The Gavelyte, February 1908

1. -1 -------- --------- value, to others. Though the soldiers of the American revolution have long since entered fame's eternal camping ground, their declaration, "that all men are created free and equal," continues as our boasted heritage, and is rapictly receiving the enctorsement of the foremost peoples of the earth. From time ante-<lating the records of history until the present hour, the course of man has been making for the fullest possible freedom The prehistoric barbarian lived and died without a ray of hope for liberty. As the Oriental attained to civilization, meagre rlreams of free<lom may have occasionally been entertained by his awakening min<l The Greek oligarch thought that freedom con– sisted in aristocracy. The Roman could imagine no higher freedom than Roman citizenship. But the American maintains that every man is anrl ought to be free, because he is a man. With this conviction. the Pilgrims gladly left their natiYe land. hazarded perilous sea , covenanted at Plymouth, entered into confederation, laid their all upon the altars of their adopted land, assumed the ReYolution, with confidence in Goel an<l . an appeal to the world for the espousal and achievement of human rights. Thi conviction, too. influenced our devoted women to give up their beloved for their country's cause, inspired our orators, called forth our statesmen, raised up the im– mortal Emancipator, nerved th ... nation to crush the Rebellion, and, in our darkest hour, to share with the black man what our fathers bequeathed to us - the inalienable right of human liberty. · Let it never be forgotten that the inheritance of freedom whic-h we possess was bought with the price of the most precious hlood that ever coursed the ,,eins of man or flowed from battle wounds, because it was willingly given that they and all who aspire to noblest manhood might be free. o meed of praise which has been be. towed in the past, no adoration which we can offer in the JJJ"esent, and no honor which we may hope for coming generations to reflect, can more worthily c-ommrmorate the deeds of the patriots than for the present and for posterity to pre.. erve and propagatl:' the principles of patriotism. , >Jever was there a hetter opportunity for ..-\meric-a to present