The Holly chieftain., 1917-04-06

when those rights have been as secure
as the faith and the freedom Of the
nations can make them.
Just because We fight without ran
| cour and without selfish objects, SEEK
ing nothing for ourselves but what We
shall wish to share as free peoples.
We shall, feel confident, conduct our
operations as belligerents without pas
sion and ourselves observe with pros1
punctiliousness the principles of right
and of fair play we profess to b
fighting for.
i have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the imperial gov
ernment of Germany because they
have not made war upon US or chal
lenged us to defend our right and our
honor. The eAustro-Hungarian govern
ment has, indeed, avowed its unQuaL
flied Endorsement and acceptance OF
the reckless and lawless submarine
warfare adopted now without disguise
by the imperial German government,
and it has therefore not been possi-
BILE for this government to receive
Count Tarnowski, the ambassador re-
Gently accredited to this government
by the imperial and royal government
of Austro- Hungary; but that govern
ment has not actually engaged in war
fare against citizens of the United
States on the seas. and ] take the lib
erty, for the present at least, OF post
poning decision of our relations with
the authorities at Vienna We enter
this war only where we are clearly
forced into it because there are no
other means Of defending our rights.
1t will be all the easier for US to
conduct ourselves as belligerents in .
high spirit of right and fairness be-
cause we act without animus, not in
enmity towards people or with the
desire to bring any injury or disad-
vantage upon them, but only in armed
opposition to an irresponsible govern
ment which has thrown aside all con-
sideration of humanity and OF right
and is running amuck.
We are, let me say again, the sin
cere friends Of the German people,
and shall desire nothing SO much ~
the early establishment of intimate
relations of mutual advantage between
us-however hard it. may be for them
to believe that this is spoken from
| our hearts.
We have borne with their present
| government through all these bitter
| months because of that friendship
| exercising a patience and forbearance
| which would otherwise have been i'm
| possible.
We shall, happily, still have an op-
portunity to prove that friendship in
our daily attitude and actions towards
the millions of men and women OF
German birth and native sympathy
| who live amongst us and share our
life, and we shall be proud to prove 10
towards all who are in fact loyal to
their neighbors and to the governments
| in the hour of test.
They are, most of them, as true and
loyal Americans as If they had never
known any other fealty or allegiance.
They will be prompt to stand with us
in rebuking and restraining the few
who may be Of different mind and
| purpose.
If there should be disloyalty, it will
be dealt with with a firm hand OF
stern repression; but, IL 1t lifts its
head at all, it will lift it only here and
there and without countenance except
from lawless and malignant few.
1t Is distressing and oppressive
duty, gentlemen of the Congress,
which l have performed in thus ad-
dressing you. There are, it may be,
many months of fiery trial and sacrf-
flee ahead of us. 1t is fearful thing
to lead this great, peaceful country
4 into war, into the most terrible and
disastrous of all wars, civilization
itself seeming to be in the balance
But the right is more precious than
peace, and We shall fight for tho
things which we have always carried
nearest our hearts-for democracy, for
the rights of those who submit to au-
thority to have voice in their own
governments, for the rights and lfber-
ties Of small nations, for universal
dominion of right by such a concert
OF free psoples as shall bring peace
and safety to all nations and make
the world itself at last free.
To such task we can dedicate our
lives and our fortunes, everything
that we are and everything that We
have with the pride of those who
know that the day has come when
America Is privileged to spend her
tlocd and her might for the princi-
pies that gave her birth and happl-
ness and the peace which she has
treasured. God helping her, she can
do no other.