Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-04

uoW tnat IoiioWs pfacticaA eApoIIo1
personal independence and self-respec1
bentefng men who acknowledge no SUI
perior. self-control to replace that exter-
nal control which democracy rejects,
respect for law obedience to the lawful
expressions Of the public will. considera-
ton Tor the opinions and interests OF 9TH
ers equally entitled to a voice in the
state loyalty to that abstract conception
atty to personal sovereigns which has 50
lilumined the pages of history, subord!na-
ton OF personal interests to the pubic
good. love of justice and mercy. OF liberty
ana order. All these we must seek Dy
slow and patient effort; and of how many
shortcomings in his own land and among
his own people each one OF us Is con-
scious.
Yet no student of our times can fail to
see that not America alone but the whole
civilized world is swinging away from It's on
governmental moorings and intrustins the
fate OF its civilization to the capacity OF the
popular mass to govern. BY this pathway
mankind Is to travel, whithersoever II
leads. Upon the success OF this our great
undertaking the hope of humanity depends.
Nor can we fail to see that the world
makes substantial progress towards more
perfect popular self-government
believe it to be true that, viewed against
the background Of conditions century, a
generation. a decade ago, government In
my own country has advanced, in the in
telligent participation of the great mass Of
the people. In the fidelity and honesty with
which they are represented, in respect Tor
law in obedience to the dictates of sound
morality. and in effectiveness and purity
of administration.
Nowhere in the world has this progress
been more marked than in Latin America:
Out Of the wrack Of Indian fighting and
race conflicts and civil wars, strong and
stable governments have arisen. Peaceful
succession in accord with the peoples Will
has replaced the forcible seizure Of power
permitted by the peoples indifference
Loyalty to country, its peace. its dignity.
its honor has risen above partizanship for
individual leaders. The rule of law super
sedes the rule Of man. Property Is pro-
tected and the fruits Of enterprise are Sc
cure. Individual liberty Is respected. Con-
tinuous public policies are followed; ma
tional faith is held sacred. Progress has
not been equal everywhere, but there has
been progress everywhere. The movement
in the right direction is general. The right
tendency Is not exceptional: 1t is conti-
mental The present affords just cause for
satisfaction; the future is bright with
hope.
It is not by national isolation that these
results have been accomplished, or that
this progress can be continued. NO ma
ton can live unto itself alone and con-
tinue to live. Each nations growth Is
part of the development of the race. There
may be leaders and there may be lag
CARDS, but no nation can long continue
very far in advance Of the general prog
reSS of mankind, and no nation that IS
not doomed to extinction can remain very
far behind. 1t is with nations as 1t Is with
individual men; intercourse, association,
correction of egotism by the influence OF
others judgment, broadening of views by
the experience and thought of equals. ac-
ceptance of the moral standards of COM
munity, the desire for whose good opinion
lends sanction to the rules of right con-
duct-theSe are the conditions of growth IN
civilization. A people whose minds are
not open to the lessons of the word
progress, whose spirits are not stirred by
the aspirations and the achievements of
humanity struggling the world over Tor
liberty and justice, must be left behind by
civilization in its steady and beneflcent
advance.
To promote this mutual interchange and
assistance between the American repub-
lies, engaged in the same great task, In
spired by the same purpose, and profess
ing the same principles, l understand to
be the function of the American confer
ence now in session. There is not one Of
others there is not one that cannot re-
ceive benefit from the others: there is not
one that will not gain by the prosperity,
the peace. the happiness of all
According to your program, no great
and impressive single thing is to be done
by you; no political questions are to be
DISGUST: no controversies are to be set
tied; no judgment is to be passed upon the
conduct of any state-but many subjects
are to be considered which afford the pos
sibility of removing barriers to intercourse;
of ascertaining for the common beneht
what advances have been made by each
nation in knowledge, in experience, In en-
terprise, in the solution of difficult queS-
tons of government and in ethical stand
ards; of perfecting our knowledge Of each
other and of doing away with the mis-
conceptions, the MISUNDERSTANDING AMI the
resultant prejudices that are such fruitful
sources of controversy.
And there are some subjects in the pro-
gram which invite discussion that may lead
= .oc nu-0 rd q N a "a.
ment upon principles, the general practt-
cal application of which can come only In
the future thro long and patient effort.
Some advance at least may be MADE here
towards the complete rule of justice and
peace among nations in lieu of force and
war.
The association of So many eminent men
from all the Republics, leaders of opinion
in their own homes; the friendships that
will arise among you: the habit OF temper
ate and kindly discussion of matters of
common interest; the ascertainment of
common sympathies and aims; the dissi-
patton of Observation-Disclosures; the exhibi-
ton to all the American peoples of this
peaceful and considerate method of con-
ferring upon international Questions-thls
alone, quite irrespective of the resolutions
you may adopt and the conventions you
may sign. will mark a substantial advance
in the direction of international good under
standing.
These benefcent results the government
and the people OF the United oldteS VI
America greatly desire. We wish for no
victories but those of peace; for no terri
tory except our own; for no sovereignty ex-
cept the sovereignty over ourselves. We
deem the independence and equal rights
of the smallest and weakest member of the
family of nations entitled to as much re-
spect as those of the greatest empire, and
we deem the observance of that respect
the chief guaranty Of the weak against the
oppression Of the strong. We neither claim
nor desire any rights. or privileges, or
powers that we do not freely concede to
every American republic. We wish to in
crease our prosperity, to expand our trade,
to grow in wealth, in wisdom, and in
spirit, but our conception of the true way
to accomplish this is not to pull down
others and profit by their ruin. but to help
all friends to common prosperity and
common growth, that We may all become
greater and stronger together.
Within a few months, for the first time
the recognized possessors Of every foot of
soil upon the American continents can
be and I hope will be represented with
the acknowledged rights of equal sover-
eign states in the great World Congress at
The Hague. This will be the worlds
formal and final acceptance of the declara-
ton that no part of the American CONT
nents is to be deemed subject to colonial
ton. Let US pledge ourselves to aid each
other in the full performance of the duty
to humanity which that accepted declara-
ton implies; so that in time the weakest