The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-15

I
The United States should heed the
i lessons Of the past and prepare for
events which may come sooner or
later, Hazen I. Sawyer urged in his
address before the Elks last night at
the Flag day services of that order.
He made a plea 100 for the so-called
| hyphenated citizens urging his hear
ers to remember that this country
/ countries, and that we have always
| been proud of this fact. Our Ma
tional Duty was the topic 20 which
Mr.. Sawyer spoke and he said:
st is now but one hundred and forty
years since the declaration of Amerf-
can Independence, since the birth of
this nation. There are men and wo-
men now living whose grandfathers
were active in that great war of he
revolution, which made this nation
united and active force in the
worlds development.
| although the period of time, which
! has elapsed since the war of the rev
olution is but trifling when compared
with the history of nations, this coun-
| try has been engaged in four wars OF
some historical moment: That with
Great Britain In 1912. That with
Mexico in 1916. The civil war of 1861
which shook this nation TO it's very
foundation, and the com paratively re-
cent war with Spain.
| From generation to. generation
these wars have been the schools of
patriotism. The sons and daughters
of those men who fought through The
war of the American revolution learn
ed at their fathers knees, by the
home f1reside, that love of country,
(which no influence could remove
from their hearts. A later generation
obtained it's patriotism from the
stories of Perry, Hull. Decatur and
Andrew Jackson and those heroes of
the war Of 1912. Who is there among
us who fails to recall that sentiment
of Admiral Decatur, My country.
may she always be right, but right
or wrong, my country Another gem
Grafton was schooled in patriotism
and love Of country by the story OF
the heroism of the men engaged In
the struggle with Mexico from 1916
to 1s4s Another lesson was taught
to the children of those men from
both the north and the south, by the
tales of that heroic, bloody and fear
full struggle between the people OF our
own nation, and the names Of Grant,
Sherman. Sheridan, OF Lee, Johnston,
and Stonewa1l jackson became house
hold words, and there was scarcely
la home north or south of the Mason
and. Dixon line, which did not have
on its walls a portrait of one or more
of these valiant leaders.
"In recent years we have had the
lessons Of the Spanish American war
and the deeds OF Dewey. Sampson,
iSchley and the charge at San Juan
Hill.
'eThe survivors of the civil war are
rapidly passing away. Later genera
ltions are coming on. Generations who
know little and appreciate less the
lsacriflces and the heartaches OF the
men and women who lived through
the daily horrors Of that period.
TN this great nation. with its rapid
increase in population and wealth.
the duty of the citizens to the nation
lis being forgotten. We think only OF
the duties of the nation to the citizen,
and forget that the citizen is the
creator Of the nation.
Too Civilized for Warfare.
"How we'll I remember IN the years
prior to the Spanish American war,
on all sides you would hear people say
that this nation would never be en-.
gagged in another war. That the
world was becoming too civilized
THAT nations had too much to lose to
isacrifice it's men and its property in
fruitless battles. That all differences
arising among men could be settled
without bloodshed. That the sword
had been sheathed forever, and the
minds of the growing youth were filled
with the thought that the pen was
lmightier than the sword Yet, while
this belief was growing among all
|classes of people, within few miles
of our coast a people were being op
pressed, prosecuted, murdered. The
public conscience could not endure IT.:
the wrath of the nation was aroused
and from the duty we owe to human1.
ty, we unsheathed the sword ana
drove weyler, the butcher, and Spain
from the western continent.
But a few years have elapsed
since the war with Spain and again
the belief was taking root that ma
lions could not and would not engage
in war. That life was too valuable;
that the sacrifices were too great, and
that no civilized country would permit
itself to be forced into warfare with
sister nation. We had been so busy
with our own business and political
affairs; we had been SO blinded by
our national prosperity; we had been
$50 confident, that we gave war be-
tween Japan and Russia, the English
Boer war, the Balkan wars. but
passing thought. We have lost sight
of the history Of all nations. We
have forgotten the fact that nations
are made up of men, and that men are
governed by natural laws: that man
made laws are fleeting and unstable.
| But that natural laws are fixed AMI
Interchangeable. A man will fight to
avenge fancied wrong. man Will
| fight to protect the name of his fam
lily. A man will fight to protect his
home Nature has SO made it, and V