The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-11
LINCOLN F0RESAW.~ p. 4
POSSIBLE DANGER
URGED NECESSITY FOR RESPECT
FOR LAW AND ORDER. o..
Words Of the Great Emancipator Es.
pecially Significant in the Turmoil =
of the World Today.

In his IifSC great ldtIlotlC sPSc\h,
now too little known, Abraham Lincoln
forecast many Of the present day
political and social conditions. The
theme Of this speech was the danger
to American institutions, that would
come from within and the need for
greater respect for law: and order
In the great journal Of things hap
pening under the SUM- said Mr.: Lin
coin, I'VE, the American people, ma
our account running the date OF the
Nineteenth century Of the Christian
era. We find ourselves in the peaceful
possession of the fairest portion OF the
earth as regards extent Of territory,
fertility Of soil and salubrity OF
climate We find ourselves under the
government of system of p0lltlcal in
situations conducting more. essentially
TO the ends Of civil and religious
liberty than any of which the history
of former times tells us. "a.
1--WE, when: mounting the. stage of:
existence, found ourselves thet legal
inheritors Of these fundamental -bles-
sings, We toiled not in the acquire
ment or establishment Of them, they
are legacy bequeathed to us by once
a hardy, brave, and patriotic, but now
lamented and departed, race Of our
ancestors. Theirs vas the tasf (and
nobly they performed it, to possess
themselves, and through themselves
US, Of this goodly land, and to uprear
upon it's hills and it's valleys politlcai
edifice of liberty and equal rights; it's
ours only to transmit these-the
former unprofaned by the foot@of an
invader. the latter undecayed by the
lapse Of time and uniform by. usurpa-
tion-to the latest generation that fate
shall permit the world to know. This
task Of gratitude to our fathers, JUS
tice to, ourselves, duty to posterity
and love for our species in general all
imperatively require us faithfully TO
perform. !,
.How, then, shall we perform 1t? At
what point shall We expect the ap-
proach Of danger? BY what means
shaft we fortify against it? Shall we
EXPECT some transatlantic military
| giant TO step the ocean and crush us
at q blow? Never! ~, ,'-..
GAIL the armies Of Europe. Asia, and
| Africa combined, with all the treasure
Of the earth four own excepted) in
their military chest, with Bohaparte
for n commander, could not by force
take n drink from the Ohio or make
a track on the Blue ridge In a trial OF
a thousand years.
AT what point is the approach of
danger to be expected? l answer, IL
| it ever reaches US it must spring up
amongst us; it cannot come from
abroad. If destruction be our lot we
must ourselves be its author and
finisher. AS nation of free men we
must live through all time. or<die by
suicide"
After giving some examples OF the
evil effects on the innocent as well as
the guilty, which occurred in the
operation Of mob violences, Mr.. Lin
coin continued: : y
|. Il know. the American people are
{Smucli attached to their government; l
know they would suffer mucl1sfor Its
+ sake;;-T know they would endure evils
long and patiently before they would
j ever think OF exchanging it or~another
| yet. Notwithstanding all this. If the
laws be continually disregarded and
despised. If their rights 70. be secure
IN their persons aud property are held
by no. better tenure than the caprice
of q mob, the alienation Of their affec-
tons from the government is the
natural consequence, and to that
sooner or later it must come.
4 "Here, then. is one point from which
danger must be expected.
Y "The question recurs, How shall we
fortify against Il! r
"The. answer is simple. Let every
American. every lover Of liberty, every
well.wisher TO his posterity swear by
the blood Of the Revolution never to
violate, in the least particular the laws
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