Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-02-15

States. And when you consent to
such a usurpation of your powers
you are faithloss to your oaths to up
hold and maintain and obey the
Constitution. ConsideB now, what
has been the result of this derelic-
tion OF duty on your part, Of this
unconstitutional transfer of your
authority and powers to a mere de-
partment head-a sort OF hybrid
Office created by the Congress, with
ill-dehnod powers and, urfortun-
ately, with o strong tendency among
those who occupy it to usurp func-
tions Of legislation as well as OF adj
ministration. without any mandate
from you, without even asking your
permission, Mr.. Lansing has assumed
ito DEFINE and punish piracies and
felonies committed on the high seas,
and omenses against the law of ma
tions," with the result that we are
face to face with war OVER MIR.
LANSING'S DEFINITION You
you who are the sole repositories Of
the powers to define oifenses COM
mitted on the seas, as well as the
only branch of our Government
which can lawfully regulate cap
lures on land and sea-" and make
war--you have sat in your chambers
unconsulted, unheeded and with as
little weight in the serious discus
sions and decisions which have been
influencing the nations destiny as
the ianitors who sweep your halls.
YOU KNOW YOUR PEOPLE ARE
OPPOSED TO MR. LANSING'S PER-
SlSTENT POLICY OF LEADING
THE COUNTRY UP TO WAR AS
ONE OF THE ALLIES BECAUSE
THAT is EXACTLY WHAT MR..
LANSING HAS HOPED TO DO AND
HAS STRIVEN TO DO EVER SINCE
HE WAS MADE SECRETARY or
STATE
And yet you do not enforce your
peoples will. You have not even
asserted your own rights or protected
the dignity OF the Congress. Now,
then, Senators and Representatives
you are that very body of men whom
our fathers made q co-equal branch
OF our tripartite constitutional Gov
ernment, and endowed with certain
enumerated powers which you are
sworn to obey and to maintain and
to hand down to your successors un-
impaired. And each time you per-
NIT either OF the other two branches
Of the Government to usurp your
authority and to exercise powers
which the Constitution expressly
COMMANDS YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, to exercise, you betray your
trust, imperil our institutions and
threaten the liberties of your chill
dren who are to be. The nation has
been dragged slowly toward en-
tanglement in this insane European
war solely because you have not in
sisted, and do not even now insist,
upon exercising your rightful and
sole authority and powers that you
are sworn to exercise and command
ed to exercise by the supreme, fun
damental law of the land-the great
Charter of Free Government which
our fathers drew up for the protec-
tion OF the land and its liberties
through tho ages At this tremen-
dous hour, Senators and Represen-
tatives, we appeal to you in the name
Of the whole American people to re-
sumo, manfully and resolutely your
rightful place in the Government.
The President has come to the end
OF his constitutional authority with
the dismissal Of the German Ambas-
sador. That far he had a perfect
right to go, and that 10 as far as he
has any right at all TO go From
that moment the Constitution clothed
you, Senators and Representative
with the SOLE POWER to decide
what next shall be donc--you, you,
not Mr. Lansing nor even Mr.. viii
son, but you, THE CONGRESS. Now,
you should do your duty to your
people, like men who know neither
fear Of enemies abroad nor of DEM
agogues at home. And your very
first anxiety, and, indeed, your very
first effort, should be TO ascertain
the will Of the American people.
The man who tells you that the
opinion Of the country is united Is
either knave or fool, and you
know It. There is a wide division
Of public opinion. There are Amer
leans who 10 not believe that it is
either necessary or sensible to in
volve the country in war with Ger
many. There are Americans who
think 1t is necessary and sensible TO
go TO war with Germany. There are
Americans who think we have far
more just causes Of war with Eng
land than with Germany. There are
Americans who think we have no
cause Oh WdE WIFI AnSlLUu dL dils
There arc Americans who think that
other Americans who voluntarily
embark on belligerent ships and
voyage into danger zones have no
claim at all to be protected in their
foolbardiness There are Americans
who would have the country go to
war over any American killed, oven
when on board belligerent ship.
armedland carrying tons Of ammuni-
tion for enemy use. There are Amer
leans WHIP think that an armed ship
is an armed ship. There are Amer
leans who profess TO think that an
armed ship is not an armed ship,
Now upon these questions hangs the
issue Of peace or war, and since the
COMMON PEOPLE must be the ones
to pay for the war, to fight the war
and to endure all the agonies of the
war, If war happens, we insist that
the common people have a right to
be consulted by you, who are their
only representatives and their only