surrendered it, went quietly to his home and set
an example, followed by the other southern leaders, of not prolonging
the strife by those irregular methods which, as is well known, can be so
very effective for a long period in a mountainous country like
Switzerland or in a country of vast distances like the United States or
South Africa.

In other words, you go so far as to say that when a people are fighting
for their political integrity and independence, a hopeless struggle for
it ought not to be prolonged beyond what may be called the point of
scientific defeat. Rather than prolong it to desperation and death in
the last ditch it is much better and more sensible to accept a dependent
position of some sort, the position of a crown colony, or a charter
colony with more or less varying degrees of colonial control, all of
which your very unwise and altogether reckless great grandfather John
Adams, and some of his friends used to describe as "political slavery."

This doctrine of the wrongfulness of a struggle for independence against
overwhelming odds has appeared at times of late in the newspapers. I
noticed that Mr. Bourke Cockran in his speech at the recent pro-Boer
meeting in Chicago said, that the doctrine did not apply to the Boers
because their heroism had now placed them in a position to win. He did
not say positively whether or not he approved of such a doctrine. I am
myself willing to pass by a great deal of approval of it. But when the
attempt is made to render such an infamous doctrine respectable by
affixing to it the honored name of Adams, a protest is in order from all
those who are at all familiar with our own history.

I do not believe that our American people when their attention is really
brought to the matter believe in any such doctrine. But their attention
is not usually brought to it. We have been by our stupendous power far
removed for a long time from the possibility of such a struggle. We are
accustomed to the business method of settling serious disputes by
yielding at once to overwhelming power; by acquiescing in the vote of
the majority or the will of the richer man or clique that has bought up
all the stock. When the political boss informs our corporation that the
legislation we want passed must be paid for we pay without resorting to
guerilla or any other tactics. When one holds the cards that will take
all the remaining tricks he usually shows his hand saying, "the rest are
mine," and ev