Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-10-30

privilege; and States that are obliged,
because their territory does not lie
within the main field of modern enter
prise and action, to grant concessions,
are in this condition that foreign in
terests are apt to dominate their do
nestle affairs, a condition of affairs
always dangerous and apt to become
intolerable.
EMANCIPATION AT HAND.
What these States are going to
seek, therefore, is an emancipation
from the subordination which has
been inevitable to foreign enterprise
and an assertion of the splen lid
character which in spite of these diff
hculties, they have again and again
been able to demonstrate The dig
nifty, the courage, the self-possession.
the respect of the Latin American
States, their achievements in the face
of all these adverse circumstances, de-
serve nothing but the admiration and
applause of the world. They have had
harder bargains driven with them in
the matter of loans than any other
people in the worl1. Interest has been
eXacted of them that was not expected
said to be greater and then securities
were taken that destroyed the risks.
An admirable arrangement, for those
VINO were forcing the terms.
Il rejoice in nothing SO much as in
mat they will now be emancpated from
these conditions, and we ought TO be the
hrst to take part in assisting in that
emancipation. | think some of these gen
tiemen have already had occasion to bear
witness that the department of STATE in
recent months has tried to strve them in
that wise. In the future they viii draw
closer and closer to us because of cir
cumstanccs Of which | wish to spca6 with
moderation, and. l hope, without indis-
erection.
I'VE must prove ourselves their friends
and champions, upon terms of equality
and honor You cannot be friends upon
any other terms than upon the terms OF
equality. You cannot be friends at an.
except una the terne of honor. and ~
must show ourselves friends by compre-
hending their inte.est, whether it squares
with our interest or not. 1t Is a yer per-
ilous thing to determine the foreign polio
OF nation in the terms of material in
tcrests. 1t is unfair to those With whom
YOU are dealing. but it is deg aiding on
the part Of your own actions.
HUMAN RIGHTS AT STAKE
Comprehension must be the soil in
winch shall grow all the fruits of friend
SHIp' because there is a reason and q
coinpulsion lying behind all this which
is dearer than anything else to the
thoughtful men of America; / mean the
development of constitutional liberty in
the world. Human rights, national
integrity and opportunity, as against ma
terial interests.
That ladies and gentlemen, is the
issue which we now have to face
Il want to take this occasion to say
that the United States will never again
seek one additional foot OF territory by
conquest. She will devote herself to
showing that she knows how to make
honorable and fruitful use of the territory
she has. And she must regard it as one
of the duties of friendship to see that
from no quarter are material interests
made superior to human liberty and ma
tional opportunity. say this, not with
a single thought that any one will
gainsay it, but merely to fix in our con-
Sciousness what our real relationship is
with the rest of America. 1t Is the rela-
of a family of mankind devoted
to the development of true constitutional
liberty. We know that that is the soil
out of which the best enterprise springs
We know that this is a cause which we
are making in -mmon with them be-
cause we have had to make it for our
selves.
Preference has been made here to-day
to some of the national problems which
confront us as a nation What is the
heart of all our national problems? 1t is
that we have seen the hands of material
interests sometimes about to close upon
our dearest interests and possessions
We have seen material interests threaten
freedom in America
Therefore, we will now know how to
sympathize with those in America who
have to contend with that, not only with
in their borders, but from outside their
borders also. ! know what the response
of the thought and heart of America will
be to a program like that, because Amer
lea was created to realize a program like
that. This is not America because 1t Is
rich This Is not America because it
has set up for a great population great
opportunities of material prosperity
America is name which sounds in the
ears of men everywhere as a synonym
of individual liberty. | would rather be-
long to a poor nation that was free than
to a rich nation that ceased to be in love
with liberty. But We shall not be poor
if we love liberty, because the nation that
loves liberty truely sets every man free
to do his best and be his best and that
means the release of ali the splendid en-
ergies of a great people who think for
themselves. A nation of employees can
employers can be.
so in emphasizing the points which
must unite us in sympathy and in spir-
itual interest with the Latin American
people we are only emphasizing the
points of our own life, and We should
prove ourselves untrue to our own tradi-
tons if We proved ourselves untrue
friends to-day. DO not think, therefore
gentlemen, that questions of the day are
mere questions of policy and diplomacy !
They are shot through with the prin- |
cipes of life, We dare not turn from
the principle that morality, and not ex-
pediency, is the thing that must guide US,
and that we will never condone inquity
because 1t is most convenient to do So
80 it seems to me that this is a day
OF infinite hope, of confidence in a flu
ture greater than the past has been |
For ! am fam to believe that in spite OF
all the things that we wish to correct,
the nineteenth century that now lies be-
hind us has brought us a long stage to-