Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-12-09

lnueicnSlDle rlSnl To reform, after,
or abolish it, in such manner as shall
be judged most conducive to the pub
lie veal" We have unhesitatingly
applied that heroic principle to the
case of Mexico, and now hopefully
await the rebirth Of the troubled re,
public, which had so much OF which
to purge itself and so little sympathy
from any outside quarter in the radi
cal but necessary process. We will
aid and befriend Mexico. hut we will
not coerce her; and our course will,
regard to her ought to be sufficient
proof to all America that we seek nc
political suzerainty or selfish control
The moral is. that the states OF
America are not hostile rivals but co
operating friends. and that their grow
ing sense of community of interest
alike in matters political and in mat
ters economic Is likely to give them
new Significance as factors in In
ternational affairs and in the political
history Of the world II presents them
as N Very deep and true sense d
unit IN world affairs. spiritual part
ners. standing together because think
ing together, quick with common sym
pathies and common ideals. Sepa.
rated they are subject to all the cross
currents of the confused politics OF
a world of hostile rivalries; united in
spirit and purpose they cannot be dis
appointed of their peaceful destiny.
This is pan-Amcricanism II has
none of the spirit of empire in it, 1t
Is the embodiment, the effcctual EN-.
hodiment, of the spirit of law and in
dependence and liberty and mutual
service.
Drawing the Americas Together.
very notable body Of men recent
ly met in the city Of Washington, az
the invitation and as the guests OF
this government, whose deliberations
are likely to be looked back to as
marking a memorable turning point
in the history Of America. They were
representative spokesmen of the sew.
eral independent states of this hcmlS
phere and were assembled to discuss
the financial and commercial relations
of the republics of the two continents
which nature and political fortune
have so intimately linked together,
earnestly recommend to your pcrusal
the reports of their proceedings and
Of the actions Of their committees
Yon will get from them, think a
fresh conception of the ease and in
tclligencc and advantage with which
Americans of both continents may
draw together in practical coopera
ton and of what the material foun
dations of this hopeful partnership of
interest must consist-of how we
ohCu'd build them and of how neces.
i, hat d. I'D,
building.
There is, ! venture to point ont, an
csrecial significance Just now attach.
ing to this whole matter of drawing
the Americas together in bonds Of
honcuraNle partnership and mutual ad.
vantage because Of the economic read
inGtmnnts which the world must in
nritahlv witness within the next gen
Grafton. when peace shall have at last
resumed its healthful tasks. In the
performance of these tasks | he!evn
the Americas to he destined to plav
the'r parts together. am interested
to fix your attention on this prospect
now because unless you take It with
in your view and permit the full sig.
nificance of it to command your
thought | cannot find the right light
in which to set forth the particular
matter that lies at the very front of
my whole thought as address you to-
day. I mean national defense.
Americans Passion Is For Peace.
No one who really comprehends the
spirit of the great people for whom
we are appointed to speak can fail to
nerceive that their passion Is for
neace, their genius best displayed in
the practice of the arts Of peace. Great
demOcracies are not helligerent. They
do not seek or desire war. Their
thought is of individual liberty and
Of the free labour that supports life
and the uncensored thought that
nuickens it. Conquest and dominion
are not in our reckoning. or agreeable
to our principles. But just because
we demand unmolested development
and the undisturbed government of
our lives upon our own principles of
right and liberty, we resent. from
whatever quarter it may come, the ag-
gressicn we ourselves will not prac-
tice. We insist upon security In prose
cutting our seIf-chosen lines of ma
tional development We do more than
that We demand it also for others.
We do not confine our enthusiasm for
individual liberty and free national de-
velopment to the incidents and move
ments of affairs which affect only our
selves. We feel 1t wherever there is
a people that tries to walk in these
difficult paths of independence and
right. From the first we have made
common cause with all partisans of
liberty on this side of the sea, and
have deemed il as important that our
neighbors should be free from all out
side domination as that we ourselves
should be; have set America aside as
(Cnntinupd on mage tWO)