St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1917-12-08

to what shall hencefOrth be the
bases of Law and of government
for the life of the world-we
shall be willing and glad to pay
the full price for peace, and
pay 1t ungrudgmgiy.
We know what that price will be-.
1t will be full, impartial Justice
Justice done ut every point and to
every nation that the final settle
ment must affect our enemies as we'll
as our friends.
You catch, with me. the voices of
humanity that are in the air. They
grow daily more audible, more ar
ticulate, more persuasive, and they
come from the hearts Of men every
where.
They insist that the war shall not
end In vindictive action of any kind;
that no nation or people shall be
robbed or punished because the IT.
responsible rulers of single coun-
try have themselves done deep and
abomniable wrong. It is this thought
that has been expressed in the
formula, NO annexations, no con-
tributions, no punitive indemnities.
just because this crude form.
ula expresses the instructive
Judgment as to the right OF
plain men everywhere, 1t has
been made diligent use of by the
master of German intrigue to
lead the people Of Russia astray-
and the people of every other
country their agents could
reach, In order that prema-
ture peace might be brought
about before autOcracy has been
taught its final and convincing
lesson, and the people Of the
world put in control of their
own destinies.
But the fact that wrong use has
been made Of a just idea is no rea-
SON why right use should not be
made of it. It ought to be brought
under the patronage Of its real
friends. Let 1t be said again that
autocracy must first be shown the
utter futilty of Its claims to power
or leadership in the modern world.
It is impossible to apply any stand
ard Of justice so long as such forces
are unchecked and unde feated as the
present masters Of Germany COM
mand. Not until tha. 1..s been done
can right he set up as arbiter and
peacemaker among the nations.
But when that has been done
-as, God willing, 1t assuredly will
be-we shall at last be free to
do an unprecedented thing, and
this is the time to avow our pur-
pose to do 1T We shall be free
to base peace on generosity and
Justice, to the exclusion OF all
selfish claims to advantage even
on the part of the victors.
Let there be no misunderstanding.
Our persent and immediate task is
to win the war, and nothing shal.
turn US aside from it until 1t is &C
complished. Every power and re-
source we possess, whether OF men,
of money, or of materials, is being
devoted and will continue to be de-
voted to that purpose until 1t is
achieved.
Those who desire to bring peace
about before that is achieved l coun-
sci to carry their advice. elsewhere.
We will not entertain 1t. We shall
regard the war as won only when the
German people say to US, through
properly accredited representatives,
that they are ready to agree to a
settlement based upon justice and
the reparation of the wrongs their
rulers have done.
They have done a wrong to
Belgium which must be repair
ed. They have established
power over other lands and peO-
pies than their own-oyer the
great empire of Austria-Hun-
gary, over hitherto free Balkan
States, over Turkey and within
Asia-which must be relin-
quished.
Germany's success by skill, by in
dustry, by knowledge, by enterprise
we do not grudge or oppose. but ad-
mired, rather. She had ,built up fol
herself a rea! empire Of trade and
influence, secured by the peace OF the
world. We were content to abide
the, rivalries of manufacture, science
and commerce that were involved
for us in her success. and stand OF
fall as we had or did not have the
brains and the initiative 70 surpass
her. But at the momen{ssehe had
conspicuously won her tr1 mphs oi