Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-14
THE IMPEACHMENT
OF PRESIDENT ISRAELS


please me. You are not the agent OF
either party: your sole duty Is to decide
the question between the people and me
In accordance with the requirements OF
law and Justice"
The case, tine President said, was ex-
tremely simple. even as Manager Ander-
son had pointed out, There would be no
need of calling witnesses to prove that
he had refrained from taking any meas
ures TO prepare the country for war and
that he had ordered the North Atlantic
fleet to Turkey. 1t was necessary for
him to admit these things, as they had
been done in the sight of all men. The
question was were these actions In the
nature of high crimes and msdemeanors
within the meaning of the Constitution?
The President then entered into a care
ful analysis of the circumstances under
which the Constitution had been framed;
and II was his opinion that. Just as the
trainers had shown wisdom in defining
treason-certainly, he said with a smile,
1t was fortunate for him that they had
done this-so they had shown wisdom In
refraining from specifying the high
crimes and misdemeanors upon conviction
OF which IA civil officer might be re-
moved; for in this way they had left
the door wide open for the removal OF
any President who might so far cease
to represent the people as to imperil any
VI Nllt OuJeClS LOT WHICH lne NblSlillNlOl
was framed. these objects as set forth
In the preamble, being the establishment
of justice, the making provision for the
common defense, the promotion OF the
general welfare, and the securement of
tho blessings OF liberty Above all things,
the President said. he did not wish the
case between the people and him Judged
In accordance with any narrow techni-
cality; he was both willing and desirous
to have 1t Judged on the broad ground
of the public interest
Here the President came to another
pause: and, whereas up to this point he
had maintained the low pitch with which
he started. his speech now began to
ascend What might be called the third
chapter he opened with an impressive
statement of his belief in democracy and
in representative institutions, which in
cluded his recognition of the fact that
as President he was the peoples repre-
sentative. Now, what was the duty OF
representative of the people?
AS ] understand It," said the Presl-
dent the duty of n representative of the
people is to feel out what is best In the
people he represents and let that he the
guide of his act 'ons. If. when he has
established to his satisfaction what Is
demanded in any given case by that
which Is best In his people, he finds that
his own conception of what should be
done is not in accord with this demand,
he nevertheless should proceed to execute
1t to the best of his ability, even though
he be convinced that his own conception
of what should be done Is the higher.
Either this or he should resign his office
forthwith"
The President said that he could not
see how, under any conception of the
duty of n representative other than this
representative institutions could he made
to work. But IL was just as important
for the representative to be assured that
any given demand came from what was
best In his people land he, of course
meant the people as whole as II was
for him to be recdy to execute the de-
mand when he had this assurance. In
truth, this was only another way of
saying that government must keep pace
with the highest thought of which the
people as a whole were from time to
time capable as they progressed towards
the goal of self-government.
The President now took up the fact that
the people as a whole undoubtedly had
demanded of him that as commander
in-chlef of the army and navy, he pre-
pare the country for war with the Ger
man Empire. The demand, said the
President, had been expressed so emphat-
ically that he could not very we'll help
hearing 1t. q may point out that If at
this point there was an audible litter, 1t
showed how the President was CARRYING
his audience with him) But he, the
President, had refused to execute this de-
mand, Why? Simply for the reason
that he was not assured that this de-
mand came from what was best in the
people. II could not be disputed that the
people wanted to make war on Germany
mainly because. in the course of a con-
troversy over territory, four American
haan cd oh -
of commander of German warship
Thus the desire for war was plainly a
desire for vengeance-a manifestation OF
the same animal passion that led the ag-
grieved street urchin to scream in de-
fiance and threaten with his fists.
The President conceded that the killing
of the sailors was grave affair. If the
German Government made this act of It's
officer it's own act, by upholding him I'M
1t and by refusing to make all the repa-
ration that lay in its power, why. then.
the United States Government might
have to take up the sword. The Presl-
dent emphasized the word hight because
he was not sure that even that which
was best in the American people as they
were then constituted would support him
In an offer to let disinterested tribunal
decide whether Germany should make
reparatiOn. CHere there were murmurs
that plainly indicated that the temper OF
the audience was all against such a pro-
posal) However, the President calmly
went on TO say, We had the authority
of one of his most distinguished pre-
decessors for the fact that we did not
have to cross bridge until we came to
II. The truth was that the American peo-
Pile had not given the German people
fair chance to make reparation; that, on
the contrary, the clamOr of our people
for war was just what had prevented
an offer of reparatiOn
The President now made a complete
statement OF his negotiations with Ber-
lin. II was his opinion that, I'm assuming
all along that the Berlin Government
itself must recognize the need of repara-
tion, he had taken the most forceful way
of impressing upon the Berlin Govern
ment the seriousness of the AFFAIR. He
then went on TO pay a handsome tribute
10 the characters OF the German EN-
peror and his Chancellor. Were these
men, he asked. such savages or barbara
ans that we could not, In the sight OF
all the world, safely trust TO them to do
what was right2 And now the Presi-
dents voice rang out clear and strong
as he testified 10 his own implicit faith
in these men. He showed that there was
absolutely nothing in the attitude they
had taken to indicate that they were not
ready to do the right thing as soon as
the American people would let them. and
that all that was strong and self-respect-
ing in the German people must prevent
their Government from yielding as long
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