The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-11-21
HON. L. E. GWINN'S ADDRESS
AT PEACE CELEBRATION

AT PEACE CELEBRATION
For the benefit Of our readers VIII,
were unable to attend this celebra
ton, we are reproducing below tn
address delivered by Hon. L. E
Gwinn:
! am happy because / am a citizel
Of the greatest republic that hal
ever lived-the invincible United
States of America. 1t is peace-lov
ing nation, but it is not afraid t
fight, and it always wins when il
does fight.
/ am happy because Germany ha.
been whipped to her knees, and be-
cause the great Prussian military
machine that lay like coiled serpent
in the heart of Europe, with poison
fangs ready to strike, and which did
strike without warning, at the very
vitals of civilization, now lies cold
and discredited in death.
/ am happy because that man-devil
or devil-inan called the Kaiser has
lost his crown. will be still hap
pier when he loses both his horns
and his forked caudal appendage. How
the mighty have fallen! This self
appointed partner and spokesman of
the firm OF ''Me and Gott," is now a
mere human cipher without a title
and without follower; and even in
Germany there is none so "poor as
to do him reverence"
This is indeed the red-letter day
Of human history.
1t is a great day for democracy.
AIS a result of the great allied victory
it has been written in letters of living
light upon the archives Of the nations
Of Europe, to be blotted out no more
forever, that the plain men shall
have ain equal voice with the aristo-
crat in the government of which each
Is part. The alleged divine right
Of kings is now dead doctrine, and
as such will be cast into the scrap
heap with other German junk. New
or again will a little clan of military
high-brows Be permitted to disturb
the peace Of world.
This Is also great day for the
the Christian religion. The philoso-
ply Of the Prince Of Peace has tri-
umphed over the iron code of the
Prussian and the bloody gospel of the
Mohammedan. The Turk has been
driven from Europe; the Prussian
has been conquered, and in the de-
feat of these arch enemies of the
Christ, the forces of light have
achieved great and shining victory
over the powers Of darkness.
This is great day for our SOL
diers across the sea. Their daring
and devotion have gilded with a
new glory the pages of our history
and added d new lustre to the Star
Spargled Banner that has never yet
trailed in the dust Of defeat, and,
please God, that never shall as long
AS there is an American woman with
fingers to weave its threads or an
American soldier with strong arm
to lift it high above the flame and
smoke of battle. A finer army never
faced foe than these khaki-clad
American soldiers who have so re-
Gently carried our flag to victory.
They had the best equipment, the
best backing, the best morale and
the greatest cause fighting force
ever had. They knew what the folks
back home expected Of them, and they
did not disappoint us. Wherever
they hit the German line they went
over the top, and now that the war
ii all over except the shouting and
the paying, let us not forget our
debt of gratitude to these men.
The country is theirs; they will take
charge of it when they come home.
That is particularly true of the mar
r;apeabIe feminine part of this coun-
try.. When the boys get home from
France no American Beauty rose need
ionqsr waste her sweetness on the
desert air.
This is also great day for the
men and women at home who clasped
hands with our soldiers across the sea
n this great struggle. All the war
workers at home from the noble wo-
men Of the Red Cross to the high
at officials Of the nation, are entitled
ii share in the honorsof victory. The
raising. equipping and sending across
the seas of two millions Of as good
soldiers as the world ever saw in
one years time is the miracle of
modern times; and this marvellous
feat could only have been accomplish
ed by the cooperation of a patriotic
citizenship united in the determine
f;on to win the war. We believe