The circle banner., 1917-11-30

Concord, 10000 minute men modified
at the gates of Boston within 48 hours
an amazing fact, when one thinks of
the limited population at that time.
1t was the work of the committees
of correspondence. The committees
organized each locality, appealing to
the man at his home, and thus a pa
triOtic sentiment was developed which
made of this country great and in
dependent nation. And so powerfully
did this impress itself upon the mas
ter mind of Thomas Jefferson that
when he was dying on the fiftieth an
niyersary of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence he seemed again to remem-
Der those days of stress and trial at
the beginning of the revolution, and
was heard to cry in his delirium ex-
the committees !"
People Must Know Issues.
We will not make full progress In
this war until we can bring home to
the people to their very hearthstones,
that not only is this as vital contest
as any that America was ever en-
gagged in, but that is one that affects
the happiness, prosperity, and the hon
or of the American people.
Remember the fine lines of the no
blest hymn ever written for any ma
tion in the hour of battle-I mean
Julia Ward Howe's Battle Hymn Of
the Republic, and nothing in any liter
ature has a more martial movement
than that most stirring of all battle
hymns:
He has sounded forth the trumpet that
shall never call retreat,
He is sitting out the hearts of men before
His judgment seat,
oh, be swift, my SOUL to answer Him, be
jubilant, my feet,
Our God is marching on.
Is our soul swift to answer our
country's call? Are our feet jubilant
to enter into this contest? If not,
then the nation is in peril. This war
sooner or later the mere patriotic SUBJ
to a political action of gov
will spend it's force. A people
must have a definite enthusiasm If 1t
is to give the best blood of its youth
to any cause. You will not find that
spirit until you reach the individual
American and teach him that he has
a vital and personal interest in this
particular war.
Rule of Force Must Go.
O,,r y1aor1o ,,,,,et ba hraTUht to raaI-
re vitally and practically that this
var involves the sacred principle of
righteousness in international affairs,
he rule of reason in the common
wealth of nations, and that unless this
De vindicated by peace with victory,
Ill talk of the pacification of humanity, |
whether by The Hague tribunal or
paper treaties or leagues Of peace or
n any other way you please, is all |
'ainbow phantasy and moonshine. Un- |
ess there can be first established the |
sreat principle of right and reason |
he principle of law dominating sover-
,ign nations, a liberal civilization will |
perish from the earth. When Ger
many and Austria attempted to crush |
Serbia without rhyme or reason, with
ut opportunity for discussion, Great
Britain, France, and Russia said, Let
IS reason about it," and Germany said
Mop 'Then give us little time"
Nop '"Then let us have confer
nce." "No!" "Then let us have ar
"Now 'sLet US have me-
iation." "No" "Let us discuss it
4 any way you please, by any expe-
lent you may select; you can have
belgrade and occupy it as a hostage,
ut for Gods sake do not spill the best
lood of the world needlessly. Ger
lany and Austria said, "No! You
ill do our will or you will have a
war!"
If that principle of force as the
ltima ratio Is to prevail, the world
ill go back centuries, even to the
i've dwellers; because, if you go back
yen twenty centuries, the law of Rome
i'd at least something of justice and
the obligations of law in its main
nance of the worlds peace; whereas
this case you have a brutal and
'imitive negation of any principle of
ght or wrong, you have simple the
;sertion that might, and might alone
all govern the affairs of men.
Most Sacred Cause.
There never was a more sacred
use fought for since the world be-
n than that for which France and
-eat Britain and their allies have
therto so freely given the best blood
their youth.
do not want to live In this world If
IS world is to be dominated by bru-
force. Whatever optimism might
We had three months ago have not
the same measure now. think
e issue of this titanic conflict is very
ubtful. 1t is life-and-death grap-
: between the two great powers of
hit and might; but want to say ad-
;edly and deliberately that If I saw
arly that the cause of the allies was
ing down to defeat, that we were
be involved in that defeat, that we
re to suffer it's grievous and burden
ne penalties, would yet thank God =
It the United States went into the
r and fell and suffered with the