The Holly chieftain., 1917-04-06

who were accustomed to use their
fellow men as pawns and tools.
Self-governed nations do not fill
their neighbor states with spies or
set the course of intrigue to bring
about some critical posture of affairs
which will give them an opportunity
to strike and make conquest. Such
designs can be successfully worked
only under cover, and where no one
has the right to ask questions.
Cunningly contrived plans of decep-
tion or aggression, carried, it may
be from generation to generation, can
be worked out and kept from the
light only within the privacy of
courts or behind the carefully guard
ed confidences of narrow and pri-
illeged class. They are happily I'M
possible where public opinion COM
mands and insists upon full infOr-
affairs.
Sees New Hope IN Russian Revolt.
A steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by L part
nership of democratic nations. No
autocratic government could be
trusted to keep faith within it or OBJ
serve its covenants 1t must be a
league of honor, a partnership Of
opinion.
Intrigue would eat its vitals away;
the pl6ttings of inner circles who
could plan what they woul1 and rem
der account to no one would be -
corruption seated at it's very heart.
Only free peoples can hold their pur-
pose and their honor steady to
common end and prefer the interests
of mankindsto any narrow interest of
their own.
Does not every American feel that
assurance has been added to our hope
for the future peace of the world by
the wonderful and heartening things
that have been happening within the
last few weeks in Russia?
Russia was known by those who
knew it best to have been always in
fact democratic at heart, in all the
vital habits of her thonght, in all the
intimate relationships of her people
that spoke their natural instinct, their
habitual attitude towards life.
The autocracy that crowned the
summit of her political structure, long
as 1t had stood and terrible as was
the reality Of its power, was not in
fact Russian in origin, character or
purpose; and now 1t has been shaken
off and the great, generous Russian
people have been added in all their
native majesty and might to the forces
that are fighting for freedom in the
world, for justice and for peace. Here
Is fit partner for league of honor.
Plots Aimed at Unity Of America.
One of the things that has served
to convince us that the Prussian au-
tocracy was not and could never be
our friend is that from the very out
set of the present war it has filled
our unsuspecting communities and
even our offices of government with
spies and set criminal intrigues every
where afOot against our national unity
of council, our peace within and with
out, our industries and our commerce.
Indeed 1t is now evident that its
spies were here even before the war
began; and it is unhappily not mat
ter of conjecture, but a fact proved
in our courts of justice, that the in
trigues which have more than once
come perilously near to disturbing the
peace and dislocating the industries of
the country have been carried on at
the instigation, with the support, and
even under the personal direction of
Official agents of the Imperial govern
ment accredited to the government of
the United States.
Even in checking these things and
trying to extirpate them we have
sought to put the most generous inter-
pretations possible upon them because
we knew that their source lay, not in
any hostile feeling or purpose of the
German people towards us (who were,
| no doubt, as ignorant of them as we
ourselves were), but only in the self
ish designs of government that did
what it pleased and told its people
nothing.
But they have played their part in
serving to convince us at last that
that government enteftains no real
friendship for us and means to act
against our people and security at its
convenience.
That 1t means to stir up enemies
| against US at our very doors, the in
| tercepted note to the German minis
| ter at Mexico City is eloquent evil
| dence.
Fight That World May Be Safe.
We are accepting this challenge of
l hostile purpose because we know that
In such government, following such
| methods, we can never have a friend,
and that in the nrasance of ito or.