Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-07

putS loyalty TO any foreign pow
TT Delore loyalty to the United States.
Whlie Europe was at war our own
continent one of our own neighbors,
was shaken by revolution. In that
matter too, principle was plain, and it
was imperative that we should live up
10 IL IL we were to deserve the trust Of
any real partisan OF the right as free
men see 1t. We have protested to be
leNe. and we do believe, that the PEG.
PIE or small and weak states have the
rIsht 10 expect to be dealt with exact
~ as the people Of big and powerful
states would he. We have acted upon
that principle in dealing with the peo-
pie of Mexico
Tho Mexican Situation.
Our recent pursuit Of bandits into
Mexican territory was no violation Of
that principle. We ventured to enter
Mexican territory only because there
were no military forces In Mexico that
could protect our border from hostile
attack and our own people from vio-
fence, and we have committed there no
single act OF hostility or interference
even with the sovereign authority of
the republic of Mexico herself It was
plain case of the violation Of our own
sovereignty which could not wait to be
v1ndlcated by damages and for which
there was no other remedy The au-
thorities OF Mexico were powerless 70
prevent It.
Many serious wrongs against the
property, many irreparable wrongs
against the persons, of Americans have
been committed within the territory of
Mexico herself during this confused
revolution-wrongs which could not be
efectually checked so long as there
was no constituted power in Mexico
which was In position to check them.
we could not act directly in that mat.
ter ourselves without denying Mexi.
cans the right to any revolution at all
which disturbed us and making the
emancipation Of her own people await
our own interest and convenience.
For 1t Is their emancipation that they
are seeking-blindly 1t may be. and as
yet Intellectually, but with profound and
passionate purpose and within their I'M
questionable right, apply what true
American principle you wil-any prin-
c1ple that an American would publicly
nvow. The people of Mexico have not
been suffered to own their own country
or direct their own institutions. Outsid-
ers, men out Of other nations and with
interests too often alien to their own,
nave 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 en-
titled to attempt their liberty from
such influences, and so long as l have
anything to do with the action Of our
great government shall do everything
in my power to prevent any one stand
Ing in their way. | know that this Is
hard for some persons to understand
but 1t Is not hard for the plain people
or the United States to understand. It
is hard doctrine only for those who
out of Mexico. There are men. and
noble women, too, not few, of our
own people, thank God. whose for
tunes are invested in great properties
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 toward the
light | have heard no one who was
free from such influences propose in
| terfert nee by the United States with
the internal affairs Of Mexico. Ger
tainly no friend OF the Mexican people
has proposed 1t.
Tried to Act Fairly.
The people of the United States are
capable of great sympathies and II
noble pity in dealing with problems
OF this kind. AS their spokesman and
representative | 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 100000 oppressed
men. ovcrburdcned women and pitiful
children in virtual bondage in their
own home of fertile lands and mex
haustible treasure. Some Of the lead
ers of the revolution may often have
| been mistaken and violent and selfish
| but the revolution itself was inevitable
and is right. The unspcakahle Huerta
| betrayed the very comrades he served,
traitorously overthrow the government
Of which he was trusted part, i'm
| pudently spoke for the very forces that
had driven his people to the rebellion
with which he had pretended TO sym
| pathiZe. The men who oNercame him
and drove him out represent at least
the fierce passion of reconstruction
which lies at the very heart of liberty,
and so long as they represent, how
ever imperfcctly, such a struggle for
1eliverance ! am ready 10 serve their
ends when | can. so lOn- as the power
Or recognition rests with me the gov
| eminent of the United states Will re-
fuse to extend the hand Of welcome
10 any one who obtains power In n
sister republic by treachery and vio-
lence. No permanency can be given
the affairs of any republic by title
based upon intrigue and assassination
| declared that to he the policy OF this
administration within three weeks art
er l assumed the presidency ! here
again VOW 1t. ] am more Interested IN
the fortunes OF oppressed men and pitt
| al, If