Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-29
ADDRESSED CIVIL WAR VETERANS
Rev. F. w. Coleman Says War is Real Factor in Human Life Advocates Preparedness for safecusrdng of Ma tiOn's Freedom.

war? It was because the soufE1 knew the north had no army and but few trained men, and believed. that the men of the north could not fight if they would, and would not if they could.
 It was this very unpreparedness that tempted the reckless and hot tempered spirit of the south.
 When you have wholesome respect for the enemy: you are willing to talk things over with him and to come to some sort of an Dnderstanding.
 In the old fable of the wolf and the lambs the lamb had decidedly the bet ter of the argument: right, reason and ate the lambI
 Had the lamb been armed with a gun, 1t is safe to say the discussion would have still been going on in the spirit of mutual respect.
 Had England been able to put a million men in the north of France for the protection of Belgium, instead of the "contemptible little army's she was able to send. would there have been any invasion of France?
 The conference Sir Edward Grey pleaded for in vain would have been held and war ayerted.
 If you want peace you must be ready to fight and prepared for fight and then most likely you won't have to fight.
 When the Civil war was over there were many sneering prophecies con- cerning the Grand Army of the Re- public.
 Foreigners said that officers inflated with pride would assume control of affairs and the republic would be re- di1ced to a militarism.
 It was asserted that reckless sol- diery loosed from the restraints of dis cipline would overturn all local gov ernment.
 Soldiers. they forgot you were American citizens. What happened2 The soldiers re- turned quietly to their homes and were soon merged into the life of the peo- pie.
 The cry of rnilitarism is foolish. in l the light of our past experience.
 We are living in grave and periIous 1 times, no one doubts this. We have much to be thankful for, muda to be proud of. We are rich and prosperous, our form of government is regarded by many as weak and in- effective.
 We are open to attack on every hand. Did peaceful intentions save Belgium or Armenia?
 Are we as nation to be equally helpless?
 If we are to retain the right to 1 govern ourselves, if government for i with us, we must be ready, able and willing to protect ourselves and ou- rights.
 No nation has long retained a gov ernment which cannot protect it from attack.
 Whatever may have started the present war, and however we may think about it, it is no less certain thai l TOW the issue lies between democracy l and autocracy. Popular institutions are being shaken to their very founda- tions as never before. Can democracie< protect themselves from attack? That's the question. T We look back today at the Civil wa and rejoice that our institutions stood the strain of a great war, and the! came through triumphant to the as
 tonishment and surprise of many.
 In view of the present state of af
 fairs, this gives us some comfort but if we love home and country ant
 freedom, if we of the present genera
 ton are to preserve what these mel
 have won for us, we must prepare our
 selves, for the day of our trial vii surely come. And when 1t does, may we be bette
 prepared than we were linen, and ii despite our love of peace and fair play ] war should come, I pray that we ma, acquft ourselves as yaliantly as tn men whose deeds we commemorate thi day.