cused of vacillation, of inability to
clown, butcher, a hell hound of sla-
very, a traitor, a despot, a gorilla, a
baboon, fool, ignorant back
woods lawyer. a scoundrel and a vii
lain. There were RooseveIt9 In that
time; but Lincoln adhered to his pur-
pose and his calm spirit rests to-day
like a benediction upon America, He
was accused of trucking to Great Brit
ain and was denounced upon the floor
of Congress. It is reported that
when one delegation came to see the
President he replied as follows:
4" Gentlemen, suppose all the prop
erty you were worth was in gold and
you had put it in the hands of B1on-
din to carry across the Niagara river
on a rope. Would you shake the cable
or keep shouting to- him, tBlondin
stand up a little straighter, Blondin
stoop little lower, or go a little fast
er, lean little more to the north, |
lean little more to the south 90 No, |
you would hold your breath as well as
your tongue and keep your hands off
until he was safe over. The govern
ment is carrying an enormous weight. |
untold treasures are in their hands.
They are doing the best they can Do !
not badger them. keep silence and we
win get you safe across
Later in the historysof our country |
President Mckinley was the victim of
similar vftuperation. Mckinley was
for peace even when the Maine lay in |
ruins. and inp1ored his countryrnen |
not to disturb the orderly processes
of diplomacy.
mo one who reads the debates in I
Congress during that period can fail to |
feel a flush Of shame because of the |
and malicious criticism to |
which he was subjected. They called /
him weak and vacil1ating and ex-
hausted the vocabulary of vituperation.
Evil forces, selfish forces, reckless
forces were at work in America then
as now, and, in the end, forced McKin-
ley reluctantly into war.
And now, n the darkest day of the
WI IL . AA4olO1y, VNAfSOA Sl<AnOfS ike al
stonewall- resistfng these same evil
forces.
Americas Mission.
There is no difficulty about getting
into this war. The inpu1sive states
men of the hour could have managed
1t for you long ago.. But it has been
our hope that. America might remain
At peace.
We are the only great disengaged
nation on earth. = In a certain sense
we are the trustees OF the moral judg-
nents Of the world. Someone must
keep undisturbed the great stable
foundations of international justice.
Americas mission is a mission of
and peace. Let us hope that
'ur place in the immediate years to
,one shall be to bind up the wounds
# war, to re-estahlish the ties of
to recreate and strengthen |
he bonds of fraternity that ought to
mite all humanity everywhere. !
And, as the white hot events Of to-
lay pass into the cool yesterdays of +
history, it will be recorded that when |
crisis came again to America. and Ia
len were distrought and counsels were
opfused, an a11-wise Providence gave I
0 the nation another Lincoln; and !
hat amid world of turbulent spirits
nd swift and SURPRISING change, he
TODD undisturbed and steadfast, with {
10 rival who could hope to reach the
creme heights OF his intellectual and t
moral power-towering above them ]
1.-THE first citizen of the civilized i
forld''