The United States of America are united because in their origin they had something to unite them. They were all standing together against the royal and aristocratic ideas, which were then the strongest things in the world, in favour of the democratic idea, which was then the weakest thing in the world. They were not united for the sake of peace. No people in this world ever were or ever will be united for the sake of peace. They were not united for the sake of union. They were united for the sake of defending a definite faith, which required defence; the faith in equality and self-government; the faith in the Republic. This was no vague humanitarian platitude, but a fighting dogma. They declared it although it was denied. They declared it because it was denied.

-August 31, 1907, (London) Daily News