It is a matter of regret to me that other engagements have compelled my absence from your meetings the two years past, but your printed proceedings1 upon those occasions were full of interest and contributed material of importance to the student of Revolutionary literature.
The Treasurer’s Report shows that the financial condition of the Association is good, although the erection of the new Lodge2 increases the expenses in much the same proportion that it adds to the comfort of visitors. The most pressing need of the Association is that of a larger permanent fund to improve the grounds and keep the buildings in proper and attractive condition.
During the year ten members of our Association have passed away, and one of our Directors, Mr. Richard Devens. They were earnest, active citizens, proud of their heritage, and in their respective fields of work added to the well-being3 and moral strength of this community. We shall miss them from our membership, but to those who take their places we extend a cordial welcome, confident that the patriotic4 memories clustering round the 17th of June will inspire them to follow closely in the footsteps of their predecessors5.
The year’s panorama6 has unfolded a varied7 picture, with incidents both of encouragement and of warning. While it has not been a year of marked prosperity, and while accidents by flood and fire have caused terrible losses and suffering,[4] our country has pursued a peaceful and progressive course, and no complications of a dangerous nature have actively8 threatened. The settlement by arbitration9 of the Alaskan Question and the Venezuelan troubles is a matter for congratulation, irrespective of the terms of settlement. The assurance of the building of the Panama Canal is of the first importance, not only because it closes a vexed10 question, but for its effect in changing and opening up new avenues of trade and in knitting together different parts of this union of States. The final step in its accomplishment11 will probably always be subject to criticism and discussion, but rightful authority having settled the fact that the Canal is to be built, no one will question its desirability and usefulness.
The most perplexing problems before the country are, as they have long been, those connected with the continual strife12 between capital and labor13, and it is singular and not altogether encouraging that such conditions should exist and seemingly grow worse in a country affording boundless14 opportunity for both laboring15 man and capitalist and where the chances for progress and improvement are so great. One would think that here, if anywhere, justification16 was wanting for class feeling, for jealousies17, or for violent breach18 of the laws.
The constant succession of strikes retards19 progress, imperils business interests, and brings suffering and disaster to those concerned and to parties having no immediate20 connections with the strife. The growing strength of the labor unions would not be a subject of regret was it not too often accompanied by a dictatorial21 and narrow spirit infringing22 upon the rights of the individual man and frequently leading to public disorder23 and violation24 of law. As an educating force to its members the union is of value, and equally so as a protection for the just rights of labor, but its members should never forget that the public peace must be preserved[5] at all hazards, that no grievances25 can be enforced by violence, and that the rights of non-union men are just as sacred and inviolate26 as those of men who band themselves together for a common purpose. Liberty is a myth, and despotism usurps27 its place, unless the individual man may use his own judgment28 and work where and when he pleases for what he deems sufficient wage without violent interference by others; he may be persuaded, he may be influenced, but no man or body of men have the right to use force. Despotism is despotism, whether under forms of labor unions or capitalistic combinations, and a trust in labor may be just as oppressive and dangerous as a trust to restrict production, affect prices, or for any other purpose, even more so in its tendency to lead to open violence.
The great public having no connection with particular combinations must always be considered, and it will not patiently submit to interruption of public traffic or to the lessening29 of its comforts or conveniences while jarring interests are settling their private quarrels. Public legislation should be impartial30 in the sense that it should be directed towards bettering conditions and repairing injustice31 to all classes of people, but none should be enacted32 except with the understanding that peace is always to be preserved and that the wrongs of special parties shall not be redressed33 at the expense of the rights of the community as a whole.
Outside of our country it is not a cheering prospect34 that, despite Hague Conferences and all efforts to promote peace between nations, the opening years of this Twentieth Century witness a disastrous35 and bloody36 war between great empires of the West and East, and upon questions that seem to involve little else than extensions of territory at the expense of other nations. However sympathies may be divided between the two contending parties, we must all hope that the war may not be of long duration, and that the awful waste, sacrifice, and[6] slaughter37 may tend to discourage such barbarous methods and to spread the principles of peaceful arbitration.
