East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-07-04

Not the building of a great army or
great navy but the development OF
a rational and unconquerable love Of
our government: among the common
people is the great problem Of pre-
paredness.
This r. the message brought to PEN
dieton by DR.. c. II. Chapman OF Port
land. historian, editorial writer. schol-
ar and patriot who this morning in
he Happy Canyon pavilion delivered
before large audience one Of the
most mastery Independence Day
addresses ever heard in this city
DIT Chapman interpreted the mean
ing of the American revolution and
translated the purposes Of our coun.
try's fathers in boldly forsaklng the
beaten paths o. government to estab'
lish a new form built upon the wishes
Of a whole people.
He described the conditions under
which this first republic was created
and developed and contrasted them
with the conditions Of today And he
sounded a warning to the American
people of today that. unless they as
sert themselves. the sacred ideals OF
our fathers are In danger of becoming
little more than vanished dreams, The
problems which confront the Ameri-
can public today are greater than
those of our fathers and unless they
are solved this government cannot be
the land of freedom and liberty that
our fathers intended.
The following is a synopsis Of the
telling points in DR.. Chapman's adj
dress.
The American revolution had two
effects on history, the first Of which
was to transform the nature of the
British empire from an empire built
on force to an empire built on free
consent. The British empire of today
il but a union of self-governing ma.
tions such as Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa. Many
languages, regilions, races and histor-
les are involved but the empire is still
solid one, held together not by an
army but by an idea. England Is the
psychic center, the head Of the fam
ily The British empire Is living ev'
idence that institutions are not sus-
tanned by physical force.
The second effect Of the American
revolution was to make the United
States Independent. The founders
were vsionaries, theorists, utopians,
determined to make the old dreams
come true, namely the dreams Of free
dom. happiness peace and equality.
Their great dream was that the gov
ernment should express the wishes OF
the people.
Before this government, govern
ments had expressed the pride and
greed of the ruling classes such as
those of Rome and Venice or of the
personal desires and passions of kings
such as in France and Austria. These
governments were built upon old ira
ditions and superstitions and full of
old cruelties, hatreds and wrongs.
our fathers resolved to found a
new kind OF government, leaving out
the tyranny, wrong and nate ana put
ting in human welfare.
No Military Empire.
The environment favored their PLAN
Geographically their country was cut
off by sea from Europe and its sys-
tenn near enough for trade and
friendship. 1t was yet too far for war
Nor had they any powerful neighbors
on their own continent and thus were
they free to work out the destiny OF
their country.
Same Condition Still.
Foreign nations have never both
cred us much. our troubles have been
OF our own making,
What was true in those early da.
is true today The oceans still sep
arate us from the old world and Its
wars and the panic dreams of invasi-
,or are mere Nightmares.
So unhampered the fathers began
To work out their dream and 1t is
dream still unhampered from with
out Governments derive Just pow
crs from the consent of the govern