Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-12-08
THE PRESIDENT TO CONGRESS.
Concluded from ist pagel

doing duty that was stern and that need
Cd self-sacrifce and have sought to hid
from their own minds their shortcom
dngs, their ignoble motives, by callin
them love OF peace. The peace Of tyran
nous terror. the peace Of craven weak
ness, the peace of injustice, all thes
should be Stunned as we shun unright
eous war. The goal to set before US as ,
nation, the goal which should be set be
fore all mankind. is the attainment o.
the peace OF Justice. of the peace which
comes when each nation is not merel,
lsafe-guarded in Its own rights, bu
scrupulously recognizes and performs III
duty toward others. Generally peace telli
for righteousness; but II there is conflict
between the two then our fealty is due
FIRST to the cause Of Righteousness. I'm
righteous wars are common, and I'M
righteous peace is rare; but both should
be Stunned. The right of freedom and
the responsibility for the exercise Of that
right cannot be divorced. One Of our
great poets has well and finely said that
freedom is not "a gift that tarries long
in the hands Of towards. Neither does
1t tarry long In the hands OF those too
eBothful, too dishonest or too unlntelli-
gent to exercise 1t. The eternal vigilance
which is the price OF Liberty must be ex-
ercised, sometimes to guard against out
side foes; although Of course far more
often to guard against our own selfish
or thoughtless shortcomings.
Not Ready for Disarmament.
II these sef-evident truths are kept be-
fore US, and only II they are so kept before
us. we shall have a clear idea Of what our
foreign policy in Its larger aspects should
be. 1t is our duty to remember that ma
ton has no more right to do injustice to
another nation, strong or weak, than an
individual has to do injustice to another
individual; that the same moral law applies
in one case as In the other. But we must
also remember that 1t is as much the duty
Of the nation to guard Its own rights and
its own interests as 1t Is the duty OF the
individual 30 to do. Within the nation the
individual has now delegated this right
to the state, that Is, to the representative
OF all the individuals, and II Is a maxim
of the law that for every wrong there is
remedy. But In international law we have
not advanced by any means as far as we
have advanced In municipal law. There
is as.yet no judicial way.of enforcing right |
in international law. When one nation |
wrongs another or wrongs many others, |
there Is no tribunal before which the wrong |
doer can be brought, Either 1t is necessary |
supiuely to aoQuiesce In the wrong, and |
aggression, or else 1t Is necessary for the
aggrieved nation. valiantly to stand up for
its rights. Until some method Is devised
by which there shall be degree of inter-
national control over offending nations,
It would be a wicked thing for the most
civilized powers, for those with most sense
of international obligations and with keen
est and most generous appreciation of the
difference between right and wrong, to dis
arm. II the great civilized nations of the
present day should completely disarm, the
result would mean an immediate recru-
descence Of b0rbarlsm In one form or an
other. Under any circumstances q sum-
cient armament would have to be kept up
TO serve the purposes Of International po-
lice; and until International cohesion and
the sense Of international duties and rights
are far more advanced than at present, a
nation desirous both Of securing respect
for itself and Of doing good to others must
have force adequate for the work which
It feels Is allotted to 1t as Its part Of the
general world duty. Therefore 1t follows
that self-respecting. Just and far seeing
nation should on the one hand endeavor
by every means to aid In the development
Of the various movements which tend to
provide substitutes for war, which tend to
render nations In their actions toward one
and indeed toward their own peo-
PIES more responsive to the general senti-
ment OF humane and civilized mankind;
and on the other hand, that 1t should keep
prepared, while scrupulously avoiding {
itself to repe any wrong, and
IN exceptional cases to take action which
IN more advanced stage of International |
relations would come under the head of the I
exercise Of the International police. A
Ant fraa ,.1n u 49, l
not to sink into helplessness be- !,
ore the powers of evil Il
Second Hague Conference.
We are in every way endeavoring to help 4
IN. with cordial good will. every movement
which will tend to bring us into more friend r
y relations with the rest Of mankind. In :.
eforSe Tie a 99fsSres se Sr af6 aT
Nth all powers which are willing to enter -
nto these treaties with US. 1t Is not pos
ible at this period OF the worlds develop e
lent to agree to aTbitrate all matters, but
here are many matters Of possible differ
nee between us and other nations which
an be thus arbitrated. Furthermore, at
he request of the Interparliamentary m
MON, an eminent body composed OF prac- oi
cal statesmen froH all countries, have .,
sked the powers to Join with this govern II
Il
'hich 1t is hoped that the work already so v,
apply begun at The Hague may be car -
led some steps further toward completion. y
his carries out the desire expressed by H
ne first Hague conference itself. al
The Monroe Doctrine A,
In asserting the Monroe Doctrine in TAX m
lg such steps as we have taken in regard to a,
uba, Venezuela and Panama. and In en- Nv
saVorlng to circumscribe the theater of
ar In the far east, and to secure the open
Dor in China, we have acted In our own
terest as well as In the interest OF human h,
al large There are, however, cases in AZ
hich, while our own interests are not eli
eatly involved, strong appeal is made to w
II sympathies. Ordinarily 1t is very much he
lser and more useful for us to concern =,
rselves WIKI striving for our own moral au
ID material betterment here at home than un
concern ourselves with trying to better co
Q condition Of things In other nations n
Q have plenty Of sins Of our own to war "
ainst, and under ordinary circumstances
can do more for the general uplifting Of 0E
manity by striving with heart and soul
put stop TO civic corruption, to brutal
and violent race prejudices
re at home than by passing resolutions Z
out wrongdoing elsewhere. Neverthe-
8 there are occasional crimes committed
SO vast scale and Of such peculiar hor- ,
as TO make US doubt whether II IL not
manifest duty to endeaYor at least to of
DIV our disapproval Of the deed and our of
n-pathy with those who have suffered BY a.,
The cases must be extreme In which .ns
n a course is Justlnable There must be dol
enort made to remove the mote from yes
brothers eye II we refuse TO remove FOO
beam from our own. But In. extreme
es action may be justihable and proper. jim
hat form the action shall take yo,,s, a. WA