Norwich bulletin., 1917-09-27
HoME-READINc COURSE FOR CITIZEN SOLDIERS
 

nation. But before long they saw clear must shake of the rule of the auto cratic government which had its seat in London.
 Our First War.
 In their attitude they had the sym pathy of a great many Englishmen who were broad enough to see that the American colonists wefe really pies. In the British parliament Pitt and Burke openly defended the Amer ican patriots. If were an Ameri- can a am an Englishman," said one while foreign sroop remained in my country L would never lay down my arms" It was not the English people who were seeking to suppress court poiiticians-an autocratic gov ernment-whfeh mfsrepresented the people.
 Tine Americans of that day on their part did not hesitate to take up arms for their rights. even though they came into conflict with the seasoned troops ! Of a great power--even though they had to meet invaC.on and partial con- quest of their own country. Nor did they long hesitate to break completely many of them still loved.
 In 179S we found ourselves in state of war with the French govern nent. This is not usually tho1ght of no fighting except for few encount- CTS on the high seas. There was no dec1aratio, of .-ar and it was all settled within a few months Yet the existed. Here akain we had no quar- rel with the French people. whom we admired and loved for the help they had kiven us during the Revo'ut:2n We were really at wnr with little had seized she government of France and misrepreseEted it's reon'e
 Tn the War of 1912 with Great P-'+- ain. the principal question at issue concerned the freedom of America n ships and the rights of American sail o-s on the hieh seas. For the most mart the American army was poorly trained and equipped and had little success. It redeemed itself. however at drew Jackson led the western miii- tia to well-earned victory. 'rhe British government tacftly recognized the sopndness of the principle for which the Americans fought.
 The Mexican War.
 America's next war was with Mex ico. The Mexicans had not been very careful of American rights either in Mexico or along the frontier, and the
 
 certain large strip of land n1o-r the Rio grande easily led to hostilities. Tn the war that followed the armies of Scott and Tavlor won victory aft CT victory aeainst overwhelming odds and even tuallv Mexico sued for peace One result ct tho war was 70 estab- fish more definitely the right of en American citizen abroad to a req ason- able amount of nxotection and sup port
 Less than generation la.er came The great Civil war. Never was the fehting spirit Sf the citizen soldier better shown than in this unhappy and bitter struggle when Americans were pitted aeainst Americans. Both sides i were fr.'1tirP for principles Of govern ment. the North for the principIe of union. the South for the brI,ciple of | the right of States to secede from the | century behind them, there are prob- i ably few Americans either North or | South. who do not rejo:re in their l hearts that the principle of unio, was 1 upheld and that we are able today to | meet our new foe as a united na- ton.
 We entered the spa~ieh v-> 70 put i an end to nnisrule in Cuba. Agatn our l quarrel was not with the Snarish Deo- pie but with the eoverrrnent whirh l was creating conditions ih Cuba that | we could not endure with self-resrect. | dnJiral Cervera and his men. who had | SnC"n C1emSe1VeS brave I0eS. were | received in this country after their | defeat ard capture as guests ra ther l than as prisoners. Their reatnent i was striking evidence ot our real feel l ing toward the Spanish people. We l fnusht for che principle that on the | American continents governmental l tvra-r'y and cruelty must not be ner- | Initted to continue; and that principle | was established.
 Fighting For Principles.
 The Americans are peculiarly a l pea ce-1oyfne people. They have no | taste for warfare and no lust for ter | ritor'- or power. Yet within less than | one hundred and fifty years we have entered six important wars. the last ! and perhaps the greatest of which is | the one just beginning against the | German government. Why has all this warfare been necessary?
 The answer is to be found in the | simple fact that there are certain American rights and principles that | must be upheld if the United States is to remain a free and seif-respecting nation. These rights have never been attacked-and probably never will be other free and demo-