In War 



it becomes a democracy, and has done 

 with kings." 



It was at Lexington that " the em- 

 battled farmers " " fired the shot heard 

 round the world." To them life was 

 of less value than a principle, the prin- 

 ciple written by Cromwell on the statute 

 book of Parliament : " All just powers 

 under God are derived from the con- 

 sent of the people." Since this war 

 many patriotic societies have arisen, 

 finding their inspiration in personal 

 descent from those who fought for 

 American independence. The assump- 

 tion, well justified by facts, is that these 

 were a superior type of men, and that 

 to have had such names in our personal 

 ancestry is of itself a cause for think- 

 ing more highly of ourselves. In our 

 little private round of peaceful duties 

 we feel that we might have wrought 

 the deeds of Putnam and Allen, of 

 Marion and Greene, of our Revolu- 



73 



