New-York tribune., 1917-07-27

taken the steps upon the part OF the
government which necessarily follow
we come then TO deal with another
world entirely. We leave the neld OF
form and formality and find ourselves
in the world of the concrete, OF the
real. where hearts throb and grieve and
men are preparing TO su"er and die.
From thence forTarl you must deai
with the man on the street, IN the heid
and in the factory-the man OF simple
and fixed but noble national instincts,
the man. bless God, in whose moral
and intellectual fibre are ingralned the
teachings and tradition. and aspirations
of a century Of national llfe-a ma
tional life separate, distpct, exception
al and sublime. You Will not change
these things over night. The American
citizen must live his character-you
cannot transplant in few weeks the
habits and ideas, the methods and ways
of other people.
"We NAV have our Allies and with
them a common purpose, but America
Is still America with her own separate
and noble institutions, her individual
ity. the moral and intellectual con-
ceptions of her own people-she is still
a sun and not satellite.
"Sir. if our own institutions are not
at stake, if the security OF our own
country is not involved, if we as
people and as nation are not hghtihg
for our own rights and the honor and
lives of our own people, our declara-
tion OF war was a bold and impudent
BETRAYAL of a whole people, and It's
further continuance conspiracy
in
81 did not vote for war out Oh
sympathy for France, much as syinpa-
thize with and greatly as | admire thsI
brave and chivalrous people. l Voted
for war because our own rights had
been trampled under foot, because our
own people had been murdered and be-
cause we were informed that the
Slaughter was to be renewed. / could
see nothing in the future but con-
tinued wrongs, dishonor and complete
national degradation.
az did not vote for war that we might
spread democracy over Europe, though,
in common with all my countrymen,
7 would be glad to see every King and
every Emperor and every prince exlled
from among men, and every vestlge Oh
dynastic power swept into the refuse OF
history. | voted for war to preserve
and make safe our own blessed Repub-
Iic-to give honor and dignity and Sc
cufity 10 this democracy OF ours ana 10
keen il IL we could as our fathers trans
mitted it. whole and triumphant.
al felt that self-respect was the very
breath of life of a democracy
while other governments might con-
tinue on in Humiliation, and even IN
degradation, without self-respect a
democracy could not long endure. !
felt that free republic, living alone
and existing only in the affections and
deyotions of the citizens, could not long
survive the day when that republic
should refuse to defend the rights and
protect the lives of its citizens.
81 voted for war because the most
vital thing in our national life was and
is involved. and for no other reason on
earth would | have cast that vote and
helped TO plunge our nation into the
midst of this world conflict. As Iview
il. from that hour this was no longer
a European war to settle and adjust
European affairs or TO be controlled by
European interests, but an Ameriman
war to be carried on for American in
terests, and TO be prolonged or short
ened according TO American demands
and in harmony with our welfare-a
war 10 settle once and we hope for all
time that while we are slow to wrath
we are swift 20 avenge those wrongs
which callenge national honor and i'm
peril the security OF our own people"