The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-02-29

ing tne ImpoteHCy VI in'S Ndtion'
Still Confident Of His Ability to
Keep This Nation Out of War.
Washington, Feb %. = President
Wilson has uttered a call for support
against the effort that is being made
In congress to abridge the rights o.
Americans to travel the high seas. He
declares that such yielding as is
now proposed by the leaders of the
revolt in congress will amount to con-
ceding the "impotency" of this ma
ton, and of surrendering the inde-
pendent position of the United States
among the governments of the world.
President Wilson set forth these
strong sentiments in letter to SEN
etor Stone, chairman of the senate
foreign relations committee. This let
ter breathes a deep determination on
the part of the president to stand un-
alterably for what he believes TO be
the rights now possessed by an Amer
ican citizen. At the same time the
letter shows that the president is still
hopeful of obtaining an amicable set,
tlement of the submarine controversy,
and that he is confident of his ability
to keep the country out of war.
WILSON'S Letter.
The following is the text Of Presi-
dent Wilson's letter to Senator Stone:
My Dear Sir:
very Warmly "VpI''lI Sovi N,ii. y.
ana FRANK letter OF l"u'y "uu @ leei tii"e ~
calls tor an euuallE H""N repE. ,
You are right III aS'unlIhE ,uet sun IN
90 everything IN NY pU"o' " ~ ~
! thlteu SUES ouI VI N'l. .',i ,'. w. w,
country VIII icei u" uu''",,''779 o,,ou, ~.
| course In thot rrSn'ct nI"us. n,nllg
! anxious months N'Ee S'IIVeh lor uu,s
| onlec'' atrioSt ul"F"" .ilo' @ ~ WI, Nv,
| than can nave h''A lPpFeht upoh ''o
surtace' ana 20 ,''Ne 9.,,3ee.'eu'
90 not dnuht 'n'' S''n ''n'ihue "
| succeed. The course Whlch the centrh
European powers nave H,.nounetu lnur M,
! intention or folIo"inS IN .he iuture WIN
' regard to und"rS'a warfare seems I"r
| the moment 10 'nr''teh lhSuFeIHpie %
| stacles, nut It's 'hn'rent tn'ahlng - 50
mah'eS''N inc,,'SS,pnt WIZ ,e NoiIolt "S-
| %lranHes receh'N gwen US py 'nese p"W
| erS WIN rePPIu 10 ,u'r 'l,"'neht v.
merchant vessels on the hlSh seas tunt
|
| presently ehSue wien VIII pu. uilteren'
aspect unoh H. we naVe h'u no re"sIn
70 qusstion tn"r Po'n ieltn OF tnelr Hue'
ity to th'lr promises IN the p'st' ana
FOR one teol c"''uent that we snail nave
none In the Iuture.
| But In airy event our unN ~ cie'r'
| NO nation no group OF ha'lohs' has the
| rirht WINE "'r IL IN proertSS To- aNer or
oisregard inc princlpieS Wu'cn All hauouS
| nave agreed nn'n IN miugauon OF tne
horrors ana snHerlns OF war; ana II tne
| clear T"h'S OF NHeIlcHh cH'HenH Sn"uin
| ever unhnpnlN ne aprlusen or uenleu nN
| any such a'llon we shouIh' II seems 10
me- nave In honor no cho'ce as 10 What
| our course should pc
| FOR my own nart, ! can not consent 10
any ahrid"emeht OF tne nShts m amer :
can crlZens IN any reSnert' me hnnor
| and sef-respec' OF the nnton ls involved.
| we coVet pence ana shlli preserve II nt
| any cost nut the loss or honor. TO for-
h'd our poonlo 10 eNer.,Se the'r riSntS
TOT tefr we mi"nt ne caiied unon tn Nln-
dicate them would be deep humtt"tinn
indeed. u would ne an lmpn'lt, Pli nut
an explicit accu,esce"ce In the Vini'ti7n
~ tn" r,"hts or mankind eVHrN"h"re ana
OF whatever nation or alegiance. U
would he a deliberate abdication of our
hitherto proud position as Fpokesnon'
law and the ri@ht II wom,d make even
thing this government hos attempted and
everything that It has achieved during
,n'o tnns .e'pin,e ,ra s,russ'e OF nations mean
II Is Impmtant 70 reflect that - IN
this instance we allowed evpediency 70
take tho niece OF nrinciple' the door
a,, w",,,u ,hnv,''p'y o' ""eneo TO % s,l,, iur.ner
ment Of right ana many other bumi,Ia..
tions would certainly follow and tho
whole fine fabric OF international law
n,oon ,S" WITS Wnot uouer our m|nSS, DIE @ pS W
this matter is OF the very essence oi
things that have made America SOW
ereign nation she cannot yield them
a rotior ANA n,a,,r,, ,,irtnaI s s,,r,ende. 80 ~,
her indeocndent position among the ma
tions of the world
nj am an, :, spea,,,ns. NY dear senator IN deep
scicnsnc cgs ~ me b,c,, rospors,t,lit'oa ~ y,
my Office, and ps your sincere and de-
voted friend II we should unhapoily
u,hono ulr,nm ,v we Snali olter as triends; nut
involved we must. mst because be- m we we orc c
friends speak our minds without reser-
walton