The Washington times., 1915-12-07
People of America Have
, Genius For Peace

No one who really comprenends the
spirit of the great people for whom we
are. appointed to speak can fail to per-
ceive that their passion is for peace,
their genius best displayed in the prac-
tice of the arts of peace. Great democ-
racies are not belligerent. They do not
seek or desire war. Their thought is of
individual liberty and of the free labor
that supports life and the uncensored
thought that quickens 1t. Conquest and
dominion are not in our reckoning, or
agreeable to our principles. But just
because we demand unmolested develop
ment and the undisturbed government
OF our own lives upon our own prin-'
ciples OF right and liberty, we resent.
from Whatever quarter 1t may come,
the aggression we ourselves will not
practice. We insist upon security in
prosecuting our self-chosen lines of ma
tional development. We do more than
that. We demand 1t also for others.
We do not confine our enthusiasm for
velopment to the incidents and move
ments OF affairs which affect only our
selves. We feel 1t wherever there is q
people that tries to walk in these diff
From the first we have made common
cause with all partisans of liberty on
this side OF the sea. and have deemed
1t is important that our neighbors
should be free from all outside domino
ton as that we ourselves should be:
have set America aside as a whole for
the uses OF Independent nations and po-
litical freemen.
Out Of such thoughts grow all our
policies. We regard war merely as q
people against aggression. And We are
as fercely jealous Of coercive or dicta-
torial power within our own nation As OF
aggression from without. We will not
~ IN RtrNta .Na n
uses which are as necessary in times Of
peace as In times Of war; and we shall
always see to 1t that our military peace
establishment IL no larger than is
actually and continuously needed for
the uses OF days in which no enemies
move against us. But we do believe
In body Of free citizens ready and suf-
fcient to take care of themselves and
or the governments which thev have set
ub to serve them. In ouN constitutions
the right OF the people TO keep and
bear arms shall not he infrrged." and
our confidence has been that our safety
in times OF danger would lie In the
rising of the nation to take cara 0f
itself. as the farmers rose at Lexington
But war has never been mere mat
ter OF men and guns. 1t Is thing OF
disciplined might. II our citizens are
| ever to fight effectively upon a sudden
summons. they must know how modern
| fighting Is done. and what to do when
| the summons comes to render them
| selves Immediately available and imne
4 diately effective. And the Government
must be their servant IN this matter
must supply them with the traininl
| they need to take care OF themselves
! and OF It. The military arm OF theii
| Government. which thev will not allo"
| to direct them. they may properly use
| to serve them and make their inoepen
dence secure-and not their own .linde
| rendence merely but the rights also o
those with whom they have made com
mon cause. should they also be nut II
! jeopardy. They must be htted TO play
iarly in this hemisphere. for which the,
are qualified by principle and by chas
| tened ambition to play.