Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-12-12
President Wilson's Message to Congress Masterpec
of Statesrnansh ship-Our Aim Justice.

washington, Dee. i.--PreSldent
Wilson to-day asked Congress to i'm
modiately declare war on Austria
hungary, and Congress, responding
with signs OF approval, began setting
itself about the work. The President
did not recommend declarations of
war with Turkey and Bulgaria, Ger
many's other allies. at this time.
The closing declaration that the
whole energy OF the nation should be
devoted to winnig the war evoked
more long 0utbursts. In this passage
the, President approached an unusu-
ally dramatic delivery and as he
turned down the last page of his
manuscript and bowed slightly the
cptire assemblagc rose and tumult
lasted half minute.
The Presidents Address.
The President spoke as follows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress-: Eight
months have elapsed since last had
the honor Of addressing you. They
have been months crowded with
events OF immense and grave signif-
cance for us. | shall not undertake
TO detail or even to summarize those
events. The practical particulars Of
the part we have played in them will
be laid before you in the reports Of
the executive departments.
] shall discuss only our present
outlook upon these vast affairs, our
present duties and the Immediate
means OF accomplishing the objects
we shall hold always in view. -
shall not 60 back to debate the
causes Of the war. The intolerable
wrongs done and planned against us
by the sinister masters of Germany
have long since become too grossly
obvious and odious to every true
American to need to be rehearsed.
But ! shall ask you to consider
again and with Il very grave scrutiny
our objectives and tho measures by
which we mean to attain them; for
the purpos Of 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 be slackened
or suffer ourselves to be diverted un-
til 1t is won. But 1t is worth while
asking and answering the question,
when shall we consider the war won?
From one point Of view 1t is not
necessary to broach this fundamen-
f3I 1oft Il ,I>t ~
American people know what the war
is about and what sort Of an outcome
they will regard as a realization Of
thrtr purpose Ia IT, As 4 nation We
Hre nnitod m spirit and iuteutton. /
pay Gttlo heed 80 those WHO fcll mo
otherwise. I'hc1r the voices oG dis
sent-who does not? hear the
criticism and the clamor of the
noisy, thoughtless and troublesome.
also see men here and there fling
themselves in impotent dsloyalty
against the calm, indomitable power
OF the nation. ! hear men debate
peace who understand neither its
nature nor the way in which we may
attain it with upliftcd eyes and un-
broken spirits.
But I know that none Of these
speaks for the. nation. They do not
touch the heart of anything. They
may safely he left to strut their un-
easy hour and be forgotten.
What the War Is For.
But from another point Of view
believe that it is necessary to say
plainly what we here at the seat Of
action consider the war to be for and
what part we mean to play in the set
Element Of its searching issues, We
Y are the spokesman Of our American
people and they have a right to know,
whether their purpose is ours. They
desire peace by the overcoming Of
evil, by the defeat once for all Of the
sinister forces that interrupt peace
and render it impossible. and they
wish to know how closely our thought
runs with theirs and what action we
propose. They are impatient with
those who desire peace by any sort
OF cOmpromisc--dee and indig-
hantly impaticnt--but they will be
equally impatient with us If we do
not make it plain to them what our
objectives are and what We are plan
mig for in seeking to make conquest
of peace by arms.
believe that | speak for them
when I say two things: First that
this intolcrable thing Of which the