330 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



ships to the southwest caused the seamen to urge upon 

 their leader to follow the birds. 



Many an ancient battle was fought because the birds 

 gave signs of victory ; and never was so momentous a con- 

 clusion resultant upon the observation of the fowls of the 

 air, as when Columbus followed them to the West Indies, 

 instead of landing upon the coast of the United States. 

 The Indies and South America became Spanish; North 

 America was left open for the Anglo-Saxon. No nation 

 has ever yet shown the same power as a colonizer as has 

 been exhibited by the English people. She learned a les- 

 son in our Revolutionary War which has taught her to 

 retain her other colonies by the gentlest of ties. She has 

 given to them the power of local self-government, even 

 to the extent that they may legislate against the trade of 

 the mother country. The Revolution has led to far- 

 reaching results. It has done much more than to merely 

 lay the foundation for the great republic in which we 

 live. The French who helped us in the war carried back 

 to Europe the germs of liberty, which ultimately grew 

 into the great Revolution in which the Bourbon dynasty 

 went down in blood. 



Napoleon's empire rose upon its ruins, and after twen- 

 ty years in which he strode the earth as a colossus, an al- 

 liance against him was formed between Prussia, Russia, 

 Austria, and England. 



This was the foundation of the celebrated alliance. 

 When Napoleon was overthrown and sent to the rock of 

 St. Helena, the Holy Alliance was still continued to pre- 

 vent any further uprising of the people of Europe. Nor 

 need we wonder at the term Holy Alliance, as adopted by 

 an organization whose object was to destroy human lib- 

 erty. The word "Holy" was one to conjure with, and at 

 one time the principal bank in Rome was known as the 



