Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-29
OUR SHIP OF STATE.

Editor Every Evening: Our Ship OF
State is sailing Ger perilous and treacher-
ous seas, laden with the most precious
cargo Of modern times--the Freedom,
Happiness and Prosperity Of mankind.
Don't rock the boat, don't scuttle the
ship, but obey the orders Of your gallant
commander, Woodrow Wilson, that he
may couragemlsly and safely anchor MS in
the harbor of everlasting Peace and
Liberty. Al patriots should embark 10 do
their duty and not permit the Ship Of
State 90 be tossed by the waves Of partisan
criticism or wrecked on the rocks Of
trnltorona or reasonable utteraucee
For more than three years have We
hoped, wait ed and prayed for this .fratiacl-
dial strife to cense and the dark and
ominoss clouds. that have overhung
Europe like pail, 10 break and restora-
tion of ite former sunshine. 70 wait longer
would be crime all hope for peace is
done II We want peace not German
made peace but an equitable peace
we must fight. and fight 10 the bitter end
Fight until the last vcstiRe of PrussianISm
is eliminated from God e green earth, so
that autocracy shall not have an abiding
place under the dome Of heaven; fight TO
make the world safe for democracy and
civilization. fight for the institutions
that came down 10 ne ae a heritage from
our Revolutionary ancestors, that VIC
may preserve them for ourselves and
transmit them, unlmpaired, to posterlty,
fight for the flag. the emblem Of those
institutions. that not one star be dlmmed,
not ono bar broken, and that Liberty and
Freedom should not perish from the earth
Il IS evident that MI the civilized world
looks 10 America for deliverance from
the sordd ambition Of Prussian greed
and from the taione Of the british hearts
that dominate the German Empire To
hc deaf IA the call would be a lapse to
ward iarbarism That we have = great
human duty 70 perform cannot bc denied
In other ages of tho world similar con-
flcts have arisen, always prompted ~
the same selfish and sordld impulses Of
mankind hut ultimately right has pre-
yatled IN every instance.
Fifteen centuries ago, Attila. king 81 the
Huns. devastated all Europe. proclaimlng
that never again would grass grow whore
the hoofs Of his steed had trod But over
Attlla with his hosts Of Huns, dark night
came on. for on the banks Of the Narne
tho lIunnish hosts were lgnon miouSly
defeated So. also, in the battle of the
Narne the first dawn of victory CLEANED
In our eyes Let us be Of good cheer,
the same fate awaits the modern Hun
Also We had \ conflict u the sixteenth and
Seventeenth centuries. in which men
were Obliged to fight for the right 10
worship God according tn their con
sciences That conflict was fought II the
valleys of Scotland and the rich plains and
markct places of England and on the
fields and walled cities 81 Germany.
Europe suffered uncomfortable agonies and
miscries but 1t the end Of il humanity
took a great leap forward towards the
dawn
Then came ) conflict of the Eighteenth
century. the grcai fight of the right of
mcn, and Europe again was drcnched in
blood Rut 10 the enc 1T II tine peasantry
were free, and democracy became q
reality.
Later IN orr own country, he colonies
we're obliged to rebel against the oypres-
sions of the mother country ruled by
German King and dcspot But. after
more than seven years of fatiguIng war
fare, We became free and independent
people, and established the institutions
under which we have become 4 great an
prosperous nation.
Now We are faced with The greate~t
and grlmest struggle If 4ll liberty.
equality, fraternity not amongst men but
amongst nations
FtHnnc i again drcuchcl With 1ao
blood . her hray.~t and best Du. do not
forget these are the great succession. of
h@llowed cau>ce rhcy are the stations
of the cross on the road to the emancipa-
tIon OF inanlind Let Us endure as our
fathers did and continue 70 fight for tile
great goa! OF international right and
international justice. 50 that never egain
shall brute force act upon the throne of
justice. nor barbaric strength Weld the
sceptrc oi right.
+ II Thompson.
North b.a>t, Md, March y, 1915.