El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-06-11
PREACHE5
ON GERMAN NOTE
Beautiful Peace Will Some
Day Claim World; Why
Not Now? He Asks.

Washington. D. c., June 11-Wm. J.
Bryan. in an appeal addressed to the
American people" asks them to hear
him before they pass sentence upon his
laying Town the portfolio Of secretary
of sCate in the midst Of the interna-
tiOnal crisis.
Germany on Submarine warfare, which
he refused to sign, as conforming to
the -Old system" OF diplomatic stand
ards. precedents for which are writ
ten in characters Of blood upon almost
every page Of human history" he CAV
out the following statement with the
assertion that he would issue another
statement that would be an appeal to
German-Americans~
ITO the American people: You now
have before you the text Of the note
to Germany-the note which it would
have been my official duty TO sign II
/ had remained secretary Of state. 1
ask You TO sit in judgment upon ny
decision to resign rather than TO
responsibility in it. an sure you viii
credit me with honorable motives, but
that is not enough. Good intentions
could not atone for a mistake at such
a time, on such a subject and under
such circumstances
Asks No Mercy.
IF your verdict is against me. I ask
no mercy; 1 desire non if 1 have acted
unwisely; a man in public life u
act according to his conscience, but
however cOnscientiOusly he acts. he
must be prepared TO accept without
complaint any condemnation which his
own errors bring upon him; he must
be willing to bear any deserved pun
ishment from Ostracism to execution.
But hear me before you pass sentence.
The president and I agree in pur-
pose; we desire a peaceful solution OF
the dispute which has arisen "
the United States and Germany We
80 ~ annawa Sc hmmm nth amnmnT for
vor we pray for il. but we differ ire
concilably as to the e Of securing
It. If it were mere1y a personal differ
ence. il would be a matter OF little mo-
ment, for all the presumptions are on
his side-the Prescriptions that go with
power and authority He IS president
1 am a private citizen without office
or title. but enc Of the hundred million
Of inhabitants Of these United States
Difference in Systems.
But the real issue is not between
persons-it is etween systems I rely
for vindication wholly upon strength
Of the position taken.
Among the influences which govern
ments employ in dealing with each
other there are two which are pre-
eminent and antagOnistic-fOrce and
persuasion. Force speaks with firm
ness and acts through the ultimatum;
persuasion employs argument, courts
investigation and depends up6n negoti-
alton. Force represents the old syS-
tem-rhe system that must pass away;
the persuasion represents the new sys-
tem-the system that has been grow
ing. all too slowly. it is true, u grow
ing for 1900 years In the old system,
is the chief cornerstone-War
which at its best is little better than
war at its worst The new system
contemplates a universal brotherhood
established through the uplifting pow
er Of example
Old Rules Brought Present War.
IF Itcorrectly interpret the note to
Germany. it conforms to the standards
of the old system rather than to the
rules Of the new, and 1 cheerfully admit
that it is abundantly supported by
neutrality-suspicious. written in char
acters Of blood upon almost every page
Of human history. Austria furnishes
the most recent precedent; II was Aus
tria's firmness that dictated the ulti-
matum against Servia, which set the
at war Every ruler now partict-
pating in this unparalleled conflict has
proclaimed his desire for peace and de-
MED responsibility for the war, and IL
is only charitable that we should
all of them with good faith They
desired peace, but they sought it ac-
cording TO the rules Of the old system
They have seen that firmness would
the best assurance of the mainte-
nance OF peace and. faithfully follow
ing precedent, they went so near the
fire that they were, one after another
into the contest
aFrfEhtfuI FOlIies of System
Never before have the frightful fol-
lies OF this fatal system been so clearly