Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-06-05
Fight Final Battle for Right.

you are-aware, as l am aware, that
the airs of an older day are beginning
to stir again, that the standards of an
old order are trying to assert them
selves again. There Is here and there
an attempt to insert Into the counsel
of statesmen the old reckoning of sell
tishness and bargaining and national
advantage which We're the roots of
this war, and any man who counsels
these things advocates renewal OF
the sacrifice which these men have
made; for If this is not the final bat
tie for right, there will be another that
will be final.
Let these gentlemen who suppose
that it is possible for them to accom-
plish this return to an order Of which
we are ashamed and that we are ready
to forget, realize they cannot accom-
pish 1t. The peoples of the world are
awake and the peoples of the world
are in the saddle. Private counsels Of
statesmen cannot now and cannot
hereafter determine the destinies OF
nations.
IF we are not the servants of the
opinion of mankind, we are of all men
the iittlest, the most contemplate, the
least gifted with vision. If we do not
know courage, we cannot accomplish
our purpose, and this age Is an age
which looks forward, not backward;
which rejects the standard of national
seltishness that once governed the
counsels of nations and demands that
they shall give way TO a new order of
things in which only the questions will
be, is it right? is 1t justY Is 1t in
the interest of mankindP
"Thls is a challenge that no previ-
Gus generation ever dared to give. ear
to. So many things have happened and
they have happened so fast in the last
four years that do not think many of
us realize what 1t Is that has hap
pened Think how impossible 1t would
have been to get body Of responsible
statesmen seriously to entertain the
idea Of the organization Of a league of
nations four years agol
"And think Of the change that has
taken place. / was told before ! came
| to France that there would be confu-
sion of counsels about this thing and
found unity of counsel. | was told
that there would be opposition and
found union of action. found the
statesmen with whom ] was about to
deal united In the idea that we must
have a league of nations; that we
could not merely make a peace settle
ment and then leave it to make itself
effectual.
Spirits Not Buried With Bodies.
Ladies and gentlemen, we all be-
lieve, hope, that the spirits of these
men are not buried with their bones.
These spirits live. l hope-I believe
that their spirits are present with us
at this hour. / hope that ] feel the
compulsion of their presence. | hope
that | realize the significance of their
presence. Think, soldiers, Of those
comrades of yours who are gone. II
they were here, what would they say?
They would not remember what you
are talking about today. They would
remember America which they left
with their high hope and purpose.
And they would say:
"'Forget all the little circumstances
of the day. Be ashamed of the ieal-
ousies that divide you. We command
you in the name of those who, like
ourselves, have died to bring the coun-
sells Of men together, and we remind
you what America said she was born
for. She was born, she said, to show
mankind the way to liberty. She was
born to make this great gift common
gift. She was born to show men the
way of experience by which they
might realize this gift and maintain 1t,
and we adjure you in the name of all
the great traditions of America TO
make yourselves soldiers now once for
all in this common cause where we
need wear no uniform except the uni
form of the heart, clothing ourselves
with the principles of right and say
ing to men everywhere, "You are our
| brothers and we invite you into the
comradeship of liberty and peace
Should Hear Mandates of Men.
LET us go away hearing these I'M
| spoken mandates of our dead COM
| rades.
eff may speak personal word l
beg you to realize the compulsion that
myself feel that / am under. BY the
| Constitution of our great country
was the commander in chief of these
men. advised the congress to declare
| that a state of war existed. These
lads over here to die apparent omis-
sion). Shall lean lever speak a
word Of counsel which is inconsistent
| with the assurances l gave them when
| they came over?
rs it inconceivable there is some
thing better, If possible, that man
can give than his life, that is his liv-
| ing spirit to a service that is not easy !;
to resist counsels that are hard to re-
sist, to stand against purposes that are
| difficult to stand against and to say,