The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-02-23

| Judge William S. Hamilton of Fort
Madison, delivered the address at
the memorial exercises of the Keo.
kuk post American Legion yesterday
lat the Grand. In his talk, Judge
Hamilton said:
The selection Of this particular
day for this occasion was especially
fitting and peculiarly appropriate
for it is Gods holy day.
There are few men who believe in
the existence Of God who do not also
believe that He has an interest in
the affairs of humanity, and il He is
not Indifferent to mankind individu-
ally and in the mass, 1t is reason
able assumption that He is concern
ed in those groupings of people that
we call nations.
q "The pages of all history bear fire.
Quent evidence that there is some in
fluence ever promoting the advance.
ment of man, and this evidence is
particularly abundant In the history
! Of America.
mo theory of chance or coinci-
dence will explain the founding, de-
velopment and progress OF America.
From the earliest period, our
people have been neither skeptics
nor sensualists. The school that
bows to the senses as the sole inter
prefer of truth had no share in the
colonization of. our country.
THE colonists from Maine to tba
tCarolinas; the prosecuted Purita-.s
THAT freighted the Mayfiower; he
Quaker outlaws that fed from Jails
with Newgate prisoner as their
leader; the adventurous companions
of Smith; the voyagers under Mar.
Quette and LaSalle; the cavaliers of
Virginia; the Catholics of Maryland.
All had faith in God and the soul.
This faith was protested IN every
part of our widely extended country
and cradeled our freedom.
Zone cannot review our history Id
its full perspective without being i'm
pressed with the appearance of de-
sign and purpose in the sele:iion of
the field, of the people to inaabit il,
in the development Of particular
ideals to inspire them, and in The
choice Of particular men to guide it
in great emergencies.
H. /" always consider: the settlement
of America with reverence wro.e
John Adams, as the opening of a
grand scene and design of Providence
for the illumination of the ignorant
and the emancipation of the slavish
part of mankind all over the earth
Mother Of Freedom.
THE facts of American history and
the influence d America upon man
kind generally make 1t difficult To
avoid the conviction that God created
America to be the mother Of human
freedom.
Carlyle has spoken of democracy
as starting from Bunker Hill to AXE
|. its journey round the world, and in
the last few years we have seen frui
tion of divine design in this direction
that are miraculous in the swift &C
accomplishment of impossibilities.
Again this day is peculiarly APP
prOpriate to this occasion, since it is
Washington's birthday day when
we pause and render tribute to the
great spirit Of him who rode the
storms of the revolution and guided
!our people into the secure haven o!
national peace.
4 las such, it is one of the memorial
days of our republic, and as such is
q day or memories-a day when we
loose ourselves from the environment,
of time and place and hold com
munion with our holy dead
!, "A day, upon which we recall the
glorious aspirations which filled
mems souls at times, when to love
ones country was to lay down ones
life. A day filled with the same spirit
Of freedom, patriotism and devotion
which breatled into the common
dust of ordinary humanity the sub
lime inspiration Of heroic deeds. a
day when we rekindle the fires OF
patriotism upon the altar of our 1iber
Z ties and renew the loyal vows with
which in the crucial times OF our
country's history our noble dead con
secrated their blood.
\, THE past four years have been the
most marvellous period in the history
not only of our own country but of
all civilization.
I'VE entered the worlds war be,
cause God helping us we could do
no other.
Germanys Many Crimes.
History will record with inGigna.
ton the long series of aggressionsi
and insults of which Germany was
guilty, and with surprise the story OF
this governments q unexampled
patience.
Our patience was mistaken for
cowardice, our neutrality for an in.
finite capacity for submission to
wrong. While still at peace with us,
Prussian militarism sent our men,
women and children to barbarous
death upon the seas. 1t violated the
principles of international law of set
purpose.
at tore up it's treaty with us with
a wanton insolence that matched its
violation Of Belgium. 1t made prom.
ises of respect for all these things
and broke them time and again. 1t
filled our land with plots and spies
and efforts at destruction of prop
erty. It made the neutral territory
of the United States base for hos.
tile acts against nations with which
this country was at peace.
"Its diplomatic representatives VIC