The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-03-16

Shaking Est and ringer.
No man should draw pistol VIII
dares not shoot The government tina
shakes It's fist first and it's finger after
ward falls into contempt Our dipl,
macy has lost its authority and lniir
encc because we have been brave I
words aud irresolute In action, Me
may say that the words of our diplc
matte notes were justified; men ma.
say that our inaction was justified, bu
no man can say that both We're wis
and creditable.
| have said that this government los
the moral forces OF the world by no
truly interpreting the spirit OF 9th'
American democracy.
The American democracy stands fol
something more than beef and cottoI
and grain and manufactures: stands
for something that cannot be measured
by rates of exchange and does not rise
or fall with the balance of trade. The
American people, informed by thell
own experience that y confirmed by
their observation Of international life
have come to see that the independence
of nations, the liberty of their peoples
justice and humanity cannot be main.
tanned upon the complaisance, the good
nature, the kindly feeling Of the strong
toward the weak; that real independ-
ence, real liberty, cannot rest upon suf-
ferance: that peace and liberty can be
preserved only by the authority and
observance of rules OF national con
duct founded upon the principles of
Justice and humanity; only by the es.
tablishment of law among nations, re
sponsive to the enlightened public opin-
.on of mankind. To them liberty
means not liberty for themselves alone,
but for all who are oppressed, Justice
means not justice for themselves
alone but shield for all who are
weak against the aggression OF the
strong.
To this people the invasion of Bel
gium brought shock of amazement
and horror. Ii the public opinion OF the
world was TO remain silent upon that,
neutral upon that, then all talk about
peace and justice and international law
and the rights of man, the progress of
humanity and the spread of liberty is
idle patter, mere weak sentimentality;
then opinion Is powerless and brute
force rules and viii rule the world. If
no difference Is recognized between
right and wrong then there are no
moral standards. There come times In
the lives of nations as of men when to
treat wrong as If 1t were right is trea-
son to the right.
The Wrong Done to Belgium.
The American people were entitled
not merely to feel, but to speak con-
cerning the wrong done to Belgium
1t was not like interference In the in
ternal affairs of Mexico or any other
nation for this was an international
wrong The law protecting Belgium
which was violated was our law and
the law of every other civilized coun-
try. That law was the protection Of
our peace and security. It was our
against the necessity of
great ornaments and
wasting our substance in continual |
readiness for war Moreover, that law |
was written into solemn and formal |
signed and ratified by Ger |
many and Belgium and France and the |
United States In which those other /
agreed with us that the law /
should be observed.
There was no question here Of inter
fering In the quarrels OF Europe We /
had right to be neutral, and we were
neutral as to the quarrel between Ger
many and France, but when as an In |
,ident TO the prosecution OF that
luarrcl Germany broke the law which
we were entitled to have preserved
md which she had agreed with us to
preserve we were entitled to be heard
n the assertion OF our own national
light.
Yet the American government ac-
luiesced in the treatment OF Belgium
md the destruction OF the law Of ma
ions. Without one word OF objection
II dissent TO the reputation Of law
IT the breach Of our treaty or the VIC
alton OF justice and humanity In the
reatment of Belgium our government
njolned upon the people OF the United
states an undiscriminating and all EN-
racing neutrality, and the president
the people that they must
'e neutral in all respects In act and
vord and thought and sentiment. We
we're to be not merely neutral as TO the
uarrels Of Europe, but neutral as to
be treatment Of Belgium, neutral be
ween right and wrong, neutral be-
ween justice and injustice, neutral be
ween humanity and cruelty, neutral
etween liberty and oppression. Our
oyernment did more than acquiesce.
Dr. In the first Lusitania note. with the
horrors Of the conquest
T Belgium still fresh IN our minds, on
he very day after the report of the
.ryce commission on Belgian atroci
les. II wrote these words 10 the gov
rnmcnt Of Germany:
Recalling the humane and enlightened
ittude hitherto assumed by the imperial
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