The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-02-28
Ladies and Gentlemen and Distinguished



two countries-his own and France |
know that this is true with me- From
earliest childhood / have especially
loved the history of two great nations,
ancient Greece and modern France.
They live in my imagination like
spirits Of beauty and Of light God
seemed to have marked them, in their
particular cycles as the cellters around
which all Of the currents of the world
should flow, and against which all of
the storms of the earth should rage
Greece lived glorious life. Her
polished brow, like that Of her Olym-
plan God, was raised high above the
Herce contending clouds that surged
below. and Wore the crown of more
exalted intellectually than any other
nation has ever known.
But France. immortal France. the
wonder nation of the world. still lives.
Her course is not run. Her great
heart thrObs on. Her destiny may
reach even Il n0bler climax that Is yet
to come; for who can foremeasure the
bounds Of her greatness: Some there
were who thought her dying Some
there We're who thought her spirit
crushed. But. thank God, the world
has come to see that the lnen of France
apd the women of France We're never
stronger nor Drawer nor truer than
now. On her face Is the smile of glory,
sOftened by sorrow, sweetened by sac
rifice. and radiant with right. She is
the disciple of duty, the defender of
democracy. the champion of humanity.
She is the crucible nation of the world.
On her soil have been gorily deter
mined many Of the most mOmentouS
problems of the Caucasian race-east-
ern dominance or western civilization.
Christianity or MOhammedanism, mod
ern democracy or ancient tyranny.
Out of the east swept the medieval
Hun and his allied tribes. and threat
ened Europe with his heather gods
and barlaric life; but the Gallic ar
mics overthrow him with terrible
slaughter and saved struggling Chris
tian civilization on the very field of
France where lately the battle of the
Marne was so her0ically won from the
nlot3ern Hun. x.esa--
Three hundred years went by. and
then the Islamic hordes of Arabia
rushed through Northern Africa and
up through Spain and France to the
banks of the Loire, but there they We're
beaten and humbled by the Franks and
their allies of Gaul, and thus Europe
was saved from the grip of Mohammed.
And now in the twentieth century of
our Lord and Master comes the Sciell-
titic savage from Prussia. Forth
springs the hungry, bounding Hun
again. Balt. by the eternal Gods, he
shall never reach the gates of Paris.
One brief moment he stood on the
banks of the Marne within sight of the
beautiful city, but it was like the
glimpse Of the Peri through the portals
of Paradise. Back he was driven. back
over the tracks that brought him. And
now he thunders at Verdun. but
tine unconquerable Frenchnan Swears
He shall not pass. he shall not pass -
And he never will.
And there is England. the modern
Rome. imperial hut free, stern but just,
brave but merciful. They thought that
she too was old and Ealsied and weak
but the mighty spirits of Marlborough
and Cromwell and the Black Prince
and Alfred the Great look down upon
her soldiers tonight and thrill with
pride as of yore. The strong thews
and Sinewes, the stubborn courage, the
studied effort. the high resolve to do
or die. all combine as in the days gone
by to hold Great Britain to the fore
front of the nations Of Europe.
England and France. How mucl,
their names mean to mankind! Were
they seryile to the ideals of Prussi;,
to-day, like Austria and Bulgaria and
the intolerable Turk, dark and gloomy
would he the morrow of the world. But
their God is not the God of the Kaiser
Their God is the God of America and
of Ancient Israel. IL God that is the
friend of woman and of little children
teacher of equality before the laws
of earth and of Heaven. the divine
father of divine Son who came
among men as brother preaching
peace and good will, universal democ.
racy. and eternal salvation.
There are no articles OF incOrpor;l-
ton on earth or in Heaven signed by
the Kaiser and God; and it is bias.
phemy for the l'russian King to say
that he is the Lords vicegerent in the
German Empire and should extend his
sway over the whole world by right
divine. To such Il principle England
and France and Italy and Russia and
America will never submit. They will
fight it till the last man dies; they will
fight it till the earth and the multi
tudinOus seas incarnadine" with the
blood of the world: they will fight il
l,y sword and by reason till the Kaiser
himself shall fall headlong, lowerless
and dishonored. from his shattered
throne.
My friends. | shall detain you only
short while with my own remarks
There are distinguished guests with lis
tonight who bring serious and import
ant messages from our allies across the
seas. DIR. Charles Edward Russell
lately Il member of the American Mis-
sion to Russia. and leading orator
diplomat and man of letters, will pres
emily address you Oh the political. SO
cial and war conditions in Europe. He
accompanies the Marquis and the Mar
qiiise de polignac and the Marquis ant
Marquise de COurtivron, who have
come to the United States to EXPRESS
.ha fro tornal ln1-c Of nancs, fur aill