The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-03-16

GUM brought a shock Of amaZement
and horror. If 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 sentimentulity;
then opinion is powerless and brute
force rules and will 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 it 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-
corning 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. 1t was our
safeguard against the necessity of
maintaining great ornaments and
wasting our substance in continual
readiness for war Moreover, that law
was written into a solemn and formal
convention, signed and ratified by Ger
many and Belgium and France and the
United States in which those other
countries agreed with US that the law
should be observed.
There was no question here of inter
fering in the quarrels of Europe We
had a right to be neutral, and we were
neutral as to the quarrel between Ger
many and France. but when as an in
cideut to the prosecution of that
quarrel Germany broke the law which
we were entitled to have preserved
and which she had agreed with US to
preserve We were entitled to be heard
in the assertion of our own national
right.
Neutral Between Right and Wrone
Yet the american government ac-
guessed in the treatment of Belgium
ana the destruction of the law of ma
lions. Without one word of objection
or dissent to the reputation of law
or TIE breach of our treaty or the VIC
lation Of justice and humanity in the
treatment IF Belgium our government
enjoinpd upon the people of the United
States an uudiScriminating and all EN-
bracing neutrality, and the president
admonished the people that they must
6e neutral in all respects in act and
word and thought and sentiment. We
were to be not merely neutral as 20 the
Qudrrels of Europe, but neutral as to
the treatment Of Belgium, neutral be
tween right and wrong, neutral be
tween justice and injustice. neutral be
tween humanity and cruelty, neutral
between liberty and oppression. Our
government did more than acqulescc.
for In the first Lusitania note. with the
unSpeaEahle horrors Of the conquest
Of Belgium still fresh in our minds, on
the very day after the report of the
Bryce commission on Belgian atroci-
TIES II Wrote THESE words 10 the gov
efnthent Oh Germany:
Recalling the humane and enlightened
attitude hitherto assumed by the imperial
nstiaaI rj,St ord ,,artr,iari,, yri,i, 70.
gard to the freedom Of tie seas, having
learned To recognize the German views
anu '"e German influence IN the Ielu OF
,,o ,, g,a ~ i,,stic % I,,'ri,,, otc
80.
- VIC - 49, - 1'.I - "
90 '''
,ho ,aoulo ~ tba r-pitod C+,tns j., +b,+
acguipscpnco and apparent apyroyal
II was not necessary that the United
States should 20 10 war in defense
If tie violated law. \ single official
expression by the government of the
United States u single sentence deny
inc assent ard recording lfsarproygl
of what Germany did in Belafum
would have Given TO the people of
America u.t leadership ia which fhnv
were entitled i'm their earnest grooming
for the Uglt If would have ranged
behind American leadership the com
science and morality of the neutral
world
II was not 70 be. The American
| government failed to rise +o rho do.
mands Of the great occasion. Gone
were the Old love of iustice the ola