Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-02

| plain case of the violation of our own
sovereignty which could rot wait to be
indicated by damages and for which
| there was no other remedy. The au-
thorities of Mexico xere powerless to
prevent 1t.
Many serious wrongs against the
property. many irreparable wrongs
against the persons, Of Americans have
/ been committed within the territory or
Mexico herself during this confused
revolution, wrongs which could not be
effectually checked so long as there
was no constituted power in Mexico
| which was in a position to check them.
We could not act directly in that mat
ter ourselves without denying MeXl-
cans the right to any revolution at all
which disturbed us and making the
emancipation of her people await our
own interest and convenience.
For it is their emancipation that
/ they are seeking, 1t may be,
| and as yet Intellectually, but with pro-
! found and passionate purpose and
within their unquestionable right, APP
ply what true American principle you
wilI,-any principle that an American
would publicly avow. The people OF
| Mexico have not been suffered to own
their own country or direct their own
! institutions. Outsiders, men out OF
other nations and with interests too Of
ten alien to their own, have dictated
what their privileges and opportunities
| should be and who should control their
/ land, their lives, and their resources
some of 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 any thing TO do with the action OF
our great government l shall do every
! thing in my power to prevent anyone
I standing in their way l know that this
is hard for some persons to under
stand; but it is not hard for the plain
! people of the United States to under
stand. 1t is hard doctrine only for
those who wish to get something for
themselves out of Mexico. There are
men, and noble women, too, not few,
/ of our own people, thank Cod whose
fortunes are invested in great proper
ties in Mexico 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
! reckoning until this enslaved people
has had its day of struggle towards the
light | have heard no one who was
free from such influences propose in
reference Dy Luc OiIllSu states Will
the internal affairs of Mexico. Certainly
no friend of the Mexican people has
proposed it.
1.-The people of the United States are
capable of great sympathies and a
noble pity in dealing with problems of
this kind AS their spokesman and rep
| resentative, l have tried TO act in the
spirit they would wish me show. The
people of Mexico are striving for the
rights that are fundamental to life and
happiness, SIS, 600 900 oppressed men,
overburdened women, and pitiful chill
dren in virtual bondage in their own
home Of fertile lands and ineXhaustible
treasurer Some of the leaders of the
revolution may often have been mis-
taken and violent and selfish, but the
revolution itself was inevitable and is
right The unSpeakable Huerta be-
trayed the very comrades he served,
| impudently spoke for the very forces
that has driven his people to the rebel
lion with which he had pretended to
SympathiZe. The men who overCame
him and drove him out represent at
least the fierce passion OF reconstruc-
! ton which lies at the very heart of lib
erty; and so long as they represent,
however tmperfectly. such a struggle
for deliverance, | am ready to serve
their ends when | can. So long as the
power Of recognition rests with me the
government of the United States will
refuse to extend the hand of welcome
to anyone who obtains power in a sis
ter republic by treachery and violence.
No permanency can be given the affairs
/ Of any republic by title based upon
intrigue and assassination. | declared
that to be the policy of this administTa-
ton within three weeks after l assum-
ed the presidency. l here again VOW 1t.
| am more interested in the fortunes of
! oppressed men and pitiful women and
children than in any property rights
whatever. Mistakes l have no doubt
made in this perplexing business, but
not in purpose or object.
More is involved than the immed-
late destinies of Mexico and the rela-
lions of the United States with a dis
tressed and distracted people. All
America looks on. Test is now being
made of us whether we be sincere low
ers of popular liberty or not and are in
| deed to be trusted to respect national
! sovereignty among our weaker neigh
bors. We have undertaken these many
years to play big brother to the repub-
lies OF this hemisphere. This is the day
| of our test whether we mean, or have
ever meant, to play that part for our
own benefit wholly or also for theirs.
! Upon the outcome of that test (its out
come in their minds. not ours) de-
/ ponds every relationship of the United
/ States with Latin America, whether in
| politics or in commerce and enterprise.
! These are great issues and lie at the
! heart Of the gravest tasks of the future.
| tasks both economic and political and
very intimately inwrought with many
OF the most vital of the new issues of
the politics of the world. The repub-
/ iirG nF Au1aripa hur in, 10
years been drawing together in a new
spirit of accommodation, mutual I'M
| Outstanding, and cordial cooperation
Much of the politics of the world in
the years to come will depend upon
/ their relationships with one another
1t is barren and provincial states
manship that loses sight of sucn