The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1915-06-17
Both Sides If the Question

relative to the resignation Of Will
liam j. Bryan as Secretary Of State
there has been probably no editor
ial utterance Of better poise or com,
prehensiveness than that of the At
lanta Journal. This sensible edi-
torial is as follows:
1T is deeply to be regretted that
in resigning from the Cabinet Mr..
Bryan has seen fit to exploit views
which though undoubtedly sincere
are at sharp variance with his coun-
try's interests and honor as well as
with the mass of its thoughtful and
patriotic opinion. For his stanch-
ness to personal convictions, there
can be nothing but profound re-
spect. If he believes that concord
is to be desired even above justice
and that rather than risk Ger
many's hostility the United States
should forget duty and smother its
conscience, no one will deny him
the freedom of'his faith. But even
those who admire Mr.. Bryan most
cordially are panied that he should
go SO far in this hour Of national
crisis as to antagonize the policies
by which the Administration is
striving to uphold the country's
rights and SO far, in effect, as to
hold brief for the Kaiser's Gov
eminent.
In his letter OF resignation to the
President, Mr.. Bryan said, Alike
desirious Of reaching a peaceful so
luton Of the problems arising out
Of the use Of submarines against
merchantmen, we find ourselves
differing irreconcilably as to the
methods which should be employ
ed. Z" That is the pith Of the mat
ter. President Wilson is devoted
to the principles Of peace as hearth
ly as Mr.. Bryan is; and he will la
Dor just us earnestly and, we be-
lieve. much more wisely chan Mr..
Bryan to prevent war. The aston
ishing and regrettable thing is that
the former Secretary Of State should
follow his resignation with crlti-
cism which emhodies essentially
the same pleas set forth iii the lat
est note Of Herr Won Jagow.
Mr.. Bryan insists that the Lusi-
tania issue, which involves the in
tegrity Of international Law, the
rights Of neutrals throughout the
world and the barbarous sacrifice OF
more than one hundred American
Hives, be left interminably in the
mazes Of diplomatic parley without
demanding in the meantime guar
antees against the repetition Of such
an outrage. As to the facts of the
! Lusitania's murderous destruction
our Government is fully and accur'
ately informed. 1t knows that this
vessel was an unarmed merchant
man, that the German submarine
fred without moments warning
without exercising any of the du'
precautions of visit and search
without any effort to save the neu
trails and noncombatants aboard
and that as a result hundreds O
innocent lives, including helpless
women and children, were hurled
to terrible death. If the German
government wishes to debate thes'
facts and the principles at stake, i
must first give assurance that it
submarines will commit no mor'
such crimes while the case is il
court. That in substance is thu
position which the President ha
taken, and that is the position from
(which Mr.. Bryan dissents.
The President stands for peace
but he stands also and primaril!
for justice and humanity. If Their,
lis one American above all other
who can be trusted to preserve hon
or, he is Woodrow Wilson. Blu
he does not want shameful peace
nor do the American people. Thu
Presidents straightforward firm
ness, moreover, is a far surer means
L