The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-09-03

leges and opportunities should be and
who should control their land, their
lives, and their reconnaissance or
them Americans, pressing for things
they could never have got in their
own country. The Mexican people
are entitled to attempt their liberty
from such influences; and so long as
l have anything to do with the action
of our great government I shall do
everything in my power to prevent
any one standing in their way.
know that this is hard for some per
sons to understand; but it is not hard
for the plain people of the United
States to understand. 1t is hard doc
trine only for those who wish to get
something for themselves out of Mex
leo. There are men, and noble wo-
men, too, not a few, of our own peo-
pie, thank Godi whose fortunes are
invested in great properties in Mex
leo who yet see the case with true
vision and assess its issues with true
American feeling. The rest can be
left for the present out of the reck-
oning until this enslaved people has
had its day of struggle towards the
| light. I have heard no one who was
| free from such influences propose in
! reference by the United States with
! the internal affairs of Mexico. Ger
/ tainly no friend of the Mexican peo-
! pie has proposed it.
The people of the United States
are capable of great sympathies and
noble pity in dealing with problems
of this kind. AS their spokesman
and representative, | have tried ia
act in the spirit they would wish me
show The people of Mexico are
striving for the rights that are fun
damental to life and happiness-ff-
teen million oppressed men, overbur-
dened women, and pififul children in
virtual bondage in their own home
of fertile lands and inexhaustible
treasure! Some of the leaders of the
revolution may often have been mis-
taken and violent and selfish, but
the revolution itself was inevit
is right. The unspeakable Huerte e.
trayed the very comrades he d
traitorously overthrow the go m
ment of which he was trusted part
impudently spoke for the yer e;
that had driven his people e re
bellion with which he had pretended
to sympathize. The men who over
came him and drove him out repre-
sent at least the fierce passion of re-
construction which lies at the yer!
heart of liberty; and so long as they
represent, however imperfectly, sucl
struggle for deliverance, I am read,
! to serve their ends when I can. 81
/, long as the power of recognition
rests with me the government of. the
! United States will refuse to extend
/ the hand of welcome to any one whC
, obtains power in a sister republic b!
treachery and violence. No perma
nency can be given the affairs Of an!
republic by a title based upon intrigu,
) and assassination. / declared that t,
be the policy of this administration
: within three weeks after I assumed
= the presidency. | here again vow il
] I am more interested in the fortune
of oppressed men and pitiful woman
/ and children than in any propert,
, rights whatever Mistakes have NJ
! doubt made in this perplexing bust
] ness, but not in purpose or object.
More is involved than the immedi
: ate destinies of Mexico and the rela
: tons of the United States with a dis
: tressed and distracted people. al
/ America looks on. Test is now be
= ing made of US whether we be sin
: cere lovers of popular liberty or no
/ and are indeed to be trusted to re
r spect national sovereignty among on
: weaker neighbors. We have under