The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1917-03-07
AMERICA MUST STAND
FOR ENDURING PEACE
PRESIDENT in Second Inaugural Point Out That United States
MUST otad tor Freedom of Land and Sea- Nation May
Haze to Engage in War.

entirely to questions of foreign af
fairs. President Wilson in il sounded
anew the call to Americans to stand
lirm for world conditions which would
make for enduring peace. This. he
said, could be founded only on equal
ity and justice.
President Wilson'S inaugural ad
dress was as follows:
My Fellow Citizens: The four
years which have elapsed since last
| stood in this place have been crowd
cd with counsel and action OF the
most vital interest ana consequence.
ferhapS no equal period in our his
tory has been so fruitful OF important
reforms in cur economic and indus
trial life or so full Of significant
changes in the spirit and purpose OF
political action. We have sought very
tlonghtfully TO set our house in order,
correct the grosScr errors and abuses
Of our industrial lifc. libaratc and
quicken the processes of our national
genius and energy, and lift our pol
itics TO broader view Of the peoples
essential interests. 1t is record Of
singular variety and singular distinc-
ton Bu; | shall not attempt to re-
view ii, 1t speaks for itself and Will
be of increasing influence as the years
go by. This is not the time FOR retire
Hpcct. II is time rather to speak our
thoughts and purposes concerning the
present and the immediate future.
Although we have centred coun-
sci and action with such unusual con-
ccNtration and success upon the great
problems OF domestic legislation to
which We addressed ourselves four
years ago, other matters have more
and more forced themselves upon our
attention, matters lying outside our
own lie as nation and over which
we had no control, but which, despite
oar wish to keep free Of them have
drawn us more and moro irrcsistibly
into their own current and influence.
"lt has been impossible to avoid
them. They have affected the life Of
the world. They have shaken men
everywhere with a passion and an
apprehension they never knew before.
! has been hard to preserve calm
counsel while the thought of our own
people swaycd this way and that un-
der their influence. We arc com
r@-:t ana co@HpDali.an pcaH,c. W.
arc OF the blood Of all the nations
That are at war. Tho current of our
thoughts as woll rs the currents Of
our trade run quick at all seasons
back and forth between us and them.
Tho war inevitably set its mark from
tho FIRST alike upon our minds, our
Industries, our commerce. our poli-
tics and our social action. To be in
different TO it or independent Of it
was out Of the question.
And yet all the while we have
been conscious that We were not part
of IL. In that consciousness, despite
many divisions. he have drawn
closer together. We have been
deeply wrongcd upon the seas, but
we have not wished to wrong or
inlurc in return; have retained
the consciousness Of
in some sore apart, intent
upon an interest that transccnded
the immediate issues of the war it.
self, AS some Of the injuries done
lis have become intolcrable We have
still been clear that VIC wished moth
ing for ourselves that we were not
ready to demand for all mankind
fair dealing, justice, the freedom Of
life and be at case against organized
wrong
1T is in this spirit and with this
thought that we have grown more
and more aware, more and moro GER
tain, that the part we wished to play
was the part OF those who mean to
and fortify peace. We have
been obliged to arm ourselves to
make good our claim TO certain
minimum OF right and Of freedom
OF action. We stand firm in armed
neutrality since it seems that in no
othCr way we can demonstrate what
il Is We insist upon and can not f0rc-
god. We may even be drawn OF, by
circumstances not by oiu OWnwW-
p2En CT desire, to a moro active as
seNiiOn Of our rights as we see Gom
T.,