The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-08

tUf al humAnttya$ ofru9Ute. uue
prokress Of the human race. through
ali in annalsd ages y simply The
story OF its striving to break the bars
Of bondage. to breathe the breath Of
liberty, to reach q Sinai Of freedom.
1t Is i world picture that we have
seen, not merely tho passage OF =
peculiar or particular people. That
Israel has led In this historical march.
). that Judaism has been In the very
1 freedom, that the Passover ID the
! symbol Of Gods own protest against
| the ensiavemcnt OF mind or body or
soul. liz but TO state the primal prin.
ciplc OF IsrAei's place and, purpose and
part on the worlds stage Of the drama
| Of history.
It would he too lengthy q task to
recount all the struggles for freedom
that have taken place among tho
families of men. Suflice to say II has
been an unccasing contest from the
days OF the exodus to the present
hour. II is contest which. under
various forms, has been waged in al
quarters Of the globe. There have
been always among those who sought
| to rule simply by reason Of might and
| in whose hands the power of might
! has been used for false and perfldious.
purposes, whether In the market
place. on the throne or at the altar
OF religion. 1
Against these unprincipled princes
OF power the down trodden nlasses
have lifted their hands In fierce COM
bat. sometimes partially victorious.
more often to be beaten back and 70
be the more deeply down-trodden.
But the unbreakable spirit Of free
dom was not to bs vanquished for-
ever. though it's martyrs bodies may
have illumined innumerable pyres and
their tears and blood enriched the
soil Of every land. We need but men.
| ton this exodus from Egypt. the re-
volt OF the Heiots In Sparta. OF the
gladiators in Rome, the signing OF
the Magma Charta tEngland's founda-
ttion OF freedon1l, the American Revo-
| luton. the Fr4nah Revolution. the
great wave of revolt that swept over
Europe In 1853. that ragged through
Germany. France, Poland. Austria.
j Hungary and Italy. TO designate the
mile posts on this slow vet certain
pilgrimage OF progress. We need but
to. name Bar Koachba. Akiba, Spinoxa,
Luther. Kosciusko, Calico. Bruno and
Servetus. to mention few OF those
high spirits who led on the pathway
freedom.
4 Festival OF Freedom.
As today We commemorate our fes-l
tivai OF freedom, again, we do 20 with
a deep sense OF solemnfty and with;
ia reverence inexpressibly profound.
for We are Witnessing today the
imightiest and most widespread strug-
gle for freedom that the world has
known. Whatever may have been our
/ cx- nat h tao n fha
outbreak OF the present war. however
much We may have been divided in
opinion as to the responsibility for II.
or the justification Of its several sides.
there ID now but one opinion The
turmoil Of confusion has ceased. tho
clouds OF doubt and sophistry have
been cleared away. Whatever be the
manifold side issues there stands now
but one clear, ciean-cut Principe OF
combat. II is again the age-ofd struE-
gle between democracy and autocracy.
between the pretention of irresponsi-
BILE power and the broad welfare of
humanity itself.
Clarified World Atmosphere.
The revolution in Russia has Won
derfuily clarified the world atmos-
phere. II has removed the one im-1
pediment OF close alliance, and has
given emphasis TO the line Of cleav-
And now our country has accepted the
gage thrown down to II b imperial
ism and Is about to make its entrance
into the struggle. At the present time
desire to say, In this connection.
no more than that this Is a most
serious and solemn moment. He who
regards this moment lightly is false
TO the first principle of pure patriot
ism. 1t is possible that we shall be
20 4o1 fhnBrh C.nff forbid ffr
many and great sacrifices
But we shall remember with the
pride of a. pure patriotism that our
country lis but true to its own tradi-
tions and that IL has again aligned st
self on the side Of humanity, OF JUS
tice and Of freedom There must not
be within the thought Of any Ameri-
can citizen, the idea. of selhshness. OF
any national ACKNOWLEDGMENT or any
reaching out for greater power or ter
rttory. II is a new exodus of the
human race. When the last bars OF
autocratic bondage shall have beea
broken down and the last nianacles
OF unprsncipied power shall have been
thrown OF from human hearts, there
beckons before humanity the sun
kissed summit OF a new Sinai, where
again the revelation Of Divine guild
auce. Divine Justice and Divine law
small De pFoGtdiHe0 IN the trumpet
tones Of freedom to ell the isles of
the earth and to all the inhabitants
thereof.
lncxprceslbly Significant. +
To US. NJ Jews. It n = Passover of
inexpressfble significance, OF unutter-
able solemnity. While we no longer
exist as separate nation, while we
are scattered over the face Of the
earth and Of our individual fortunes
are bound together with the several
governments Of the earth. under which
we live and OF which we are loyal
citizens. yet none the less no people in
so vitality interested a. are We. No
martyrdom receives Amer justification
than that OF our fathers, no doctrine
boholds greater vindication than that
OF our ToEah. The more direct and
Immediate effect will be felt by our
brethren in Russia For moro than
100000 Jews In Russia. the night
Of their Egyptian bondage Il over.
The gates OF their Ghettoes a.e
opened. Their prison doors are flung
wide. and before them Il the fair
vista OF life's open highway OF un-
bound opportunity. Of unrestrained
rights with the radiance OF freedoms
sunshine streaming OYER 1t. For
1