The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-07-08
&&&&@
%@H6~
AND SELF.
RELIANCE THE FOUNDATION
OF TRUE AMERICANISM.

Editors NOte.-The following ad-
dress was prepared for delivery at
the Nashua Community Celebra-
ton. A part of the program was
cancelled on account of the condi-
ton of the roads and small attend
n C. resulting.
independence day this year should
have a new significance. 1t marks a
new era in history. In many respects
it may be likened to a period, a
punctuation mark in the second declar-
alton of independence on the part of
the American people.
Custom has decreed that on this
day, we shall glorify by thought and
act and spoken word, the achievements
of the nation of which we are so
proud; that we shall extol and empha-
size the merits of A~mericanism by pre-
cept and example, by historical refer
ence, and Renaissance, impress the
sterling worth of the principles of gov
eminent on which our nation is found
ed, upon ourselves, especially the
younger generation, who are just
coming into the consciousness of re-
sponsibility. To the orator, on this
anniversary, historical references are
safe, but when he passes on to the
less inviting field of personal exam
ination, and attempts to analyze, per
haps to criticize existing conditions,
he skirts the realm of political discus
sion that is out of taste on such oc-
casion. Any political differences that
may be drawn from my remarks to-
day, must be construed with my intent
not to offend anyone, and with my
honest conviction, that what I say has
been in effect sustained by the largest
majority of American voters, ever be-
fore cast at a presidential election.
l stand with voters last fall who saw
the difference between questions that
were purely political, and those which
affected the fundamental principles OF
Americanism and unhesitatingly for,
got whether they were Democrats OF
Republicans and rose up in their might
and voted for America.
Let US look into history for a mo
ment that we better understand
Americanism. Our forefathers VIII,
signed the Declaration of ~Independ
ence, to which they pledged their lives
their fortunes and their sacred honor
assigned abundant reason for thei
action. The chief and underlying caus,
for the. revolt against English rule
was the objection to any foreign in
reference; the Colonists of the earl,
days had inhaled and had became i'm
pragnated with the desire for free
dom, that was in the air of America
They We're self-reliant; they ha'
achieved, in the face of hardships an1
savage foes, in an isolated land,
semblance of civilization that was al
their own; they objected to imposition
and dictation from across the seas
and then was born the idea that i
now a fact, that the only just govern
ment devised by man is that depend
ing on the consent of the governed
According to tradition the contrar.
was the rule; governments were no
devised by mar but rulers became 81
by divine right; n man born to tn
purple had the right to rule all others
All power according to early Englisl
history was vested in the king; by tn
Magma charter and the bill of right
certain sovereign powers were dele
gated to the people, but all power no
especially granted by the crown re
manned in the sovereign. The colon
lists reversed the world old fictior
threw off the sovereign power of tn
foreign king, and declared all powe
vested in the people. Subsequent
when by the constitution, the peopl
delegated certain powers Of govern
ment, the union Of the states wa
formed, for the public defense and tn
general welfare. And, since thel
through all the century and more
American history, the n great COZ
trolling force has been that the pee
ph-the individual-shaH retain tn
highest and broadcast degree of pei
sonal liberty compatible with the put
Nc good.
Americanism then is sek-goverl