The Ordway new era., 1917-11-09

nothing for ourselves but what We shall
wish to share with all free people. we
atoms as beliigerents without passion
and ourselves observe with proud punc-
tilio the principles Of right and of fair
play we profess to be fighting for.
have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the Imperial gov
ernment of Germany because they have
not made war upon us or challenged
us to defend our right and our honor.
The AustrO- Hungarian government has.
indeed. avowed Its unqualified lndorse-
ment and acceptance of the reckless
and 1awless submarine warfare, adopt-
ed now without Disguise ky the Imper-
ia1 German government. and 1t has
therefore not been possible for this
government to receive Count TnrnOw-
ski, the ambassador recently accredited
to this government by the Imperial and
Royal KOvernment of AOstrln- Hungary
but that government hns nOt actually
engaged In warfare aEnInst citizens Of
the United States ON the sens. and I
take the liberty, for the present at
least. of portponinR q discussion of our
relatiOnH with the authorities At VI
ennn. We enter this wnr only where
we nre clearly forced Into II because
there are No other mems Of defending
our rlEhts.
conduct ourselves ms belIIRerents In =
high spirit of right and fairness be-
cause we act without nnimus, not with
enmity toward people with the
desire to bring nny injury or di~ad-
vantage upon them, but only In armed
oppoHitiOn to an Irresponsible govern
meDt which hns thrown aside nll con-
| alterations of humanity and of right
and is running amuck.
We are. let me say uEnin, the sin
cere friends Of the German people, and
shnll desire nothing much ms the
enrly re-estRblishment of Intimate reIn-
tions Of mutual advantage between u.s.,
however hard II may he for them for
the time being to believe that this l..
spoken from our hearts. We have
| borne with their present government
through all these bitter months be-
cause of thnt friendship, exercisinR .
| patience and forbearanse which would
othervSiHe have been Impossible.
We shall happily still have nm Op-
portunity 10 prove that friendship In
Our daily attitude and actions toward
| the milliona of men and women of Ger
| man birth and native sympathy who
live among and share life. and
we shall he proud to prove II toward
| all who are In fact loynl to their neigh
born and to the government in the hour
OF test. They are most Of them ms true
md loyal Americans II they had
| never known any other feRlty or al
| 1eEinnre. The! will he prompt to stand
| with in rebukinK md restralninE q
the few who may be of a different mind
and purpose. II there should he dis
| loyalty, II will be dealt with with q
hrni hand of stern repression, but II
II lifts Its head at all, II will lift II
| only here and there and without coun-
| tenance except from . lRwless and
malignant few.
II II a distressinx Rnd oppressive duty,
gentlemen of the congress-, which
have performed In thus addressing you.
There are, 1t mny be, many months of
| nery trial md sacrifice ahead of us.
1t In n fearful thing to lead this great,
peaceful people into NRr. into the most
terrible and disastrous of an wars, CIV
ilixntion itself seeming to be IN the
balance.
peace. md we shall nKht for the things
which we have always carried nearest
our hearts-for democracy, for the
to have n voice In their own govern
ments, for the rights and liberties of
small nations, for = universal dominiOn
of right by such n concert of free peo-
pie as shall bring pence and safety ts
| all nations and make the world itself
| mt last free.
| To such 4 task 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 In
| privileged to spend her blood and her
| might for the principles TINT gave her
birth and happiness and the peace
| which she hns treasured.
| God helping her, she can do no other.