272 A Forgotten Maxim 



fought to found the country which he afterward 

 governed, and Lincoln, who saved it through the 

 blood of the best and bravest in the land; Wash- 

 ington, the soldier and statesman, the man of cool 

 head, dauntless heart, and iron will, the greatest 

 of good men and the best of great men; and Lin- 

 coln, sad, patient, kindly Lincoln, who for four years 

 toiled and suffered for the people, and when his work 

 was done laid down his life that the flag which had 

 been rent in sunder might once more be made whole 

 and without a seam. 



It is on men such as these, and not on the advo- 

 cates of peace at any price, or upon those so short- 

 sighted that they refuse to take into account the 

 possibility of war, that we must rely in every crisis 

 which deeply touches the true greatness and true 

 honor of the Republic. The United States has never 

 once in the course of its history suffered harm be- 

 cause of preparation for war, or because of entering 

 into war. But we have suffered incalculable harm, 

 again and again, from a foolish failure to prepare for 

 war or from reluctance to fight when to fight was 

 proper. The men who to-day protest against a navy, 

 and protest also against every movement to carry out 

 the traditional policy of the country in foreign af- 

 fairs, and to uphold the honor of the flag, are them- 

 selves but following in the course of those who pro- 

 tested against the acquisition of the great West, 

 and who failed to make proper preparations for the 

 War of 1812, or refused to support it after it had 

 been made. They are own brothers to the men 



