The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-06-15
Joseph II. LalDIOr Gaze
Stirring Address At
Flag Day Exercises

should not be tinged with sadness. We
approach the day with a feeling of
pride, just and righteous pride, be-
cause the Liberty Bell on that altar
SlgnI1es that the flag is Still huttering
in the heavens, the emblem of our
hopes and aspirations, the hottest
thing In our national shrine and by
IT'S presence we are reminded that we
are still IN possession of those politi-
cal and social blessings, which the
dead so unselhshly sought to attain.
The American flag is more than the
mere standard of a nation. 1t is the
mark of "a political institution, an
idealistic form of government found
ed upon the inaHenaible right of man
to life and liberty. a right that was al
ways a God given right and one which
American undertook to secure to the
world, To that form of government
the flag has remained true for under
its folds and in its name no oppressor
mas lifted sword. that dripped with
the blood of the weak. The flag marks
the dominion Of a world nation and
guides the destiny of a hemisphere.
The riches of the earth are within its
folds, but better than these is the
heritage Of moral wealth given to the
world by the flag that heritage of JUS
tdce which has ever marked it's ma
jestic sweep of Glory. When we speak
OF government, what do we mean? At
times we have confusing notions of
government, besause we think of
rulers, of laws, of bureaus, and of the
complexities that enter into the oper-
alton of a government. The basis of
government. however, is simple. 1t is
a society, with members with a head
and with some object to accomplish
Our government therefore is but the
evolution of the family group, the first
orderly unit of existence and one
which was fashioned in response to
the social instincts of mankind
For centuries mankind had vainlv
hoped for government which should
nave aus a primary care The rights and
happiness of the governed. The law
of heredity and of kingship had not
evolved the status of life, promised by
the PHILOSOPHY of the patriots The
bearded chief of the tribe had be-
come the monarch who proclaimed
himself the state; the rowing band of
the forest had become the marshalIed
army bent on aggrandizem ent-in its
ranks life after life went out and the
iustre of a crown grew apace. but
lroety, that liberty which would eX-
empt men from arbitrary restraint
and give to them their full growth.
power and happiness had been denied
democracy made a new appeal to
caught the vision of Democracy. but
here was a democracy whose purpose
was to contrive a government, which
would be based, on the consent of
the governed and not in a regent
claiming himself divineIy appointed
1t was the achievement of This pur-
pose, which not only gave to us free
dom but also hurled into the guided
courts of Europe the first wrecks
of paternalism. Therefore let us real
ize that when the patriot band barred
his breast to the bullet he acted not
only in the defense of his home, but
he also staked his honor and fortunes
for q thing in part subjective, a new
theory and principle of. government
which in practical operation has since
given to mankind untold blessings In
fact the very birth pangs of the new
nation seemed to fortell that God in
his Providence would commit to the
keeping of America the moral leader
ship of the world
No greater tragedy could befalI a
people than that they be torn asunder
freedom rose triumphant. AS Lincoln
looked with brooding eyes into the
world of his day he knew
full well the terrible fruits of d;sun-
ion. How frighttu1 is the contempIa-
ton of Civil arr Men did not rise
in their might to smite q foreign in
vader or despofler, and as we look
into the eyes of these veterans we
know that they did not fight because
of the hate in their hearts nor be-
cause they followed that heetiing
thing men are wont to call glory. They