The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-03-15
A NEW OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

Time and circumstances alone
would make President Wilson's sec
ond inaugural address one OF the
great state papers OF American ms
tory, and in tone and substance 1T IS
worthy to rank among the great state
papers. ;.
in no sense dismayed or shaken by
that shameful scene in the senate
when "a little group OF wilful men,
representing no opinion but their
own have made the government or the
United States helpless and contemp-
tible.' The senate has failed IN IT'S
task, but he is determined that the
president shall not fail in his task,
and he returns to it by calling upon
the American people to take. new
oath of allegiance Ito the principles
in which we have been bred
Those principles he applies to the
situation that the nation controntS
and to the purposes OF the unlted
States il, it is forced into war: we
wish nothing that can be had only, at
the cost OF another people" That
certain minimum of right and free
dom of action which we demand we
shall obtain by armed neutrality II
that be possible, or we may be COM
PEELED to make "a more active asser.
ton of our rights as we see them
ISOLATION y It'll war itself; but
we ask nothing that we are not ready
to demand for all mankind 1alr
dealing, Justice, the freedom to be at
ease against organized wrong.
Frankly and firmly the president
tells the country that its days OF
isolation are over. we cannot re-
main isolated, because the rest OF the
world does not permit us to be iso-
lated. THE tragical events of the
thirty months of vital turmoil
through which we have just passed
have made us citizens Of the world.
There can be no turning back. Nor
can we escape our responsibilities If
we would Soon or late we must
meet them and the longer we uelay
the more obstacles we must over
come
Only one thing. is vital at this
time-the national unity for which
the president pleads. Neither war
nor calamity, neither famine nor
pestilence. can effect the republic II
the American people are united IN
which that government is founded.
That alone is important. ;,
Whether there is such national
unity at this critical period, Wheth-
er the American people are stlll true
to their own principles and thelr
own faith, can pc Qelel1ulneu iully
by the measure OF support which
they accord the president in dealing
with the problems that Germany and
a treacherous senate minority have
Imposed upon him. On the basis OF
national unity the American people
will speak in no uncertain voice IN
favor of arming our ships and in
favor of safeguarding them against
German submarine warfare with all
the naval power that the govern
ment commands. They will make it
plain to the Sixty-ffth Congress.
which must soon convene in special
session, that it must be an American
congress. not a pro-German congress
or a quasi-German congress DISCUS
ed Win pacifism. They will make
clear their deter animation to see this
thing through, come what may.
They alone are masters OF their
own destiny, and if they refuse to
understand or uphold their rights. if
they refuse to understand and main
tain their principles, no government
can do it for them. Unless the
vision of duty, of opportunity and OF
service is their vision, it is nothing.
and thev have sacrificed the soul Of
the nation-New York World.