The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-04-20
CHAPTERS OF A POSSIBLE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT
o --~~N-s
TwENTYNINTH INSTALLMENT
THE PEACE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
TwENTY-NINTH INSTALLMENT
THE PEACE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

There can be no nobler cause for
which TO work than the peace or
righteousness: and high honor Is due
those serene and lofty souls who with
wisdom and courage. with high ideal
ism tempered by sane facing OF the
actual facts of life. have striven to
bring nearer the day when armed
strife between nation and nation, ne
tween class and class. between man
and man. shall end throughout ths
world. Because all this is true, IL Is
also true that there are no men more
ignoble or more foolish. no men whose
actions are traught with greater pos
sibility OF mischief TO their country
and to mankind. than those who eXalt
unrighteous peace as better than
righteous war The men who have
stood highest in our history, as in the
history Of all countries. are those who
scorned injustice, who were incapa BILE
OF depressing the weak, or OF permit
ting their country, with their consent.
to Cypress the weak. but who did not
hesitate to draw the sword when to
leave II undrawn meant inability TO
arrest triumphant wrong.
All this Is so obvious that 70 ought
not TO be necessary to repeat IT, Yet
every man In active affairs. who also
reads about the past. grows by bitter
eNperince to realize that there are
/ plenty Of men. not only among those
mean well, who are ready enough to
praise what was done In the past. and
| yet are incapable OF profiting by II
when faced By the needs OF the pres
ent During our generation this seems
70 have been peculiarly the case
among the msn who have become
diseased with the idea 81 obtaining
universal peace by some cheap patent
| panacea.
There has been real and substan
tial growth In the feeling for inter-
national responsibility and justice
among the great civilized nations
during the past threescore or four
score years. There has been a real
growth % recognition OF the fact
| that moral turpltude Is involved in
the vronging OF one nation BY an
other. and that in most cases war
IL an evil method OF settling inter-
national difficulties But as yet there
| has been only a rudimentary begin
ming n the development of interna-
/ tOnal tribunals OF justice. and there
has been no development az all OF any
! international police power Now. az
] have already said. the whole fabric
Of municipal law. % law within each
nation. rests ultimately upon the
| judge and the policeman: and tho
complete absence % the policeman.
and the almost complete absence OF
the Judge On International lalffaiirs.
prevents there being as yet any real
homology between municipal and IN
ternationai law
Moreover. the questions which
sometimes Involve nations In war are
far more difncult and compiler than
any questions that affect merely in
| dividuals Almost every great ma
tion has Inherited certain questions.
either wi'h other nations or with sec
lions. either with other nations or
with sections ~ its own people. which
Z % is quite impossible. IN tho present
state ~ civilization. 20 decide az mat
tiers between private individuals can
/ be decided During the last century
~ least half ~ the wars that have
been fought have boon civil and not
/ foreign wars There are big and
powerful nations which hahtuaiiy
| commit. either upon other nations ~
upon sections ~ their own people
wrongs 90 outrageous A. 20 Justify
even the most peaceful persons IN