The military spirit prevailing38 everywhere, even in our own country, and the apotheosis39 of force, requiring such enormous military and naval40 appropriations41, give food for thought, and in this connection we may well consider whether the alarming increase of crime, the lynchings at the South and West, and the disregard of law in many high quarters, are not the natural result of such a spirit. The Devil’s advocates are uncommonly42 busy, and if Christian43 preachers believe in the Gospel of Peace, they have a wide field for Christian work. He who talks of war as anything but a curse to a nation and a crime against humanity should remember these words of General Sherman, who knew what war was: “I confess without shame that I am tired and sick of the war. Its glory is all moonshine. Even success, the most brilliant, is over dead and mangled44 bodies, the anguish45 and lamentation46 of distant families appealing to me for missing sons, husbands, and fathers. It is only those who have not heard a shot, nor heard the shrieks47 and groans48 of the wounded and lacerated (friend or foe), that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance49, more desolation.”
The Peace Conference, to be held in Boston in the Fall, is a hopeful sign; for this Republic above all others should stand for peace, and this Association and all patriotic societies which venerate50 the Founders51 of this Republic and believe that the principles they advocated lead to peace and amity52 between nations can contribute to the hastening of the time when armaments shall be reduced and the reign53 of peace in the world be brought nearer.
To that end, in the short space of time allotted54 me to-day, I desire to call your attention to what our Fathers believed as illustrated55 by their own words, and I turn back by way of text to the interview I once before referred to, which our late member Judge Chamberlain narrated56 that he had with[7] Captain Preston, who fought at Lexington, and who, when over ninety years of age, could recall no reason for going into the fight other than that America had always governed herself and always meant to.
点击收听单词发音
1 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 lodge | |
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 well-being | |
n.安康,安乐,幸福 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 predecessors | |
n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 );前辈;(被取代的)原有事物;前身 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 panorama | |
n.全景,全景画,全景摄影,全景照片[装置] | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 varied | |
adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 actively | |
adv.积极地,勤奋地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 arbitration | |
n.调停,仲裁 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 vexed | |
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 accomplishment | |
n.完成,成就,(pl.)造诣,技能 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 strife | |
n.争吵,冲突,倾轧,竞争 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 boundless | |
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 laboring | |
n.劳动,操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 justification | |
n.正当的理由;辩解的理由 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 jealousies | |
n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 );妒羡 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 breach | |
n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 retards | |
使减速( retard的第三人称单数 ); 妨碍; 阻止; 推迟 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 dictatorial | |
adj. 独裁的,专断的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 infringing | |
v.违反(规章等)( infringe的现在分词 );侵犯(某人的权利);侵害(某人的自由、权益等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 violation | |
n.违反(行为),违背(行为),侵犯 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 grievances | |
n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 );苦衷;不满;牢骚 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 inviolate | |
adj.未亵渎的,未受侵犯的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 usurps | |
篡夺,霸占( usurp的第三人称单数 ); 盗用; 篡夺,篡权 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 lessening | |
减轻,减少,变小 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 impartial | |
adj.(in,to)公正的,无偏见的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 injustice | |
n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 enacted | |
制定(法律),通过(法案)( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 redressed | |
v.改正( redress的过去式和过去分词 );重加权衡;恢复平衡 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 disastrous | |
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 slaughter | |
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 prevailing | |
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 apotheosis | |
n.神圣之理想;美化;颂扬 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 appropriations | |
n.挪用(appropriation的复数形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 uncommonly | |
adv. 稀罕(极,非常) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 mangled | |
vt.乱砍(mangle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 anguish | |
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 lamentation | |
n.悲叹,哀悼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 shrieks | |
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 groans | |
n.呻吟,叹息( groan的名词复数 );呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 venerate | |
v.尊敬,崇敬,崇拜 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 founders | |
n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 amity | |
n.友好关系 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 allotted | |
分配,拨给,摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 illustrated | |
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 narrated | |
v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |