New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-27

and the celebration Of the gospel Of safety
and selfshness, all that has wounded the
vride and burdened the hearts Of thou
sands of Americans in recent months, VIII
ind its doom in the glory that is French
democracy to-day. How far we nave
strayed from the teaching and the purpose
Of those who made this country, how far
we have proven false to the ideals that
American patriots had for the country
that they created, is revealed TO us by
every new authentic evidence Of what
France has done and IS doing, not for
France, but for humanity, the world, Tor
America.
From the beginning Of our national life
we have owed France a debt Of affection
and Of honor. She has been for many
millions of Americans q second fatherland
and the knight among the nations But
never in her days Of military greatness,
Of Continental empire, has France seemed
so great, so noble, so splendid, as in the
dark hours Of the past few months. Never
rave the greatness and the magnlficence
Of her soul been revealed to US Americans
as completely as in the days when her
women and children were the helpless vic
Tins of German lust and violence, her mag
rifcent cathedrals the targets, Of Boche
artillery and her cities the playground
for Prussan brutality.
For some thousands, perhaps millions
Of Americans the presence of German bar
barians on French soil, the thought Of
their profaning presence amidst the beau
t.ful things that the genius of France has
given to all mankind, the thought Of their
cross and bestial forms in the fair and
pleasant land of France, has been horror
bv day and a torture by night. 1t has
seemed a crime and an injustice, wrong
that shook mems faith in Divine justice.
In this spirit some thousands, perhaps
millions, of Americans will look to the
New Year with hope and with prayer that
it may see the liberation of France by VIC
tory, that it may see the end Of the ter
rible suffering and torture which the
French people have borne with such cour-
age. fortitude, nobility, not for themselves,
but for all mankind.
In the present great and terrible hour
in the history Of civilization this country
Of ours has failed to do its part. When
the foul. vicious. dishonoring German sum-
mons fell upon Belgium, though it carried
the very breath of destruction and the
threat Of humiliation, Belgium did not
falter. When the same corrupt and in
efablv base summons to surrender honor
or die was flung at France, France did
not falter. but consulted her own honor
and went forth to meet her destiny, to die,
if to die were necessary, that faith and
honor and civilization might live.
Before the same menace, the same
threat, the same violence, our own country
bowed. 1t did not dare TO defend the liv-
ing. and the murdered children and women
of the Lusitania still float upon the seas,
forgotten by q government which did not
dare to protect them in life or honor them
in death. At time when men Of all nations,
big and little, are giving life and happi-
ness TO defend that which is more than
life and happiness, we continue to cover
the nakedness Of our shame and cowardce
by the fimsy tissue of rhetorical praises of
law and Of shameful pre-
fences of championing neutral rights.
But this nightmare will pass. This
shame. this hypocrisy, this selfshness, this
etrayal Of all that America has meant
to the world, will not endure. Its doom
has already been written, and the scorn
and anger of all true Americans are re-
vealed with each day more and more
clearly. Those who have betrayed their
country and its honor will pay the penalty
that is always exacted of the mean and
TIE petty. who permit ignOble ambition
and shameful self-seeking to interrupt the
performance Of their duty and the main
tenance of their nations honor.
But. while the day of our own deliver
ance is still afar off, thousands Of Amer
leans will, as the New Year approaches,
look TO France with love, with admiration,
with a sympathy in which there is new,
deep reverence. They will hope and pray
that the time Of deliverance is at hand, and
that before the year is old, French democ-
racy. arms in hand, will have freed its own
soil. retaken those lost provinces which
have long been the symbol Of German in
Justice, will have placed their own women
and children and those of Belgium beyond
even corrupting association with the
creatures who burned Louvain and took
their toll Of woman's honor and children's
lives. to the end that German Kultur might
prevail in the world.
For thousands Of Americans there can
be no more sincere or moving words for
the New Year than those-"Vive la