Meade County news., 1917-11-08

wish to share with all free people, we
SHALL l feel confident. conduct our oper-
ations as belligerents without passion
and ourselves observe with proud punc-
tilio the principles of right AMI of fair
play we profess to be fighting for.
l have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the Imperial gov
ernment of Germany because they have
not made war upon us or challenged
us to defend our right and our honor.
The AustrO-HungarIan government has.
indeed, avOwed Its unqualified IndOrse-
ment and acceptance OF the reckless
and lawIess submarine warfare, adopt-
ed now without disguise by the Imper-
lul German government, and IL has
therefore not been possible for this
government to receive Count Tarnow-
ski, the ambassador recently accredited
TO this government by the Imperial and
Royal government OF Austria Hungary;
but that government has not actually
engaged in warfare against citizens of
the United States on the seas, and
take the liberty, for the present mt
least, of pOstpOninE n discussion of our
relations with the authorities at Vi
ennn. We enter this war only where
we are clearly forced into II because
there are no other means of defending
our rights.
1t will be all the easier for us to
conduct ourselves MS beIIIEerents In a
high spirit of right and fairness be-
cuuse we act without aninus, not with
enmity toward people or with the
desire to bring any injury or dIsad-
vantage upon them, but only in armed
opposition to nm irresponsible govern
ment which has thrown aside all con-
sIderatiOns of humanity and of right
and In running amuck.
We are, let me say again, the sim
RrNn L. 10 H. Il
shall desire nothing so much as the
early re-estabIIshment of Intimate rela-
tlOns of mutual advantage between MS,
however hard II may be for them for
the time being to believe TINT this is
spoken from our hearts. We have
horne with their present government
through all these bitter months be-
cause of that friendship, exercising
patience and fOrbenrance which would
otherwise have been impossible.
We shall happily still have an Op-
pOrtunIty to prove that friendship In
our daily attitude and actions toward
the millions of men and women of Ger
man birth and native sympathy who
live among us and share our life, and
we shall be proud to prove 1t toward
all who are in fact loyal to their neigh
bOrs and to the government In the hour
of test. They are most of them as true
and loyal Americans as IL they had
never known any other fealty or al
leRiance. They will be prompt to stand
with us in rebuIking and restraining
the few who may be of different mind
and purpose. II there should be dis
loyalty, 1t VIII be dealt with with n
firm hand of stern repressiOnj but II
II lifts its head at all, II will lift II
only here and there and without cOun-
tenance except from n lawless and
malignant few.
1t is distressing and oppressive duty,
gentlemen of the congress, which
have performed In thus addressing you.
There are, 1t may be, many months OF
fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us.
II Is n fearful thing to lead this great,
peaceful people into war, into the most
terrible and disastrous of all wars, civ
IIizatiOn itself seeming to be in the
balance.
But the right In more precious than
pence, and we shall fight for the things
which we have always carried nearest
our hearts-fOr democracy, for the
right of those who submit to authority
to have n voice in their own govern
ments, for the rights and liberties of
small nations, for n universal dominion
of right by such "a concert OF free Peo-
pie ns shall bring peace and safety 10
all nations and make the world itself
at last free.
To such n task we can dedicate our
lives and our fortunes, everything that
we are and everything that we have,
with the pride of those who know that
the day has come when America IL
privileged to spend her blood and her
might for the principles that gave her
birth and happiness and the peace
which she has treasured.
God helping her, she can do no other