The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-12-09

self from every ENHANCEMENT that
had darkened the fortunes of the older
nations and set up new standard here
that men of such origins and such
free choices of allegiance would ever
turn in malign reaction against the
government and people who had well
coined and nurtured them and seek
to make this proud country once more
a hotbed Of European passion. A lit
tie while ago such a thing would have
seemed Incredible. Because it was in
credible we made no preparation for
it. We would have been almost
ashamed to prepare for it, as if we
were suspicious Of ourselves, our own
comrades and neighbors! But the
ugly and incredible thing has actually
come about and we are without ade-
quate Federal laws to deal with it.
= II urge you to enact such laws at
the earliest possible moment and feel
that in doing so am urging you to do
nothing less than save the honor and
4@AOopSSV VI CA1S 11dI1O11 OUCH cISd-
lures of passion, disloyalty, and anar-
chy must be crushed out
"They are not many, but they are
infinitely malignant, and the hand Of
our power should close over them at
once. They have formed plots to de-
stroy property, they have entered into
conspiracies against the neutrality of
the government, they have sought to
pry into every confidential transac-
ton of the government in order to
serve interests alien to our own. It
is possible to deal with these things
very effectually. need not suggest
the terms in which they may be dealt
with.
II wish that it could be said that
only few men, misled by mistaken
sentiments of allegiance to the gov
ernments under which they were born.
had been guilty Of disturbing the self
possession and disappearing the
temper and principles Of the country
during these days of terrible war,
when it would seem that every man
who was truly an American would in
stinctively make it his duty and his
pride to keep the scales of Judgment
even and prove himself a partisan Of
no nation but his own But it cannot.
There are some men among us, and
many resident abroad who, though
born and bred in the United States and
calling themselves Americans, have so
forgotten themselves and their honor
as citizens as to put their passionate
sympathy with one or the other side
in the great European conflict above
their regard for peace and dignity Of
the United States. They also preach
and practice disloyalty. No laws, I
suppose, can reach corruptions of the
mind and heart; but should not speak
Of others without also speaking and
expressing the ever deeper humilia-
ton and scorn which every self-pos-
sessed and thoughtfully patriotic
American must feel when he thinks of
them and the discredit they are daily
bringing upon u.s."
President Wilson concludes his mes
sage with these patriotic sentences:
For what we are seeking now, what
IN my mind is the single thought of
this message, is national efficiency and
security. We serve a great nation.
We should serve it in the spirit of it's
peculiar genius. It is the genius of
common men for self-government, in
dustry, justice, liberty and peace. We
should see to it that it lacks no instru-
ment, no facility or vigor of law, to
make it sufficient to play it's part with
energy, safety, and assured success.
IN this we are no partisans but her
aids and prophets of new age"