Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-30
THE PRESIDENTS MASTERLY
MOVE FOR PEACE

IN The summer OF 1864 tne IrlenuS VI
: Abraham Lincoln almost despaired of
his reelection. Discomfort. war weari'
ness, stupidity and general copperhead-
ism united in formidable coalition which
denounced the war as a failure, purposed
70 seize the Government at the ensuing
elections. enter into negotiations with
the moribund Confederacy, accept the
failure of the democratic experiment on
this continent as a fact and repudiate
the principles of every man who had
offered his life in sacrifice that the Union
who lived in that day there was one
whose eyes pierced the horizon and whose
vision Of complete victory was never
dimmed He had the faculty Of stating
the truth in such way that none could
misunderstood It. His purpose was not
only to end one civil war. but to prevent
the recurrence of others. There was no
power on earth that could swerve him
from the path he had laid down. His
banners were dyed in the blood of tens
Of thousands of men, and he did not pro.
pose to abjure the promise he had made
them that they should not die in vain
Peace he would have, but only after the
nf M %atA 80
mind that had caused war--a peace with
reconciliation. His heart and hands were
open for the Southern people. BY the
next summer Abraham Lincoln himself
was dead, but the sort Of peace for
which he had striven rested on the land
and the principles to which he had dedi-
Gated his life were established forever.
A FEW months ago President Wilson
himself was proposing peace to the
nations then at war. He was in posses.
sion Of absolute information to the effect
that peace must be got quickly or this
country would be plunged into the con-
hict. He proposed a peace without VIC
tory. He now answers a similar plea for
peace from the Pope with an emphatic
reassertion of the goal toward which this
nation aims, and without the attainment
Of which 1t will not stop. Though his
latest utterance seems to be utterly at
variance with his preceding position, in
its essentials, it, in truth, dovetails into
the whole previous policy and purpose
Of America as outlined by himself.
There must be a victory for democracy,
for liberalism, since the world Is not
safe while autocracy controls military
might and intrigues to use It for pur-
poses of ACKNOWLEDGMENT; but further
than that this nation will not CO. "Puni.
tive damages, the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
smpires. the establishment Of selfish
and exclusive economic leagues we deem
and in the end worse than
futile, no proper basis for a peace
Of any kind, least OF all for an en-.
during peace. That must be based on
Justice and fairness and the common
rights of mankind" In few words he
has kicked into the bottomless pit the
whole scheme of economic leagues and
ostracism Of Germany, prop.
erly putting an end TO the mania that
The Australian Hughes fomented in Eng
land, giving notice to the Allies that post
bellum prejudices are not to be sane.
Toned and formally notifying the people
q Germany that their dove of peace can
qf1ng back green leaf, in the form of
tature equal commercial and political op.
portunity. provided a democratic Noah
and not a Hohenzollern Noah Iooses the
bird. 1t would not be to the advantage
q the world to make another Ireland of
Germany or another Alsace. to pauperize
tens Of millions OF people and enslave
hem economically. Whatever the crime,
Ant have been perpetrated against
f{viiization, civilization is superior to the
erutal instinct of vengeance. and, more
IAN that. civilization is intelligent and
etli not cut of its nose to spite its face.
ME craftsmanship of Lloyd George.
capable as It is. is not the statesman
hip OF Woodrow Wilson, who seems to
= Inspired with a veritable genius for
fatsmsnt of the true aims of liberalism.
- fdsa has become fixed in tae German
- ~ ppeult of prsvieus Allisd