The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-03-03

peace, and shall preserve it at any
cost but the loss Of honor;" that ito
forbid our people to exercise their
rights for fear we might be called
upon to vindicate them, would be a
deep humiliation indeed"
The Presidents Letter
The White House, Washington, Feb
ruary "a, 1916.
"My dear Senator: / very. warmly
appreciate your kind and frank letter
of today, and feel that it calls for an
equally frank reply.
"You are right in assuming that
shall do everything in my power to
keep the United States out Of war.
I think the country win feel no I'M
easiness about my course in that re-
spect. Through many anxious months
| have striven for that object, amidst
difficulties more manifold than can
have been apparent upon the surface,
and so far have succeeded. do,not
doubt that / shall continue to sue
coed.
The course which the central Eu-
ropean powers have announced their
intention of following in the future
with regard to undersea warfare
seems for the moment to threaten
insuperable obstacles, but its appar-
emit meaning is so manifestly incon-
sistent with explicit assurances re-
Gently given by those Powers with
regard to their treatment of mer-
chant vessels on the high seas that |
must believe that explanations will
presently ensue which viii put diff
ferent aspect upon it. We have had
no reason to question their good faith
or their fidelity to their promises in
the past, and I, for one, feel confident
that we shall have none in the future.
"But in any event our duty is clear.
No nation, no group Of nations, has
the right while war is in progress, to
alter or disregard the principles
which all nations have agreed upon
in mitigation of the horrors and suf-
ferings of war; and if the clear rights
of American citizens should ever un-
happily be abridged or denied by any
such action, we should, it seems to
| me, have in honor no choice as to
what our own course should be.
"For my own part, cannot consent
to any abridgment of the rights of
American citizens in any respect.
The honor and self-respect of the ma
ton is involved. We covet peace and
shall preserve it at any cost, but the
loss of honor. To forbid our people
to exercise our rights for fear we
might be called upon to vindicate them
would be a deep humiliation indeed.
1t would be an implicit acquiescense
in the violation of the rights of man.
kind everywhere and of whatever ma
ton or allegiance. 1t would be de-
liberate addiction of our hitherto
proud position as spokesman, even
amidst the turmoil of war, for the
law and the right. 1t would make ev-
erything this government has attemp-
ted and everything that it has achiev-
ed during this terrible struggle of ma
tions meaningless and futile.
at is important to reflect that if
in this instance we allowed expediency
to take the place of principle, the door
would inevitably be opened to still
further concessions, Once accept a
single abatement of right and many
other humiliations would certainly
follow, and the whole fine fabric Of
international law might crumble I'M
der our hands, piece by piece. What
we are contending for in this matter
is of the very essence of the things
that have made America a sovereign
nation. She cannot yield them with
out conceding her own impotency as
nation and making virtual surren-
der of her independent position among
the nations Of the world.
II am speaking, my dear Senator,
in deep solemnity, without heat, with
clear consciousness Of the high re-
sponsibility of my Office, and as your
sincere and devoted friend. If we
should unhappily differ, we shall diff
| fer as friends; but where issues so
momentous as these are involved we
must, just because we are friends,
speak our minds without reservation.
Faithfully yours,
WOODROW WILSON"