to New York
the center of capital and the money market of the world. I am thinking
only of their benefits to democracy, to right, and to civilization.

Their fundamental principles as colonies were based on religious
freedom. Their first charters embodied the essence of liberty in the
British constitution. Their Federal Constitution is considered by the
best judges as the highest product of political genius extant among
mankind. The five years of their civil war constituted a most tremendous
sacrifice, made by the superhuman heroism of a nation in the higher
interests of humanity, for the principle of human freedom. Their
international influence is frequently exerted in the great causes of
Christianity and civilization, first struggling as they did against
piracy in the Mediterranean; then opening the doors of Japan to the
commerce of the world in the Pacific, or fighting for the Armenians
against Ottoman despotism, or intervening in behalf of the Jews against
the tyranny of the Muscovite; here sympathizing with South America
against Spain, with Greece against Turkey, and with Hungary against
Austria; there promoting that memorable peace between the Russians and
Japanese at Portsmouth, which terminated one of the most horrible
hecatombs of peoples on record in the history of warfare. The methods
and rules of their teaching, the inspiration of their inventors, the
penetrating nature of their institutions, the reproductive influence of
their example, the contagious activity of their doctrines, the active
proselytism of their reforms, the irresistible fascination of their
originality, the exuberant florescence of their Christianity, all exert
a profound influence upon European culture and on the morals, the
politics, and the destinies of the world, and guide, improve, and
transform the American nations.

Nothing, however, could be conceived which would more magnificently
crown this miraculous career and assure forever to that nation the
title, _par excellence_, of the civilizer among nations, serving the
interests of its own prosperity as well as ours by a sincere, effective,
and tenacious adherence to the doctrine announced by Mr. Root, namely
the doctrine of mutual respect and friendship, of progressive
cooperation among the American States, large or small, weak or strong;
abandoning foolish race prejudices and admitting the superior power of
imitation, science, and modern inventions, which are the moral factors
in th