Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-06-06

And 1t will be done. The things that
these men left us, though they did not
in their counsels conceive it, is the
great instrument which we have just
erected in the league of nations.
"The league of nations is the o
nant of government that these men
shall not have died in vain. / like TO
think that the dust of those sons OF
America who were privileged to be
buried in their mother country will
mingle with the dust of the men
who fought for the preservation of
the Union, and that America might be
united, these men have given their
lives in order that the world might be
united.
'Those men gave their lives in order
to secure the freedom of a nation.
These men have given theirs in order
to secure the freedom of mankind, and
l look forward to an age when it will
be just as impossible to regret the re-
suits of their labor as it is now
impossible to regret the results
of the labor Of those men Who
fought for the union of the states. |
look for the time when every man who
now puts his counsel against the uni
ted service Of mankind under the
league of nations will be just as
ashamed of it as if he now regretted
the union of the states.
Fight Final Battle for Right.
"You are aware, as I 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
fishness and bargaining and national
advantage which were the roots Of
this val and any man who counsels
these things advocates a 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.
t"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-
plish it. 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 ~littlest, the most contemtible, 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
s~ellShness 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 it just?' rs it in
the interest of mankindY
This 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 hink many of
us realize what it is that has hap
pened.l Think how impossible it would
have been to get a body of responsible
statesmen seriously to entertain the
idea Of the organization of a league of
nations four years ago!
"And think of the change that has
taken place! / was told before I came
to France that there would be confu-
sion Of counsels about this thing and
l found unity of counsel. / was told
that there would be opposition and 1
found union Of action. / found the
statesmen with whom 1 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
men and then leave it to make itself
effectual.
Spirits Not Buried With Bodies.
Ladies and gentlemen, we all be-
lieve, I hope, that the spirits of these
men are not buried with their bone,
Their spirits live. I hopf-I believe
hat their spirits are present with us
at this hour. I hope that I feel the
compulsion of their presence. I hope
that / realize the significance of their
presence. Think, soldiers of those
comrades of yours who are gone. If
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:
"tForget all the little circumstances
of the day. Be ashamed of the jeal-
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 a common
gift. She was born to show men the
way of experience by which they
might realize this gift and maintain it,
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"