The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-09

4
gether. We have been deeply wrong
ed upon the seas, but we have not
wished to wrong or injure in return
have retained throughout the con-
,sciousness of standing in some sort
apart, intent upon an interest that
transcribed the immediate issues of
the war itself. AS some of the in
| iuries done us have become intoler-
able, we have still been clear that we
wished nothing for ourselves that we
were not ready to demand for all
mankind-fair dealing, justice, the
freedom to live and be at ease against
organized wrong.
1T is in this spirit and with this
thought that we have grown more
and more aware, more and more GER
tain that the part We wished to play
was tie part of those who mean to
vindicate and fortify peace. We
have been obliged to arm ourselves
to make good our claim to a certain
minimum of right and freedom of ac-
ton. We stand firm in armed neu-
tIailty since t seems that in no other
way We can lamon. tIate what it IS
we insist upon and can not fOreCo.
We may even be drawn on, by circum-
stances, 1T Ly Gur own purpose o.
desire, TO a mo-. active assertion Of
"u' H. - as We soc them and a more
immeiatc associGron With the great
81 &"Cl. II self. But II, ing will al
tar o + "a "a IT, q" or - pose. tt Y
aIe too clear 10 be Obsecured. They
are too deeply rooted in the princi-
pies Of our national life to be altered.
We desire neither conquest nor ad
vantage. We wish nothing that can
he had only at the cost of another
people. We have always prOfessed
unselfish purposes and we covet the
opportunity to prove that our profess
siOns Il sincere.
There are many things still TO do
at home, to clarity our own politics
and give new vitality to the indus
trial processes of our own life and we
shall 90 then as time and opportun-
ity serve; but we realize that the
greatest things that remain to be
done must be done with the whole
world for stale and in cooperation
with the wide and universal forces of
mankind. and we are making our
spirits ready for those things. They
Will follow in the immediate wake of
the war itself and will set civiliza-
tiOn up again. We are provincials
no longer. The tragical events of
the thirty months of vital turmoil
thr ougn which we have just passed
have made us citizens of the world.
There cor b. 10 turning back. Our
own fortunes as a nation are involv-
ed, whether we would have it so or
not.
True Americans
And yet we are not the less Amer
leans on that account. We shall be
the more American if We but remain
true to the principles in which we
have been bred. They are not the /
principles of a province or of a sing
le continent. We have known and |
boasted all along that they were the
principles OF a libeJ ated mankind.
These, therefore, are the things we
shall stand for, whether in war or in
peace.
THAT all nations are equally in
Ierested in the peace of the world
md in the political stability of free
people equally responsible for their
THAT the essential principal of
peace is the actual equality of ma
ions in all matters of right or privi-
ege;
THAT peace can not securely or
ustly rest upon an armed balance of
)ower;
THAT governments derive all their
ust powers from the consent of the
,overned and that no other powers
hould be supported by the common
hought, purpose or power of the
amily of nations;
THAT the seas should be equally
ARA MRR M%HH