The Project Gutenberg EBook of "Imperialism" and "The Tracks of Our
Forefathers", by Charles Francis Adams

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: "Imperialism" and "The Tracks of Our Forefathers"

Author: Charles Francis Adams

Release Date: August 17, 2005 [EBook #16542]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK "IMPERIALISM" AND "THE ***

Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Sigal Alon and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.
Produced from page images provided by the Digital and
Multimedia Center, Michigan State University Libraries

"Imperialism"

AND

"The Tracks of Our Forefathers"

A PAPER READ BY

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS

_Before the Lexington, Massachusetts, Historical Society_

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1898

"In a word, many wise men thought it a time wherein those two miserable
adjuncts, which Nerva was deified for uniting, _imperium et libertas_, were
as well reconciled as is possible."--_Clarendon's History of the Rebellion,
B. 1. Sec. 163._

"I put my foot in the tracks of our forefathers, where I can neither wander
nor stumble."--_Burke's Speech on Conciliation with America._

BOSTON
DANA ESTES & COMPANY
210 SUMMER STREET
1899

"IMPERIALISM"

AND

"THE TRACKS OF OUR FOREFATHERS."

What the feast of the Passover was to the children of Israel, that the
days between the nineteenth of December and the fourth of January--the
Yuletide--are and will remain to the people of New England. The Passover
began "in the first month on the fourteenth day of the month at even,"
and it lasted one week, "until the one and twentieth day of the month at
even." It was the period of the sacrifice of the Paschal lamb, and the
feast of unleavened bread; and of it as a commemoration it is written,
"When your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who
passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote
the Egyptians. Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt
in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years." And thus, by their yearly
Passover, were the Jewish c