The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-04-30
Time OF JEFFERSON
Similar In Many Respects 10 That
of Wilson Now Europe Then
Engaged In War.

| AttuIus
On the eve of the birthday of
Thomas Jefferson. one is reminded of
his position In a period of the
worlds history not unlike that of the
present
AS today, all Europe was then en-
gagged in war, Then as now there
was a disposition on the part of some
to embroil this country in the strug-
gle, Against the sentiments of
many of his dearest personal and po-
litical friends. Thomas jefferson re-
fused to be swept off his feet or to
surrender his reason.
Amid a storm of passion he stood
like some great cliff that meets the
raging billows of the wild sea. He
stood for neutrality, for non-inter-
veution, for peace.
In his third annual message in
October, 1903, President jefferson
said:
I'VE have seen with sincere con-
cern the flames of war lighted up
again in Europe, and nations with
which we have the most friendly
and neutral relations engaged in
mutual destruction. While we
regret the miseries in which
we see others invilved, let us
bow with gratitude to that kind
Providence which, inspiring with
wisdom and moderation our late leg
islatiye councils while placed under
the urgency of the greatest wrongs,
guarded us from hastily entering in
to the sanguinary contest, and left
us only to look on and to pity its raw
ages. These will be heaviest on
those Immediately engaged. Yet the
nations pursuing peace will not be
exempt from all evil.
I'VE should be most unwise were
we to cast away the singular bless
ing of the position in which nature
has placed us, the opportunity she
has endowed us with of pursuing, at
a distance from foreign contentious,
the paths of industry, peace and hap
piness; of cultivating general friend
ship, and of bringing collisions of in
terest to the umpirage of reason
rather than of force. How desiT-
able then, must it be, in a govern
ment like ours, to see it's citizens
adopt individually the views, the in
terests, and the conduct which their
country should pursue, diVesting
themselves of those passions and
partialities which tend to lessen use
full friendships, and too embarass
and embroil us i'm the Calamitous
scenes of Europe.
Confident that you will duly esti-
mate the importance of neutral dis |
positions toward the observance of |
neutral conduct, that you will be SEN
sible how much it is our duty to look |
on the bloody arena spread before us
with commiseration indeed, but with |
no other wish than to see it closed, |
am persuaded you will cordially cher |
ish these dispositions in all discus
sions among yeourselves, and in all .
with your consti
tuents."
With the partisans of both sides in .
the present conflict criticising Pres |
ident Wilson how familiar this
sounds, it being part of a letter of |
Thomas Jefferson while he was Sec
retary of State in the cabinet of
President Washington in 1898 to
Gouvrneur Morris:
THE course intended to be pursued
being that of strict and impartial
neutrality, decisions, rendered by the
President on that principle, dissatis-
fy both parties, and draw complaints
from both"
Although the most cosmopolitan
statesman of our history, Thomas \
Jefferson yet put America first" He
thought in terms of America" and
without any show of vulgar bOasting
and narrow patriotism never tired of
exalting his country and explaining
what it stood for He was not un-
mindful of the merits of other ma
tions and no man more freely adopt
ed suggestions from them but he re-
fused to believe that any other ma
ton was better than his own, that
one had to turn his eyes across the
seas to find all worth. Read this
sublime eloquence from the lips of
Thomas Jefferson, uttered in 1909:
1.-The station which we occupy
among the nations of the earth is
but awful. Trusted with
!
he destinies of this solitary republic
)f the world, the only monument of
human rights, and the sole deposi
.ary of the sacred fire of freedom and
self government, whence it is to be
lighted up in other regions of the
earth, if other regions of the earth
shall ever become susceptible of it's
lenign influence. All mankind
ought then, with us, to rejoice in it's
and sympathize in its ad-
yerse fortunes, as involving every
hing dear to man"
Again eight years prior and when
le was reading his first inaugural ad-
lress he said
"A rising nation spread over a
vide and fruitful land, traversing all