The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-04-13
do his duty as God gave MIN to see
it. (ApplauSe.)

it. (Applause.)
Half the civilized world is now
slaushterhouse io> l.dman beings.
This nation is the last hope OF peace
on earth, good will toward men.
am unwilling for my country by STA
tutory command to pull up the last
anchor Of peace in the World ana eA-
tinguish during the long night OF
worldwide war the only remaining
star of hope for Christendom. ain
unwilling by my vote today for this
nation to throw away the only re-
naming compass to which the world
can look for guidance in the paths or
right and truth, Of justice and hu-
manity, and to leave only force and
blood to chart hereafter the path OF
mankind to tread By passage OF th!s
resolution we enter the war, and the
universe will become one vast drama
Of horrors and blood-one boundleSs
stage upon which will play all the
evil spirits of earth and hell. All the
demons Of inhumanity will be lel
loose for a rampage throughout the
world. Whatever be the future, what
ever be the rewards or penalties OF
this nations step, shall always De-
lieve that we could and ought to have
kept out of this war.
Great Britain every day, every hour
for two wears has violated American
rights on the seas. We have pers1s-
tently protested. She has denied Us
not only entrance into the ports or
the central powers but has closed to
US by force the ports Of neutrals. She
has unlawfully seized our ships ana
our cargoes. She has rified our
mails. She has declared war zone
sufficiently large to cover all the ports
of her enemy. She made the entire
North sea a military area-streWed II
with her hidden mines and told the
neutral nations of the world to stay
out or be blown up. We protested.
No American ships were sunk, NO
American life was destroyed, because
we submitted and did not go in. We
kept out of war. We sacrificed No
honor. We surrendered permanent
ly no essential rights. We knew that
these acts of Great Britain, though
in plain violation of international la"
and of our rights on the seas, were
not aimed at US. They were direct
ed at her enemy. They were inspired
by military necessity. Rather than
plunge this country into war, We
we're willing to forgoe for the time
our rights. I approved that course
then; 1 approve it now. Germany
declared a war zone sufficiently large
to cover the ports of her enemy She
infests it with submarines and Us
the neutral world to stay out, tough
in plain violation of our rights and
of international law. We know thai
these acts are aimed not directly al
us but intended to injure and cripple
her enemy, with which she, is in a
death struggle.
We refuse to yield; We refuse to
foregoe our rights for the time. We
insist upon going in.
In my judgement, We could keep |
out of the war with Germany as we !!
kept out OF the war with Great Brit |
ain, by keeping our ships and our citl-
zens out of the war zone of Germany
as we did out of the war zone OF
Great Britain. And we would sacrl-
fee no more honor, surrender no
more rights in the one case than III
the other But we are told that Ger
many has destroyed American lives
while Great Britain destroyed only
property. Great Britain destroyed no
American lives, because this nation
kept her ships and her citizens OUT
of her war zone which she infested
with hidden mines. But are we quite
sure that the real reason for war with
Germany is the destruction of lives
as distinguished from property, that
to avenge the killing Of innocent
American lives war becomes duty?
Mexican bandits raided American
towns, shot to death sleeping men,
women and children in their own
homes. We did not go to war to
avenge these deaths. We sent all