The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1917-07-06

wal FAVAobAOAAo VI Vic laws VI AAh%A1 =
have produced the occasion of this
friendly office we have sent express
sions of very different feelings by
the squadron which has just left our
ports destined for theirs Should the
commodore find that in consequence
of your imperial majesty's interpo-
sition they shall already have done
US voluntary justice, he will let them
owe to your favor his abstinence
from every act of force. Otherwise,
he will endeavor by the means he is
furnished with to convince them that
it will be to their interest to injure
US no more
''As TO what this American ex-
petition did, let me quote from the
History of our Country, by Edward
8. Ellis, vol. iii, p. GAP:
Commodore Samuel Barron ar
rived in November, 1904, with the
President and the Constellation, and
superseded Commodore Preble The
squadron now consisted of ten vessels
carrying 264 guns. During the block
ade of Tripoli, a land movement was
undertaken against the province I'M
der the management of William Ea-
ton, our consul at Tunis. Yusuf, the
bashaw of Tripoli, had gained his
throne by numbering his father and
displacing his brother Hamet, who
fled to Egypt. Nursing his resent
ment against his usurping brother,
Hamet readily agreed to Eatons de-
signs to restore him to power In
March, 1905, Eaton and Hamet left
Egypt with a strong force of Egyp-
tian soldiers and seventy American
seamen. They marched a thousand
miles across, the borders of the Lib
yam desert, and, in the latter part of
April, with the help offthree Ameri-
can vessels, captured the Tripolitan
city of Derna, on the Mediterranean
coast. They were about to march a
gainst the capitol, when news came
that Tobias Lear, the American con-
sui general, had made a treaty of
peace with the bashaw, who was we'll
nigh frightened out of his senses
GETb11c - lo4
ferson not only advocated practically
the universal service and selective
draft now ordained, but that he sent
an armed force of men who Joined
the natives, after banding with one
faction of them against a rival fac
ton, and marched overland with
these allies a thousand miles, assault
ed city and took it, and were on
the eve of marching yet farther and
attacking the capital of the invaded
country when the necessity for the
further march was removed bv the
foes acceding to peace dictated by
America.
Principle Applies Today.
''It matters not that the numbers
were smaller; the principle was the
same. And it is a striking fact that
the cause of our war with the Tripo-
Titan pirates was practically identi-
cal with the cause of our present war
with the German assassins. In each
case the offense for which we declar-
ed war was committed against our
shipping and people on the high seas.
''Yet, it is a fact that the Germans
had secretly invaded the United
States, and had forged passports for
their doors of violence, had blown
up bridges and buildings, had secret
ed bombs on outgoing ships and com
mltted other crimes which caused
destruction of American property
and life. Therefore, we have far
greater cause for sending armies to
Europe to fight Germany than we
had for sending force to Africa to
invade and fight Tripoli.
1 must repeat, however, that there
is large percentage of our people
who believe the selective draft law
to be unconstitutional, hence, al
though / have son who, with nv
consent, has volunteered in the armv
to fight Germany, and although I
Nhave bought Liberty Bonds" for
myself and each member of nv fami-
~, and although l believe the selec-
tive draft law to be constitutional
and although / am in favor of send
ing American armies to Eurone to
klH Germans and to wreck their 81
tles-l am going to risk being also
called a traitor by these editors
statesmen and preachers who have
no 1dea of going a foot near the fir
ing line than they are now, when 7
repeat my declaration to the effect