The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1915 A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 144, 18 June 1915, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1915 A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Tot the cause that lacks astistetoee. For the wrong that nerds resistance, For the future in the distance, And the quod that we Mn th.

A century ug ,to ::u was f..no'ut the great battle iv.-it.-l, ,;,,,.e.l Nap,l.-ou'.. career, and bruiiu'ht undv in ( !i„in.iir to tie- Hritirli .mi.-. We n.-e i,, ,| cern oiit'.s.'lve- w.lh Ihe .-ii.II. -s .-..nti-oversy ov. f ll„- pari played :■. Kllglaud't. allies ,11 the 1i,.'!.!. I'.-r Wll.-tll.r Nip 'le Ml V et.reiigth U'llf, levelled by the llecc.-iU for '.viinlin- oil' ihe a.l\.-iii.'iiig I'm-* ..ms, or whether Wl IllilL't.'ll c .llld have held his ground an I rep, il.-i the 1- r. ndi al tack, cv dt ti in .t:,<■ r lie n,r N.ipVico;: knew tha; Mueller wa.- marching lo his aid. are f|iic-.tiiin- in one .-.-Hi-,' lici-.|.le the point. The whole world knew the,, and :1 hti.s never forgotten s;ucc, that t wis the etern an! unv.elding valour of the lirui-li troop* tli.il clave.l the ..ver wlit-luiing '-ii.-.i oi Napoienn's u'tcratv. and vvrr.-tcl victory a i I ,-t to the r-ide of the Aid's, lipmions ui'i always -liffi-i a.s to ih. merit- oi -tbe lac-ti-s and of th, rival leader.-, and from tne Mr.tiali M indpuint the Ul.l.tarv a.-pel. oi the irc.t litiiil have hern con.-laiitlj .ibsciircil by the natural prrjud:. is .1 I'.riti.-b l.;-l,.ri.i ti- who lin.-toti's ni'-rds as a i-imiii.iii i.'i' nt Napoleon's - M „.,,-,-. It i- surely enough for us to know- lti.it Wiiti-iioo cio.-e.l the <jner of 111. L -,,at.-t soldier of modern time.. ~r..b.iblv the greatest military ceiiins that the world has en-r known, and I.i.it Napoleon's downfall was brought about chiefh I.v the mii domitable r.-solutlof nnd the .nvincible spirit of the lutle Hriti-h army. And . so the name of Waterloo come;, to us 1 today as .in m.-j. lati.-n to ~11 true patriots, .in,l a:i incentive to .very man amnnctft us t" pl.iy li..- part b-.ldly .v the ordeal tb.it lie- before us to-day. and so to prove himself not unworthy of the dignity and honour that have dc-conied to lis as a legacy fiom Kngland's (ilori . oils ~,-! It is natural th.it. v\ bile thi* ?rea: war is raging, anl Hn'.i-h sohlicrs are vv inning cv cry .lav fre«h honours worthy to be set liesi lc tlic 1.i.1.-'.eso laurels that have crowned our heioc- on many ' a -: rici.cn |~'d from Agin.-oiirt to Waterloo, we should linger with exnlta ' tion .1:1 I prilc over the metnoiics of the !jsl desperate collilict in which the Powers ol Kurope found tlieui-eives arrayed perforce agjitist ihc dreaded menace of a world tyranny. It was nothing but the know lodge that the ascendancy of Napoleon threatened not only the peace but the freedom of the > world and the independence of every state and people ;h,it still claimed the right 10 live .md govctn themselves according to their own will, that brought together the Alliance which overthrew the tyrim! a century ago. And though the Kaiser i> infinitely .1 smaller, fe.-li'.er and less impressive figure than Napoleon, bin- Powers of Kurope have banded together almost wiih one accord against Germany in the same spirit, because they- have ben forced to rccojmise thai her policy, her methods of government, and her boasted ".'lilt urc" arc all irreconcilably hostile ( o human progress apd human liberty. The domination of Germany over Kurope and ihe w-orld would entail a catastrophe ro far-reach ing and disastrous that words can barely convey its meaning, for it would involve ihc destruction of all that is most prized and cherished by free people throughout the world today— j liberty, independence, tiie unchecked expression of mvliontil feeling, the unrestricted striving after national ideals. - Kaiserisnt, with its ally I'ritsnian militarism, i- n far in.ire portentous menace to the world titan Napolconitsm ever wa.-; and it is for this reiioon that - England and the Empire have girded themselves for tliis struggle, resolved never to sheathe the sword till their work is linally acomplishi-d and the great enemy of the peace and the well-being of mankind is linally overthrown. Mote than a hundred .veiling,) William Pill told the people of Lmi don. u.semblcd in the Guildhall, that England had saved hen-elf l.y her own courage, and that she would save Europe by lici- example. And when this great war lias readied it- only poncible conclusion, the people of the oversea DoniinL ; ions will realise with pride and cuilt.i----e tion that they, too, like their forefathers c a century ago. have been permitted to c share in the great work of liberating anl regenerating the world, and they w.ll . lentil to count the losses they have •'• suffered and ihc oeciilii-e- they have en.lurel but a little tiling iomp.ir.-d with lite triumph th.-y have shared and . the glory they havo helped to win.