The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-05-02
DIR. WALSH LECTURE.
Continued from Page II


this country. which it is claimed are in
dicative that America Is about to de-
cline. and he declared that unless the
people of this country as a whole main
tanned the spirit of true Americanism
and made sacrifices to that end we
might be witnessing the beginning of
the end of our white civilization. He
believed. however, that the people would
become aroused to the situation and
that no such calamity would occur.
The first important declaration on
Americanism is the constitution of the
United States. The preamble of that
document, with its emphasis on the eStab-
lishment of justice, the insurance of do
nestle tranquility and securing the bless
ings of liberty for all our citizens, is the
best summary of what our fOrefdtheTS
tried to accomplish. The Is colonies with
many different interests and varied mo-
tives pulling them apart gave up a few
of what they considered their rights and
privileges as sovereign states and took up
the duty Cf making a great democracy.
Democracy is in the words of Our
greatest president OF the 10Th century, rule
of the people and by the people and for
the people. 1t is not rule Of the educated
classes. by the educated classes and for
the educated classes, nor rule of tho native
people, by the native people and for the
native people, not rule of the well-tod do
people by the well-t0-do people and for
the well-to-do people, nor was it to be
rule of the working people, by the work
ing people and for the working people,
but what Lincoln meant was the rule of
all the people, by all the people, and for
all the people. Democracy is a priceless
treasure for humanity and a democratic
government is not secured simply by TAX
ing the name The people must be willing
to assume the burden, as well as the privi-
lege of government on themselves.
We muSt face nrOhlpmS nd solve
them on the principles of justice, securing
for all our citizens just as far as possible
the opportunity for the pursuit of happi
ness. A great many people think now
that we are worse off now than in the
older time. Above all there are many who
are quite sure that graft and money get
ting have Slapped the foundations of citi-
zenship until there is almost no hope of
true patriotism in time of peace, though
there may be in the critical emergency of
a war. Some would tell US how much we
have degenerated from our forefathers of
the Revolutionary days in this regard.
Those who think that during the ReyOlu-
ton all were pure patriots should read
Washington's letter to Joseph Reid:
Speculation, peculatiOn and an Unsuitable
thirst for riches seem to have gotten the
better of every other consideration and
almost every order of men. Party dis
putes and personal quarrels are the great
est business of the day" Remember that
this was during the Revolution. John
Adams wrote to his wife: Il am weary
to death with the wrangles between mill
tary officers high and low. They quarrel
like cats, they worry one another like
dogs, scrambling like apes after nuts for
T, nix aad pay" Washington complains
OF the number of officers he had to break
for drawing more pay and provisions than
they had men in their companies, in the
Continental army.
Many people seem to think that being
born in the country is a sure index of
good citizenship and thorOughgoing
AmeriCanism. 1t must not be forgotten
that during the Revolution many native
here for generations were among the Roy
alists, while a great many of foreign birth
were the most sterling uphOlders of the
colonial struggle for independence.
Many of the undesirable citizens of the
country are native born of families that
have been here for generations Like the
lOyalist ROyalistS of the Revolution they
are looking out for themselves and not for
others, forgetting that the preamble of the
constitution suggests that We. the people
of the United States, are working together
for all the purposes at which the COnSti-
tuition aims. launching once with Presi-
dent Roosevelt at the White House at the
moment in his first term when the QueS-
ton whether the big interests were to rule
him and the government or not was most
acute. Ic DiuIItl out tLe udultS OF some
half a dozen of the richest men of the
country and declared that they were our
most undesirable citizens. and they were
all Americans. here for generations and
most of them l noted were college men.
Real AmericaniZation then consists not
so much in education as in the will to Co
operate with others for the benefit of all
That was never more needed than at the
present time We have heard good deal
of 100 per cent Americanism. put this
comprises the state of mind in which a
man is ready to make sacrifices for the
sake of his country and its wel-being
more than anything else in the world. If
that exaggeration of the struggle for exist
pnce as the great underlying principle be
fore the war il not to be changed in our
time 10 mutual aid and readiness to stand
shoulder to shoulder in solving our prob
lens. then the outlook is not encouraging.
/ If the principle of life is to be the devil
| take the hindmost" and everyone is to get
as much as he can for himself regardless
| of others. there will be many future wars.
each one of them more hideOus than the
| last. though that was the greatest war Of
/ human history.