The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1917-12-08

son appeared IN person belofe a joint
session OIL congress aAa delivered the
following annual address:
Gentlemen OF the Congress-:
Eignr months have elapsed since 1
last had the honor of addressing you.
! They have been months crowded with
events OF imIiense and grave sigliiil-
canoe Tor US. snail not undertake to
detail or even 10 summarize Inose
events.
The practical particulars of the part
We have played i'll tnem will De laid
before you IN the reports OF the ex.
ecutlve departments. 1 snail discuss
only our present outlook upon these
vast affairs, our present duties aad
the Immediate means OF accomplish
ing the objects We shall hold always
in view.
1 shall not 60 back to debate the
causes OF the war. The intoIerabie
wrongs done and planned against US
by the sinister masters OF Germany
have long since become too grossly
obvious ana odious 10 eve1y true
American to need to be rehearsed.
But shall ask you 10 consider again
end with very grave scrutiny CIR
detectives ana the measures by which
We mean to attain them; Tor the pur-
pose or discussion here in this place
Is action and our action must move
straight toward definite ends. Our
object is. OF course. to win the war.
and we shall not slacken or suffer
ourselves TO be diverted until it Is
won. But 1t is worth while asking
and answering the question when shall
We consider the war won?
DO Not understand Peace.
From one point OF view it is not |
necessary to breach this fundamental |
matter. do not doubt that the Amer
lean people know what the war Ia |
about aaa what sort OF an outcome
they will regard as a realization OF |
their purpose in it. AZ nation we
are united In spirit and intention.
pay little heed to those who tell me
otherwise. l hear the voices of dis
sent--who does not? | hear the criti-
cism and the cIamor of the noisliy
thoughtless and troublesome. also
see men here and there fling them
selves In impotent disloyalty against
the calm. indcmitable power OF the
nation. hear men debate peace who
understand neither its nature nor the
way in which we main attain it with
lpiiIted eyes and unbroken spirits.
but know that none Of these speaks
Tor the nation. They do not touch
he heart OF anything. They may
safely be lett to strut their uneasy
lour and be forgotten.
But from another point Of view l
believe that II is necessary to say
,lalnly what we here at the seat OF
lction consider the war to be for and
What part we mean to play In the set
lement OF it's searching issues. We
re the spokesman of the American
'eopie and they have q right to know
whether their purpose is ours. They
Iesire peace by the overcoming OF
vii, by the defeat once for all of the 9
mister forces that interrupt peace
nd render it impossible, and they Z
iish to know how closely our thought I
uns with theirs and what action we q
ropose. They are impatient with y
hose who desire peace by any sort T
compromise-deeply and indignant
impatient-but they will be equally
inpatient with us If we do not make it
lam to them what our detectives are {,
nd what We are planning for in seek v
lg to make conquest of peace by A
rms. a
believe that I speak for them o
hen ! say two things: First, that ic
lis intolerable Thing of which the te
lasters Of Germany have shown us o.
lie ugly face. this menace of COM a
med intrigue and force which we m
DIV see so clearly az the German b,
ower, Thing without conscience or B
onor or capacity for covenanted Ii
eace. must be crushed, and IL it be d.
,t utterly brought to an end at least ss
tut out from the friendly intercourse az
nations, and. second, that when this FIR
hing and its power are indeed de- OF
ated and the time comes that we
N discuss peace-when the German re
'ople have spokesman whose word III
E can believe and when those az
okesmen are ready in the name Of fe
cir people to accept the common st
dgment of the nations as to what er
all henceforth be the basis of law co
d of covenant for the life Of the fe
'rld-we shall be willing and glad to sa
y the full price for peace and pay 1t tx
grudgingly. We know what that
Ice win be. 1t win be full, impair.
justice-justice done 1T every ~