Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-04-05
TnK PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
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8 shall take the liberty OF suggest.
M, througA the several executive de
partinents Of the government, for the
confederation OF your committees,
measures for the accomplishment OF
the several objects | have mentioned.
hope that 1t Will be your pleasure to
deal with them as having been framed
after very careful thought by the
branch of the government upon which
the responsibility Of conducting the
war and safeguarding the nation will
most directly fall.
While we do these things, these
deeply momentous things, let us be
very clear and make very clear to
all the world what our motives and
u objects are. Ny W thought has
not been driven from its habitual and
normal course by the unhappy events
OF the last two months and do not
believe that the thought Of the nation
has been altered or clouded by them.
Same objects In View.
II have exactly the same things In
mind now that / had in mind when ]
addressed the senate on the 22nd Of
January last; the same that j had In
mind when / addressed the congress
on the third Of. February and on the
26th OF February. Our object now, az
then, is to vindicate the principles Of
peace and justice In the life Of the
world as against selfish and autocratic
power and to set up amongst the real
" free and self-governed peoples OF
the world such a concert of purpose
and Of action as Will hencforth ensure
the observance Of these principles.
Neutrality Is no longer feasible or de.
Dirable where the peace Of the world
10 involved and the freedom Of tta
peoples and the menace to that peace
and freedom lies In the existence OF
%Autocratics governments. backed by or
ganized force which is controlled Who'll.
II by their will. not by the will OF
their people.
I'VE have seen the last of neutral
lty In such circumstances. We are at
the beginning Of an age IN which II
Will be insisted that the same stand.
ards OF conduct and OF responsibility
TOR wrong done shall be observed
among nations and their governments
that are observed among the individ.
ual citizens OF civilized states.
No Quarrel With German People.
I'VE have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling to.
wards them but of sympathy and
friendship. It was not upon their i'm.
pulse that their government acted in
entering this war. It was not with
their previous advantage on approval.
II was a war determined upon as
wars used to be determined upon In
the old. unhappy days when peoples
were nowhere consulted by their rul.
srs. and wars were provoked and
waged In the interest OF dynasties or
little groups Of ambitious men who
we're accustomed to use their fellow
men AZ pawns and tooH.
Send No swarms OF Spies.
.seltgoverned nations do not All
their neighbor states with spies OF
s0t the our Of intrigue to bring
about some critical posture of affairs
which will give them an opportunity
10 strike and make conquest.
Such designs can be successfully
worked ont only under cover and
whore no one has the right to ask
euestions. Cunningly contrived plans
q deception or aggression, carried, II
nay BE-. from generation to generation,
ean be worked out and kept from the
light only within the privacy OF courts
q behind the carefully guarded con.
adencesAc3 narrow and privileged
GLASS.
They .are happily impossible where
eublac opinion commands and Insists
apon full Information concerning ali
~ nations ailfairs.
Intrigue Eats vitals Away.
s steadfast concert for peace car
IS Aeyer 10 maintained except ~ part
nershlp 6f Democratic nations. NJ
antocratic government could BE trust
sdssto keep faith within II Of observe
~ covenants. 4 must Be = league
. honor, asparinership 81 opinion.
ssIntrigueAsMould eat II vitals WA
~ plSttines = innsr circles who
ccnld plan whAt they would render
Aeoountssto ~ onesMould IS i corrup
lionsssaked y ftssyety heart.
Only free peoples can hold theil
b pUfpoSs md their honor steady to !
cosaaaon "a and prefer the interestl
snalAnklnd tosany nar1ow interest q,
II hsAstensd41y RNssla.
SS q not oveggy American feei En-,
AausE0!nace - been added d oui
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