Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-11

4VSOe
cally. France after was no more like
France before her Revolution than,
physically. Flanders Fields after the
German retreat like Flanders Fields
before the Germans came.
| The American Revolution had no
such far reaching results. 1t was not
; revolutionary at all, except in very
limited sense. In each colony. the
laws remained as before--life and
property was safe-the Courts did not
intermit their regular operations, the
E, Colonial Council and Assembly were
continued in the two Houses later
called Senate and Assembly-the
Governor performed substantially the
> same duties as before. True the
source Of the power was changed and
. no longer was there sovereignty from
I beyond the seas, but socially, COM
mercially and to great extent even
! politically, things went on as before.
Even in the larger and national
| sphere, it was as if the Empire had
broken in two; that part of it in
America set up national life on its
own account having President with
kingly powers.
The colonies had at first no more
intention of declaring war against
!
States had in 1915 Of declaring war
against Germany. In both cases war
was rendered inevitable sby the stu
pidity and arrogance of those who did
not understand, and therefore under
rated, the tirmness, devotion, and
sense Of right and justice of Amer
leans.
1t is wicked libel to say that even
before or during the Revolutionary
l I,nsy h. T.,
was opposed to the aspirations of the
American people-the best part. of
the public men of England or the
English people were in favor; but
their voice was overborne by the
gross ignorance and foolish arrogance
Of the King and his chosen advisers.
The principles of Magma Charta
and of the Bill of Rights had not yet
been SO far effective as to enfran-
chise the body of the English people,
They had no voice in Parliament for
half Il century later and Goodwin
Smith is not far astray when he says:
1T is only yesterday that the Eng
liSh people have been really thei,
own masters; till 1892 they We're
governed by a close oligarchy with
its pocket boroughs, the hereditary
peeraSe and the established church"
The mass of the English people
| were always anu are now IlCC tOllly
friendly to the United Statcs-they
are proud of the United States. You
may find here and there relic of the
dislike which the patrician class felt
for republcanism! Prejudice dies
hard and the fool ye have always
with you'll have seen as great. as
unreasoninS detestatien of England
and of modern Enslishmen in Maine
as l ever saw or heard of in England
against Americans.
The common man has come to his
own across the sea-he has always
been proud of America and rightly so
he owes much of VIII" is worth
having To the example of America
and Americans. | have often said
That Canada ard the rest of the
British Empire today are free, is due
largely TO the example of American
democracy in 1916. The cmbattled
farmers who stood and fired the shot
heard round the world, their lines I'M
even but unyielding. owing little to
the drill sergeant but much to the
strong and gallant heart, fought not
only for themselves and the rest of
those of the Thirteen Colonies and the
Great states that were to proceed from
the Thirteen Colonies, not only for
their descendants for generation after
generation in these United States, but
for Canada too. for Australia and New
Zealand. and South Africa. aye for
England herself and all that makes the
British Empire worth while
The English Revolution of 1858 did
not go far enough or deep cnougk-it
did indeed assert the rights of English
mon under the peculiar constitution of
the Realm but it did not assert the
rights of man as man. The great bulk
of EnGlishmcn were still deprived of
all real mastery over themselves and
consequently of all real liberty because
of the traditional constitution of the
Kingdom. The broad principles of
American liberty. the elementary and
fundamental rights. the inalenablc
rights claimed by the Colonists could
be known and in the event were known
of all; the success of the masses in
England in obtaining as they did po-
litical freedom and power received no
small part of its inspiration from the
example of America. And today the
Mother. Country is as free and as DEM
ocratic as any country in the world
nay if l am right in my idea that a
truly democratic government is that
which is quickly responsive to the SEN
timcnt and wishes of tho people at
largo. England has bcttcrod the exam
pie and is more democratic even than
America herself.
In britain tho humiliation of defeat
a century and Il half ago IS lost in adj
miration and pride in the progress of
hcr mighty offspring. Washington is
a national hero across the sca-he is
looked upon as an English general, an
English statesman. an English patriot
just as he lived and died an English
gentleman.
| speak with the utmost candor when
I say that l can conceive no reason
why Americans should rancorously
brood over the events of the Revolu-
ton or treasure cnmity against the
Old Land or her people-unless indeed
it be that prejudice which a later gem
Grafton owes to those which precede it,
Whatever there may have been in
| Fourth Of July addresses and political
speeches. there has been little of this
enmity displayed in active have lived
together for more than hundred years
in peace with out fort. gun. SOL
dicr to guard us.
We have settled four thousand miles
of boundary. every mile of which was
disputed and every mile might have
caused a war. and without the she'd
ding of a drop of blood-wc have by the
peaceful methods of diplomacy and ar
bitration settled disputes as to fishery,
claims for money. what not"
1t might have been thought that the
example of two such nations as the
United States and Britain, so strong
that they fear no foe. with that chas-
tity of honor which feels stain like
a wound. would be followed by the ma
tions of the carth.y 1t was not to be.
| The assault long in preparation was
made. tortured France and cruciied
| Belgium looked across the Channel for
| bo1, tnlt yr;f ai