The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-06-25

1 score and three
years ago, the
federation OF the thirteen colonies into
a federal union was a political event
Of prime import; today it is overshad-
owed by the thing of which Tennysofi
dreamed. 1.-The Federation of the
World" The Declaration Of indie
pendence is state paper of such sig
nificance as TO stand in a class by IT.
self. It immortalized every man who
signed it. "These united colonies are
and of right ought to be free and in
dependent states; absolved from all
allegiance to the British crown; and
all connection between them and Great
Britain, is and ought to be totally dis
solved" So run the words Of fire the
idealism of which was to be made real
if need be, by the lives, as well as the
property and sacred honor of the sig
natOries. But the Declaration of In
terdependence of all free peoples will
overtop that of July A. 1776, as the
oak Overtops the daisy.
Great Patriotic Aim.
But at that time independence was
the biggest and best thing the fathers
could purchase In a war Of seven
years. They could not enjoy the un-
alienable rights of "life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness" while ruled
by Great Britain, for TO be subject TO
England meant to be robbed and ex-
plOited. Jailed or hanged at the behest
Of half-mad German, George III, who
wore the British crown.
And so the patriots proposed to
stand alone, to be independent. They
proposed an equitable self-rule on lines
more liberal than ever had been tried
there were to be neither kings nor
kinglets but rather a state of human
equality.
Across the water 1t was dark day
for human rights. In all Europe lib
erty was eclipsed; there was not one
free people. Monarchs were supreme
and more or less tryannical; and so,
to stand alone and even alOof. as
Washington ounseled, was to be
prudent Nv alliance was posi-
BILE save with which they had
just reno unce d-kingcraft. But
the old order changeth, giving
place to new" Today, in 1919, the
proper social desire Of the individual
is to ''live in house by the side of
the road and be friend to man." And
similarly, to live in the crossroads of
the nations and show vital interest in
all that pertains to humanity is the
proper attitude for the nation. The
setting for the next act on the world
stage must be big enough for inter-
dependence and internationalism. In
terdependence is life and opportunity
for both. "We must hang together or
We will hang separately"
By maintaining independence and
aloofness the fathers hoped to sue
coed; isolation spelled safety, and so
they trusted that deep, wide moat at
their front door, the Atlantic ocean,
would keep their foes at a distance of
5000 miles while they should gain
numbers and wealth and experience in
governing themselves. They minted
coins bearing the inscriptions, Let Me
Alone" and Don't Step on Me-" the
latter beneath the figure of a coiled
rattlesnake, and cutting themselves off
from world politics and world inter
rs they became a self-contained, self
ficlent people, enjoying free assem-.
y, free speech. free press and free
eligion, but making Americanism dam
gerously near a big p-ovincialism. We
helped no other people TO gain our
glorious liberty. All was we'll if we
were let alone by the political and
warning world.
Autocracy In Rout.
But a new world order has come In.
The western hemisphere IS all free.
China has astOnished the world by
electing a president. 1.-THE bear that
walks like a man" becomes human for
a fortnight and is free-until his lib
erty, mistaken for license, enslayed
him to the bolsheviki. France and
Portugal are free; Great Britain, our
ancient oppressor, is free and is our
friend. The British empire is free.
galaxy Of great self-governing peoples
Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
South Africa-all free, even though a
figurehead king is its nominal head
but Lloyd George. democrat, not
George V autocrat. Is the real ruler OF
the British empire,
Now for "Peace on Earth"
Free peoples do not menace the tran
guilty Of the world; they are not bent
on conquest; they seek not 10 impose
their will on their neighbors, even
though the neighbor be weak and
small. They covet nothing which is |
their neighbours. They stand for peace
on earth and good viii among men. |
The considerations alike Of safety and /
ethics demand the observation OF the
golden rule among nations